Anti Corruption War; CLEEN Foundation Holds Town-Hall Meeting in Kaduna

Towards Fostering Citizens’ Support for the War

against Corruption.

The word “corruption” in Nigeria today evokes strong sentiments and myriad feelings

among Nigerians. For about three decades in the history of the nation; perhaps there

has never been a time that the nation has been awash and bedeviled with the

experiences of corruption and the use of the word like the present times and

administration. Corruption in Nigeria pervades most sectors of the public life. While

cases of corruption also abound in the private sector in terms of monetary and

administrative related corruption, the public sector is a key area that has been identified

as a conduit for looting public funds by public servants. Recent cases of accused public

officials (serving and retired) give credence to the urgent and critical need to make

public institutions and structures more accountable and transparent in their dealings.

Presently, the country ranks 136 among 168 countries in the 2015 Corruption Perception

Index released by the Transparency International. This is a stark rating that calls for

urgent need to deploy all necessary measures to stem the tide of corruption in Nigeria.

It has also been observed by a section of Nigerians that the current anti-corruption

efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari would achieve very little unless it becomes a

paramount agenda that can be pursued at the state and local government levels. This is

because public opinion on the fight against corruption differs. For some Nigerians, it is

indicative that it is an exclusive agenda of the sitting President that is driven only at the

federal level, even though corruption exists at other levels (State and local government

institutions and processes). Whereas, some have observed strongly that the war against

corruption is selective and targets only politicians of the former administration amongst

other assertions.

Specific areas where corruption has been linked to States and Local Government

Authorities (LGAs) are: joint account operation between states and LGAs, procurement

and award of contracts and lack of transparency and monitoring in budgeting processes

and implementation etc. The absence of data and information and a poor record keeping

system from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is a strong factor that

has aided corruption at the lower levels of government. Thus, citizens’ engagement

becomes pivotal for an open and transparent system of governance.

Citizens need to participate in these processes to demand accountability by claiming the

space in the fight against corruption at the states and LGAs. As a civil society

organization at forefront of justice sector reforms, CLEEN Foundation believes the

essential legal instrument that could assist the citizens to check corruption within state

institutions and processes at local level is the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. This

details the right of citizens to request and receive government-held documents which

should allow for effective citizen engagement in public policy and governance. A free

flow of information on government performance enhances participation and opens the

door for civil society to engage itself in public policy.

The town hall meeting organized by the CLEEN Foundation will hold on Wednesday

29th June 2016 in Kaduna State with the theme: ‘Fostering Citizens’ Support for the

War against Corruption in Nigeria’ The meeting will build the capacity of community

members and other key stakeholders at the state and local government levels on

engaging with available tools and innovative channels to participate in the fight against

all forms of corruption. Representatives from the leading anti-graft agencies will present

papers and respond to open floor discussions on how citizens can be part of the fight

against corruption thereby demanding accountability and transparency in the state

institutions and local governance processes. The Kaduna Town hall meeting will also

focus on the cost of corruption in Nigeria with a view to offer perspectives to the citizens

on the far-reaching negative effects corruption has engendered on almost all sectors of

the economy namely: infrastructure, security, welfare, economic, politics and health

among others. The town hall meeting will provide a platform for information sharing

from the agency representatives to the citizens on steps they could take to help

strengthen the fight against corruption.

Similar Town hall meetings are planned for Lagos, Rivers and Benue States before the

end of the year. These meetings will hopefully generate far-reaching effects that trickle

down to the grassroots in making citizens more aware of corruption and the negative

effects towards securing their commitment to fight it. Through this sustained efforts

across Nigeria, citizens’ engagement to demand transparency and accountability and

generate crosscutting ideas to check corrupt practices within government and its

institutions will be greatly enhanced.

Kaduna State presents a good starting point to promote our anti-corruption

engagements given the goodwill from the State government as expressed in its readiness

and openness to support such laudable efforts for an open society. Civil Society

organisations in support of anti-corruption will continue to collaborate with such state

governments in making public funds work for the people towards an open and

accountable government.