Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, reiterated on Thursday the need for value reorientation in society and a concerted effort against the menace of corruption, saying that this became imperative in order to make meaningful progress towards achieving significant improvement in all spheres of the national endeavours, particularly the economic and social well-being of the people.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made this remark at a 2-day National Anti-Corruption Colloquium, themed “Strong Will in Implementing Anti-Corruption Measures in the Public Sector,” held at the Eko Hotel & Suite, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, expressed that the state government is committed to doing the right thing, including the judicious application of resources entrusted to its care in the best interest of the people and in line with relevant provisions of the law and other existing regulations.
According to him, his administration, in a bid to address the challenges posed to everyone by corruption and its resultant negative and devastating impact, put in place some measures to promote accountability and transparency in the way and manner in which public resources are managed.
He said that the measures were designed to achieve two broad objectives, namely preventing the occurrence of the act of corruption and also to ensure that whoever committed the offence was made to face the consequences under the law and to serve as deterrence to others.
“In a bid to address the challenges posed to everyone by corruption and its resultant negative and devastating impact, some measures have been put in place to promote accountability and transparency in the way and manner in which public resources are managed.
“The measures were designed to achieve two broad objectives: to prevent the occurrence of the act of corruption and also to ensure that whoever commits the offence is made to face the consequences under the law, to serve as deterrence to others,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.
Speaking further, the governor said he had implemented the different measures put in place by his administration, including procurement laws, financial regulations, internal controls, treasury management, and compliance risks, among other initiatives.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, while noting the aptness of the colloquium, opined that the event would answer the salient question of, “Why has the issue of corruption, particularly in the public sector, remained worrisome despite the measures that have been put in place, including the establishment of anti-corruption institutions?”
Besides, he expressed the belief that the event would seek to unravel and come up with new ideas and strategies for the consideration of relevant organs of government and policymakers.
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, Hon. Prince Kayode Moshood Akiolu, earlier in his welcome address, urged every Nigerian to be involved in eliminating corruption in society or reduce it to the barest minimum to enable the country to deliver on its enormous potential to the benefit of its citizens.
The lawmaker, while sadly noting that corruption is a huge burden on the neck of any nation, however, said, “It is only nations that successfully shake off the massive load that can match the dawn of real growth and development.”
Akiolu noted that in his countless interactions with the citizens in Nigeria and beyond, all had agreed that the dysfunction found in the country were symptoms of corruption, saying that what seemed “to be lacking is the common desire to pull in the same direction of anti-corruption.”
Speaking on the efforts made by the present administration, the committee chairman noted that the Federal Government had been setting the pace as expected, adding that anti-corruption units had been set up in various Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with a mandate to check corruption in their domains.
On making corruption a capital offence, Akiolu argued that corruption is a very complex issue that must be approached thoughtfully and smartly, noting that the colloquium was part of the nation’s ongoing efforts to rein in the monster of endemic corruption.
In his goodwill, the Oba of Lagos, who was represented by the Opeluwa of Lagos, Chief AbdulLateef Aderibigbe Ajose, admonished the Federal Government to make a strict law that is against corruption, saying that such a law should be one that would make anyone who wants to govern know they were there to serve the people and not enrich themselves.
The monarch sadly noted that corruption is a very big disease and something that is hitting deeply into the economy of the country, urging that a stop be put to the menace “so that we can enjoy the commonwealth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“If we can’t stop corruption, we can never get to where we are supposed to be. So let’s stop corruption so that we can enjoy the commonwealth of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Oba Akiolu said.
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