Transparency International report not a setback, call to work harder, says Osinbajo

VICE PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo yesterday downplayed Transparency International’s (TI) damning verdict on Nigeria, saying the latest corruption perception index should not be misconstrued as a set back but an opportunity to continue building on the many successes recorded in key sectors of the country.

Speaking on the theme: “The imperative of cooperation of arms of government in a democratic dispensation,” at the Dialogue of Organs of Government on Reform of Justice Sector and Campaign Against corruption, Osinbajo insisted the administration is particularly recording tremendous success in the fight against corruption, noting that perception may indeed lag behind reality.

The Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, represented him at the jointly organised dialogue by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) and Federal Ministry of Justice.

He said: “This dialogue couldn’t have come at a better time, the ranking of Nigeria by the 2017 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, released on February 21st, 2018, should not in anyway be seen as a set back but rather as an opportunity to continue building on the many successes that have already been recorded by this government in all the key sectors.

“It is also important to note that the main reason for Nigeria’s decline in the Transparency International 2017 Corruption Perception Index, is that Nigeria recorded a major drop in score on just one out of the nine international recognized indexes used by Transparency International, to ascertain perceived levels of public sector corruption from the perspective of experts and business people.

“The index in question scored Nigeria low on the economy intelligence unit country’s risk service with the decline from 37 points to 20. This is an index that analyses the risks of financial exposure in countries. “The question to be asked then is what changed so dramatically between 2016 and 2017? As we speak, the budget for 2018 is under public scrutiny at the National Assembly, the allocation and use of public funds is guided by the budget and represents one of the key areas of consultations and interaction between the two arms of government, that is the executive and legislature.’’