The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Friday echoed the Federal Government’s call for public support in the anti-corruption crusade to achieve sustainable national development.
The minister made the call at a seminar to commemorate the International Anti-Corruption Day with the theme, “Corruption: An Impediment to the Sustainable Development Goals’’.
The event was facilitated by the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) in collaboration with the EU, U.S. Embassy and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Fayemi, who chairs the IATT, stated that Nigeria was one of the first countries to ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Merida, Mexico in 2003.
To this end, he said that concerted efforts must be directed at fighting the monster called corruption in the country for it to be tamed.
“There is no denying the fact that our country has massive corruption problems.
“The current administration is running an anti-corruption agenda anchored on prevention, public engagement, sanctions and enforcement, and recovery of proceeds of corruption.
“The sanction and enforcement mechanism is ensuring that there are no sacred cows,’’ a statement by EFCC spokesperson, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, quoted him as saying.
The minister said that Nigeria had an array of legislations and institutions for fighting corruption, including police, Code of Conduct Bureau, EFCC, ICPC, Bureau of Public Procurement and the NEITI, among others.
He emphasised that the government had signed on to the ‘Open Government Partnership’ and developed an action plan for implementation in order to promote transparency within the polity.
In a statement sent to UNODC, the Secretary-General of UN, Ban Ki-moon described corruption as a deadly monster that strangles people, communities and nations.
Ki-moon said that the menace weakens education and health, undermines electoral processes and reinforces injustices by perverting criminal justice systems and the rule of law.
He enjoined all to reaffirm their commitment to ending the deceit and dishonesty that threatens the 2030 Agenda and the efforts to achieve peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet.
The Executive Director of UNODC, Yury Fedotov, harped on the need to unite to successfully eliminate corruption.
The acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, had led staff of the commission on a road walk from its headquarters to the venue of the celebration.
The walk, which was part of activities to mark the day, saw the staff dressed in colourful attires, and carrying banners with different messages such as, “Kill corruption before it kills Nigeria”. (NAN)