In an interview with The Punch, Dr. Kolawole Olaniyan, a legal adviser for Amnesty International Secretariat in London, discussed Nigeria’s anti-corruption initiatives and offered his advice on how the loot that has been returned should be managed to help the victims of corruption in the nation. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
In response to the news that unlike his predecessors, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the current president of Nigeria, has started combating corruption even within his cabinet, Olaniyan stated that while anti-corruption rhetoric has always been a part of Nigerian politics, it is true that anti-corruption pledges have become a common rhetorical tool.
Asked if the country should scrap it anti-graft agencies, since Nigeria’s huge capital spending on the agencies have not paid off, Olaniyan said they should not be scrapped because the solution is not to scrap them. He said it is like cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.
He said, “The agencies have not worked well primarily, because the political leadership is generally corrupt, and weak and clearly not interested in pursuing genuine anti-corruption and rule of law reforms.”
He alleged that the independence of the anti-corruption agencies, is more important to their existence, and operations but the country’s anti-corruption laws have clearly not kept pace with international standards, which pertains to preventing and combatting corruption.
Further talking, he said, “Former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), for example, reportedly interfered with several ongoing cases by the EFCC and the ICPC.”
He added, “Another former attorney general — Mr. Micheal Aondoakaa—contested the prosecutorial powers of the EFCC, and sought to take over cases with respect to some former governors who were facing allegations of corruption by the commission.” CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
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