Nigeria’s anti-corruption rating may dent 2011 elections -UK, US, France, Germany •Obama’s secret delegation to meet Jonathan

Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Tuesday, 24 August 2010

ELECTION experts from major Western countries, including the United States of America,(USA), United Kingdom (UK), Canada, France and Germany, who have been coming into Nigeria ahead of the 2011 elections, have expressed fears that the lull in the country’s fight against corruption could rob Nigeria of the much needed credible elections.

Insights into some reports already collated by diplomatic sources indicated that covert investigations by the different embassies had revealed a lukewarm attitude to corruption in Nigeria in the last two years.

Government sources confirmed that President Goodluck Jonathan had been inundated with reports of increasing wave of corruption in Nigeria during his recent meetings with officials of the UK, Canada, France and the USA governments.
It was also gathered that the US, which has vowed to provide technical assistance to Nigeria for the successful conduct of the 2011 elections, had sent teams of experts to covertly study the situation in Nigeria.

Sources with information about the submissions of the teams of experts revealed that activities of corrupt officials could ruin government’s commitment to free and fair elections.

“The influence of money in elections in the Third World cannot be underestimated. The situation in Nigeria is such that too much of what is called free money is allowed in the system. A number of officials corner the public till and use it for whatever they like,” one of the reports indicated.

Diplomatic sources confirmed, however, that unlike in the years past, many Nigerian officials were being allowed to move out of the country with illicit funds.

“The departments of government are losing sight of the huge funds being moved outside the country on a daily basis. There is the possibility that such funds are being repatriated to Nigeria for the purpose of illegally influencing the general election in that country,” another document stated in its preamble.

The document noted that the Nigerian president had been inundated with reports of illegal movements of resources from that country through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune that a secret delegation from President Barack Obama of the United States is due in Nigeria in the next one week to further discuss with President Jonathan on the best way to fight corruption.

“There is the feeling that many Nigerian politicians are stockpiling money ahead of the next elections, as if they are going to be a money war. The understanding of the international community is that without tackling the threat of corruption, Nigeria’s electoral commission cannot possibly get it right,” a source close to the administration said on Monday.

It was gathered that the preliminary reports of international rating agencies, including the Fitch Rating, had indicated that Nigeria was fast dropping from the commendable heights it reached in recent years.

“Ahead of the 2007 elections, the government tightened the noose around big time politicians who wanted to move money. It is on record that some top politicians got stranded close to the elections, because they could not move in money illegally. But the reverse is the case in the unfolding situation in Nigeria,” a Nigerian diplomat serving in one of the Western countries stated.
He declared that Western countries had made it known to the Nigerian authorities that the integrity of the Nigerian elections was being threatened by money laundering and activities of corrupt officials.

“If you don’t fight corruption, it will haunt you, that is the message from the West to our authorities,” the diplomat said on Monday.

bisiaet:

Who is rating who?

Government sources confirmed that President Goodluck Jonathan had been inundated with reports of increasing wave of corruption in Nigeria during his recent meetings with officials of the UK, Canada, France and the USA governments

The document noted that the Nigerian president had been inundated with reports of illegal movements of resources from that country through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

covert investigations by the different embassies had revealed a lukewarm attitude to corruption in Nigeria in the last two years.

The situation in Nigeria is such that too much of what is called free money is allowed in the system. A number of officials corner the public till and use it for whatever they like,” one of the reports indicated.

cultey:

Since all this time,

What has EFCC been doin'?!

In short burn in hell 4 all I care, tschewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!