President Goodluck Jonathan
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) – A Nigerian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has tasked President Goodluck Jonathan to implement a five-point programme against corruption if he is serious about fighting the crime.
In apparent response to the President’s promise, in his new year message, to rev up his administration’s fight against graft, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said promises alone can’t end corruption and impunity of perpetrators.
“Taking these simple actions will immediately send a clear message that as far as the fight against corruption is concerned, it won’t be business as usual in 2014,” the organization stated.
The measures, contained in a statement issued by the NGO in the commercial city of Lagos Thursday, include public declaration of assets by the President and his cabinet members; referring all unresolved cases of corruption to the anti-corruption agencies and publicly reassuring Nigerians that he (President) will cut-down unnecessary and wasteful expenses.
The others are that President Jonathan should urgently address allegations of corruption in the privatisation of electricity, which SERPA said was now denying the citizens access to regular electricity supply, and that he should lead the process to domesticate and effectively implement the UN Convention against Corruption within the legal system.
According to the latest ranking by the Berlin-based global anti-graft body, Transparency International, Nigeria is one of the most corrupt nations in the world.
Photo: World Economic Forum
