TheCable

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and BudgIT have listed five “weaknesses” as the reasons for Nigeria’s poor rating on the 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by Transparency International.

In the 2020 index released on Thursday, Nigeria scored 25 out of 100 points — with zero signifying the worst performing countries and 100, the best-ranked.

Nigeria scored 26 points in 2015, and 28 points in 2016.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the CSOs said Nigeria’s poor rating by TI is a reminder of the need for a fast and transparent response to challenges posed by corruption in the country.

Salaudeen Hashim represented CISLAC, Austin Aigbe, CDD, and Tolulope Agunloye, BudgIT.

They listed lack of transparency in COVID-19 response, nepotism, lack of adequate laws to tackle corruption, prevalence of bribery and extortion by the police and corruption in the security sector.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic out of Nigeria’s responsibility, there has been a lack of transparency in the emergency response of the government. Coupled with the gap in coordination, the process has been fraught by incessant flouting of procurement guidelines, hoarding of relief materials and diversion of these materials which are then used as personal souvenirs presented to political party loyalists and close associates,” the CSOs said.

“In the past year, we witnessed nepotism and favoritism in the appointment and promotion of some public officers. For example, all Nigerians remember the controversy which trailed the decision of the National Judicial Council (NJC) when at least eight of the 33 judges recommended for appointment by the NJC were either children or relatives of current or retired justices of the supreme or appeal courts.

“The repeated failure to enact the Proceeds of Crime Act as a legal framework for the management and utilization of recovered assets in Nigeria which is one of the key pillars of this administration’s anti-corruption strategy is inexplicable

“The year 2020 witnessed the #EndSARS protests which saw young people across the nation demanding an end to police brutality and corruption. A factor that led to this protest was widespread bribery and extortion by law enforcement officials especially the police.

“From violent extremism and insurgency to piracy, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on oil infrastructure, drug trafficking, and organized crime, Nigeria faces a host of complex security challenges. These threats typically involve irregular forces and are largely societally based.”

They asked the government to appoint and promote public servants based on merit, adding that it must ensure a free civic space for engagement with citizens and the media.

Fighting corruption is one of the focal points of the Buhari administration.