EU budgets N69b to fight corruption in Nigeria

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Written by Boco Edet

Wednesday, 02 December 2009 22:36

Nigeria would receive £297m (about N69bn) to finance its anti-graft war from the European Union (EU) as part of Support to Reforming Institutions Programme (SRIP) next year.

The said sum would come to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to finance programmes aimed at more transparent budget management and improved public service delivery.

EU Representative in Nigeria Austin Oyiwoye said this yesterday at an event to launch Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Units (ACTUs) of ICPC in Abuja.

ICPC has so far established 351 ACTUs in different ministries to serve as anti-corruption desks in various government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) but most of them are yet to function effectively due to paucity of funds.

Oyiwoye who said the money was budgeted for at a meeting the EU held in Brussels the Belgium capital hoped it would reduce corruption related vices in the country.

Dame Julie Onum-Nwariaku who explained the concept and philosophy of ACTUs said ICPC was meant to have begun running the operations of the anti-corruption desks fully since 2003 but lack of resources has hindered the objective.

Onum-Nwariaku said currently ACTUs are funded by MDAs which they are supposed to be supervising and this has raised fears of victimisation on the part of members.

She said, “It has been argued that if members are drawn from ministries, they may not challenge their bosses. But if they are independent it empowers them to carry put their duties without fear of victimisation.”

She said ICPC would establish a secretariat solely dedicated to monitoring the activities of ACTUs.

Source: http://news.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10579:eu-budgets-n69b-to-fight-corruption-in-nigeria&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=119

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