Inaugural speech: Media Roundtable to discuss Buhari’s policy on local govt corruption
A media roundtable on “approaches for combating impunity for local government corruption: the role of ICPC and EFCC is set to discuss President Muhammed Buhari’s inaugural speech on the need for the Federal Government to monitor and address corruption at the local government level.”This was disclosed yesterday by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). SERAP executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni said that the media roundtable organized in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and scheduled to be held on Monday 1 June 2015 at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos will now incorporate discussion on the policy statement contained in the inaugural speech.
President Buhari had stated in his inaugural speech that, “Elsewhere relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better. Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account. While the Federal Government can not interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked.”
SERAP said it “backs the President on the need for greater transparency and accountability at local government level.”
The roundtable to be chaired by the Hon Justice of the Court of Appeal Adewale Abiru is expected to bring together members of the media; members of the Judiciary and the Bar; parliamentarians; members of academic institutions, and non-governmental organizations, among others.
Among those expected at the media roundtable are: Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde, Chairman ICPC, Ekpo Nta, Dean of Faculty of Law, UNILAG Prof. Ibidapo Obe, Femi Falana, SAN,Tayo Oyetibo SAN, Head of the Netherlands Embassy in Lagos, Mr. Michel Deelen, representatives of National Human Rights Commission, Wole Soyinka Investigative Journalism, Executive Director Media Rights Agenda, Mr. Edeatan Ojo, Gbolahan Gbadamosi National Publicity Secretary NBA, and Yemi Adamolekun of Enough is Enough.
President Muhammadu Buhari during his inauguration.
According to the organization, “the Media Roundtable is part of SERAP’s project to reduce corruption and other inappropriate practices at the local government level, and to improve access to public services, especially for the vulnerable and marginalized sectors of the population such as the poor and women.”
“Nigeria’s anti-corruption project especially at the local government level is characterized by a general public apathy, and low citizens’ participation in the fight against corruption, and in achieving transparent and accountable governance. Furthermore, the fight against corruption is limited mainly to high profile cases at the federal and state levels, and there is less focus, attention or action with respect to corruption at the local government level. Yet, corruption at the local government level is assessed to be much more widespread that corruption at the federal and state levels, probably because of local government direct and personal contacts with citizens in providing the most ordinary and most sought after public services,” the organization said.
The recommendations from the roundtable will be sent to the President for consideration and implementation.