FGs anti-corruption war failing -CSOs

Eighteen notable Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) yesterday in Abuja declared that the anti-corruption efforts of the present administration is failing due to negligence, connivance and lack of clear institutional framework to prosecute the war.

The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, and Chairman of the Partners for Electoral Reforms (PER) Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, who briefed newsmen on behalf of others also present at the meeting, said corruption has assumed worrisome heights, entrenched in a systemic fashion which has become symbolic of a ‘colossal failure.’

“Although the EFCC disclosed, during the 7th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) held in Vienna in November 2017, that $2.9 billion USD have been recovered between May 2015 and Oct. 20, 2017, but there is little information and absence of clear guidelines on how these recovered assets are utilized to maximally benefit the common citizens, whose interest government had promised to protect,” Rafsanjani said.

Nwagwu on his part said the absence of independent, comprehensive review of how many assets that could be repatriated from all agencies with the power to seize assets, and verifiable information on the end-use and the impact of reinvested assets, is a systemic challenge to a successful anticorruption fight.

The groups frowned at series of unresolved cases of high profile corruption allegations involving politicians including those currently serving in the present administration and demand immediate action.