12 August 2015.
Nigerians voted for President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, because of the faith and belief they have in the President Muhammadu Buhari integrity and his party’s mantra of “change” coupled with his campaign promises, to rid the country of the cankerworm of corruption, which in our humble opinion, represents the greatest challenge facing our dear nation.
Corruption has resulted in the needless death of many Nigerians, especially as scarce resources that should have been used to provide qualitative healthcare services for all, particularly the vulnerable groups in our midst, good roads, qualitative education in public schools, employment opportunities for our teeming unemployed population including the youth, amongst others, have been diverted into private pockets, thus depriving majority of Nigerians the opportunity of benefiting from the nation’s God-given wealth.
It is against this background that Zero corruption Coalition (ZCC) and its partners commend the timely inauguration of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption headed by Professor Itse Sagay, a prominent professor of law and civil rights activist.
The Committee’s tasks is to advise the present Buhari led administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system. We also appreciate the support of three international development partners namely the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Initiative for West Africa for the establishment of support to assist implementation of key components of the Action Plan and the work of the Presidential Advisory Committee in support of the Federal Government’s efforts in the fight against Anti-Corruption and Criminal Justice Reform.
ZCC and its partners also use this medium to call on the National Assembly to ensure adequate budget appropriation for the Anti-Corruption Agencies to deliver on their constitutional mandates. However, we also call on all Nigerians to support efforts of this current administration of fighting corruption and desist from meddling with issues associated with corruption and/ or should not allow themselves to be used for ethnic, religious, geographical and tribal manipulation by those who benefit from corruption in Nigeria.
Therefore we, the undersigned Civil Society Organizations and all relevant anti-corruption movement shall keep watching quite keenly and would not hesitate to further support the committee in discharging their responsibilities as mandated.
- Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC)
- Say No Campaign
- National Procurement Watch Platform (NPWP)
- Accountability for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Nigeria (AMHiN)
- Tax Justice & Governance Platform Nigeria
- State of the Union Campaign (SOTU)
- Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International (Nigeria)
- Environmental Rights Action (ERA)
- West African Civil Society Forum (Nigeria Platform)
- Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
Signed
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Ezenwa Nwagwu
Contact
Zero Corruption Coalition
No 16, House 3, P.O.W. Mafemi Crescent, Off Solomon Lar Way, Behind Chida Hotel, after Daily Trust Corporate Head Office Utako District, Abuja, Nigeria
+234 (0)8033844646, +234 (0)8027942603
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