The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Barrister Ekpo Nta, on Monday task the Plateau State Government to put in place a state anti-corruption policy that will help domesticate not only Federal Acts dealing with corruption like those of ICPC, EFCC, among others, but international corruption conventions of the United Nations and others.
Nta made the appeal while giving a keynote address entitled ‘Transparency and Accountability: A Panacea to good governance and sustainable development.’
The Chairman who was speaking at the Plateau State Anti-corruption summit, organized by the Anti-corruption academy, in collaboration with Foundation for Transparency and Accountability, held in Jos, said, “This Anti-corruption summit is a deliberate stock taking exercise which your state must go through in other to understand the anatomy of corruption and how to deal with emerging corruption issues.
“Plateau State should put in place a state Anti-corruption Policy that will domesticate not only federal Acts dealing with corruption like ICPC Act 2000, EFCC Act 2004, Code of Conduct Act, Public Procurement Act 2007, among others; but also the International Anti-corruption Conventions and treaties of the United Nations (UNCAC) and those of the African Union and the ECOWAS respectively.
He maintained that, ” Plateau State can banish poverty and ignorance by putting in place an anti-corruption agenda that guarantees the promotion of integrity, transparency and accountability, through exploring innovative solutions and new technologies and by strengthening international cooperation.
Nta further stated that if the Plateau State Government can strengthen its public institutions, it will automatically provide the platform for “sustainable development, good governance and the rule of law.
He added that, “Empirical studies have confirmed this in developed economies.”
In his address, Governor Simon Lalong said, “This summit is no doubt apt, because it seeks to strengthen the fight against corruption in Plateau State.
Lalong maintained that, “The strategy employed in the campaign is commendable, seeing that it calls the citizens conscience to action, which he/she will personally sign up for, not only as a supporter but as a prosecutor of the corruption war.
The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, further stated that, “People of conscience and conviction, cannot afford not to stand up and be counted in the fight against corruption.
According to him, “Corruption is a global terror and the world is in a war against it. All that one needs is a glimpse into its devastating effect and a good conscience to sign up for the campaign.
Declaring the Anti-corruption summit closed, Lalong, said, “I commission all Plateau citizens as disciples for anti-corruption campaign, to the glory of God and the benefit of humanity”.
In his earlier remarks, Provost, Anti-corruption Academy of Nigeria, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, said the academy believes that the war against corruption could be won.
“It is winnable in the sense of drastically reducing the manifestation of the problem and turning the table against the corrupt, by building coalitions and alliances to tackle the phenomenon.”
Akinrinade added that, “This position derives from our philosophy that, corruption and related crimes can be controlled or managed through system of training and restraining, geared towards sound policy formulation, operational efficiency and good management culture”.
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