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Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that Nigeria must change its tactics in the fight against corruption.
Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday, at the 20th Anniversary Africa Regional Webinar of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, themed “Combating Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows: New Measures and Strategies”.
He said there was no magic bullet to ending corruption, stemming IFFs or promoting asset recovery and return. “We simply must work hard at it and be determined to succeed,” he added.
Speaking further, he said, “We must make corruption expensive for those who engage in it and send the unequivocal message that corruption simply does not pay.
“Domestically, we must also be prepared to change, to some extent, our tactics in the fight against corruption.
“Listening to Edward Kallon (The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria who spoke earlier), I’m convinced that there are many practical steps that can be taken.”
The Vice President also called for the democratization of the fight against graft, stating that Nigerians were interested in the fight against grand corruption which cripples the economy.
“But they also want to see action in what would be regarded as petty corruption – in their interfaces with government officials either in the search for certifications, approvals of any kind, licenses, and all of that,” he said.
“Many want to see that corruption at that level is tackled effectively. “And I think that we must begin to look at innovative ways of doing so.
“Secondly, we must protect, even more, whistle-blowers – persons who come forward with information against corruption.
“We must protect those who are ready to fight against corruption and who are prepared to do so without necessarily disclosing their identities and even those who are ready to disclose their identities.”
Osinbajo comments is coming at the time when the head of an anti-corruption agency is undergoing investigation over sundry allegations of corruption, insubordination and abuse of office.
Ibrahim Magu, the suspended acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was alleged to have misappropriated recovered loots by the commission and selling of seized assets to associates as well as refusing to subject himself to the supervision of the office of the attorney-general.
