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Ifeoma Igbokwe
Advocacy implementation plan for the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) has been developed.
Civil Society Organisations and the media developed the plan at a two-day workshop held recently in Abuja.
Some of the activities lined up for implementation include advocacy visit to the National Assembly on passage of relevant anti-corruption bills; engagements with the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
Other activities include sensitization of stakeholders on online asset declaration. To achieve this, there will be advocacy to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau on online asset declaration and access to public officers.
On full implementation of open contracting and adoption of open contracting data standards in the public sector, the concerned CSOs and the media will pay advocacy visit to the Director-General of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in July. There will also be training of MDAs, CSOs and the media as well as engagement of private sector in the implementation.
One interesting aspect of the action plan is the plan by the CSOs to review and update the research on high profile corruption cases hibernated or gone to sleep. This is to catalyse public attention and priority on those cases. They will identify 15 to 20 cases that will form the basis of discussion with the Chief Justice of Nigeria. They also intend to lobby media houses to participate by allocating slots for revisiting reporting of those corruption related issues.
Earlier, a consultant with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), Dr. Ada Ezeh, said the fight against corruption was a collective responsibility, and the importance of the Civil Society Organisations and the media in the anti corruption strategy could not be overemphasized.
Noting that the CSOs and the media provide the check for improving accountability for both private and public sector, Dr. Ezeh said the objectives of the meeting were geared towards helping the CSOs/Media to identify priority activities to advocate for and identify the target audience.
The program is organised by RoLAC, funded by the European Union and implemented by the British Council.
