The Coalition of Civil Society for Good Governance, CCSGG, scored the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari low.
Thr group also expressed concern over the large number of uncollected permanent voter cards, PVCs.
The disclosure was made yesterday at CCSGG, at a media briefing with focus on the anti-corruption crusade.
Advocating mainstreaming transparency and openness in the fight against corruption, the group said election alone do not make true democracy when others ingredients like smooth process for voters registration are removed.
Saying that President Muhammadu Buhari has not done well in the fight against corruption, they agreed that corruption is fast becoming a growing industry in Nigeria which has the proclivity to aspphyxate the economy of the country and render it comatose.
In a communique issued at the end of the programme and read by Rahmon Alawode, the group recalled how the present administration cruised into power on the promise to fight the monster of corruption to a stand still.
“But, inspite of the meal mouthed promise that raised the expectations of the populace, the only arena where the government is winning the trophy is in the pages of newspapers, television screen and the social media.
“This has given impetus to the scepticism of the people and tender the genuiness of the agencies in charge because they have shifted focus from the demands of their assignment and choose to play to the gallery through their selective enforcement of law to prosecute only the credible challengers of the government in power.”
The group berated what it called all fury and no steam of the present government in the fight against corruption and advice that the fight against corruption should not be narrowed down to only pilfering of state resources or political corruption but should include nepotism, giving appointment without merit, manipulations of policies and institutional procedures to benefit people in power.
The group in its 14 point communique also also tasked anti corruption agencies to draw a line between electoral funds duly disbursed through a legal financial institution and sourced from a clean origin and the illicit funds from proceeds of crime.
The group berated Buhari for fighting corruption through media trial or rash intimidation of perceived enemies” of government.
This is just as the group reiterated the need for corruption agencies in the country to prove ” that they are not primed to serve the interest of the government but the people for democratic consolidation”
“As benefits of politics increase, so is corruption and greed, hence, public financing of campaign funds of all the parties should be made transparent and no party should shoot beyond the stipulated spending cap. EFCC should draw a line between electoral funds duly disbursed through a legal financial institutions and sourced by willing private sector donor and monies that are proceeds of crime which of course can be subsumed under money laundering. “
Finally, participants called on the federal government to improve the quality of sensisitisation of the public and raise their consciousness on how to avoid any act of corruption while the media should double check any allegations on corruption before making its headlines.”
Speaking earlier, Femi Oladapo said that “From all available indices, governance in Nigeria is adrift as those in the helm of affairs are blandly driving the governance system in a slow and ponderous manner thereby reinstating the sneaky fears of the populace that the country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder about to explode basically for lack of visionary leadership and unanimity of purpose. For how long will this drivel continue to be the refrain among the populace who are daily bearing the brunt of the ineffective leadership in Nigeria.”
Other speakers, Elder Moses Olorode, of the National Alliance Democratic Surveillance (NADS) and Alhaji Isiaka Kehinde, asked the government of Buhari to desist from the on going media war on corruption but the sincere, objective and fair if truly his administration intends to fight corruption in Nigeria.
The program was attended by leaders of the Positive Life Assurance, Initiative for Ethics and Value Orientation, National Alliance for Democratic Surveillance, Youth for Better Society and National Traders and Market Leaders Council.
