Corruption: Stakeholders advocate stiffer punishment for offenders
Stakeholders in the campaign against corruption has recommended stiffer punishment for persons found culpable of corrupt practices to curb the menace in the country.
They gave the call at the 7th annual conference on Financial Crime, Cross-Border Crime and Electoral Fraud, organised by Open Africa Foundation on Wednesday, in Abuja.
The conference, organised in collaboration with Corporate Integrity, Summit Leadership Institute and the Forensic Insight International Limited, had both physical and virtual participants.
Mr Tunji Aworinde, the Chairman, Open Africa Foundation, said that the conference aimed at identifying common crimes and deviant behaviours besetting Nigeria, as well as proffering technical solutions to the problems.
He said “financial crimes and electoral fraud are twin cancers that had remained at the heart of many national problems bedeviling the country”.
According to him, these crimes threaten the country’s existence, its economy and well-being of citizens, making the country unattractive for business and investments.
“Financial Crime includes corruption, bribery, money laundering and so forth and we have this menace globally, it is not unique to Nigeria.
“But what is unique to Nigeria is the fact that most of these financial crimes such as inflation of contract and procurement, bribery, budget padding are mostly concentrated in the public sector.
“What this does is that it undermines the integrity of our government, it impacts negatively on infrastructural development and the well-being of Nigeria and Nigerians.
“We cannot eliminate it though, but we seek for a way of curbing it to bring it down to the barest minimum and this entails that the laws about financial crimes be enforced.
“That will deter others from committing these crimes,” he said.
Ms Amina Jimeta, the Director, Coordination, Global Women and Youth’s Right to Education Initiative, a civil society organisation, said that CSOs must stand as advocate for change in the fight against corruption.
“The organisations must have the courage to stand together, speak up where they were previously silent and demand the strengthening and coordinating of national and international institutions that are needed to put the fight against corruption at the top of the nation’s agenda.
“Corruption destroys job and holds back growth, costing the world economy billions every year.
“It traps the poorest in the most desperate poverty as corrupt governments around the world syphon off funds and prevent hard-working people from getting the revenues and benefits of growths that are rightfully theirs,” she said.
In his address, Prof. Adesina Sodiya, the President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), added that technology should be used to tackle fraud in the budgeting process of the country.
Sodiya, represented by Mr Olusegun Alabi, Chairman, NCS Abuja Chapter, spoke on the topic: “Evaluating the role of technology, legal framework and other measures necessary in tackling fraud in the budgeting processes”.
He said that though technology has its advantages and disadvantages, Nigerians should use the benefits for the development of the country.
He cautioned public officers to desist from padding budgets, stressing that those found culpable should immediately be prosecuted to serve as deterrence.(NAN)
