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Chairman's Welcome Address at the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) Consultative/Capacity Building Forum
- Released by Hon Justice Emmanuel Ayoola CON, DCl, JSC rtd on 9th August 2007 It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this Forum. It is a well known fact that the role of the civil society in nation building cannot be overemphasized. The civil society remains a very strong force and factor of influence in the society. Several examples abound of instances where the civil society has been agents of great national revolutions and transformations.
Corruption rema1l1S the greatest bane of our nation's socioeconomic development with its negative influence permeating every fabric of our national life. Apart from giving a bad image to the country, Corruption and its related vices are antithetical to the development and progress of any country; Corruption in Nigeria is acknowledged as both systemic and endemic. The abhorrent situation impelled the former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration to establish the ICPC in 2000. While inaugurating the Commission, the former president aptly observed that "No society can achieve anything near its full potential if it allows corruption to become the full blown cancer it has been in Nigeria".
The ICPC is the government's intervention agency to enforce the prohibition of all forms of corruption as enshrined in the Act of Parliament, which established the Commission. As the foremost agent of change in the war against corruption and corrupt practices in the polity, its stated Mission is
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"to employ all available legal means to rid Nigeria of greed, avarice and all vestiges of corruption and thus promote transparency, probity, accountability and integrity in the public and private lives of all Nigeria ns".
Since inception, the Commission has been and is committed to actively and effectively combating the menace of corruption and its manifestations with a view to restoring Nigeria to the path of progress and development by collaborating with all stakeholders irrespective of the levels. It is for this reason that the Commission jealously guides its independent status expressly stated in its founding statute. Without a guarantee of independence the Commission cannot be an effective anti-corruption agency of the Nation. The Commission is conscious of the responsibility that goes with independence. This is why we have always cherished our culture of due process and regard for. the rule of law in all our operations.
Section 6 (e &f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 mandates the Commission "to educate the public on and against bribery, corruption and related offences and to enlist and foster public support in combating corruption". This mandate envisages active collaboration with the civil society, private sector organizations, the media, trade groups, professional and religious bodies, government agencies and other segments of society. It is in the context of this therefore, that the Commission has called for this Coalition, to establish and nurture strategic partnerships and networks with the various stakeholders. The ultimate aim is to make the anti-corruption campaign a people's oriented and people driven
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The concept of the National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) was borne out of the recognition of the fact that ridding this nation of the scourge is a task that cannot be carried out single handedly by the ICPC or any other body. We in the ICPC recognize the fact that to bring about enduring change, and transform society, there must be widespread determination of all and sundry to join forces.
The NACC is a collaborative effort between the Commission, NGOs and other stakeholders working towards the promotion of the ethos of Anti¬ corruption. It is heartwarming to note that NGOs/CBOs from all the geopolitical zones of the nation have responded to this call.
The Coalition is expected to take this crusade to the grassroots to compliment the efforts of the Commission. Each and everyone of us here has a role to playas must be attacked on every front. Indeed, all hands must be on deck. Admittedly, several efforts have been made by your various organizations. While commending your individual efforts in this fight, the ICPC is convening this forum because of the strong need for a harmonization of efforts in this regard.
As we unite, it is boped that we will succeed in ridding this nation of the scourge of corruption. There is the need to stand and speak as one strong voice networking all nooks and crannies of the nation.
At the end of the forum, I believe we will be able to delineate guidelines for membership, design strategies and programmes that will ensure transparency, accountability and good governance for sustainable national development. We should also be able to design programmes on value re-orientation, public education and mass mobilization that will ignite attitudinal changes and anti¬ corruption fire in the citizenry. Together, we shall evolve strategies and develop mechanisms to ensure that public integrity is the concern of all. Together, we shall drastically reduce the level of corruption in our nation.
Once more, I welcome all and sundry to this Forum and look forward to fruitful deliberations.
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Population - 140 Million
GDP - $54.7Billion
GDP per Capita - $400
GDP Growth - 3.8%
GNI – $42.8 Billion
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