Nigeria needs effective law enforcement to win war against corruption – Prof. Owasanoye

Emmanuel Ekpo, Uyo

The chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owansanoye (SAN) has said that Nigeria needs effective law enforcement to tackle the current war against corruption.

According to him, Nigeria is not lacking in laws aimed at tackling corruption, explaining that what is lacking is the implementation of effective enforcement, based on well-designed and Implementable Standard Operational Procedures.

Owansanoye said this during a One-Day Stakeholders zonal dialogue on the implementation of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy in Uyo on Tuesday.

Owansanoye, who was represented by a member of the ICPC board South/South Dr. Grace Chinda, blamed corruption on fading values of truthfulness, nationalism and respect for humanity which were parts of the Nigerian society of yester-years.

He, however, expressed the hope that the National Ethics and Integrity Policy already launched by the President, Maj. Gen Mohammadu Buhari (retd), would rescusitate the lost values of honesty and integrity.

“The National Ethics and Integrity Policy is a child of necessity. It was conceived and delivered out of the urgent need to resuscitate and rejuvenate our lost values of integrity and honesty as nation.

“The values of yester-years of truthfulness, nationalism and respect for human dignity have been lost in us, that is why corruption has become so rampant in the society.

“It is in recognition of the pivotal role value re-orientation plays in the fight against corruption that ICPC in collaboration with Office of the Secretary to the government of the Federation and National Orientation Agency initiated the National Ethics and Integrity Policy which was approved and adopted by the Federal Executive Council on 19th August,2020 and launched by the President, Mohammadu Buhari on 28th ,2020.

“It is a fact that Nigeria is not lacking in laws and policies aimed at curbing corruption and indiscipline. Perhaps what is lacking is implementation and effective enforcement,based on well-designed and Implementable Standard Operational Procedures. This is the difference between the the National Ethics and Integrity Policy and previous similar policies that have gone moribund and obsolete,” he said.

In his remarks, the DG, National Orientation Agency Dr. Garba Abari who was represented by the Akwa Ibom State director of NOA, Mr. Enoh Uyoh said for any nation to develop there must be national values and ethics, adding that the citizens must be guarded to adopt these values and attitudes.