Anti-Corruption: UNODC Trains Govt Agencies, CSOs‎ on Tackling Menace

Anti-Corruption: UNODC Trains Govt Agencies, CSOs‎ on Tackling Menace 

image

By Alex Uangbaoje 

In order to support president Muhammadu Buhari’s drive in fighting corruption, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)‎ said building the capacity of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Civil Society Organisations is key to winning the anti-corruption war.

‎Speaking to journalists during a two-day training workshop on ”Sharing Responsibilities and Building effective partnership: Bridging Civil Society Organizations and State Institutional Gap” organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under the framework of the European Union funded project ”Support to Anti-Corruption in Nigeria’‎’.

Syvester Atere National Project Officer
UNODC, Nigeria Country Office said “tackling corruption is very fundamental to Nigeria fulfilling it’s potentials in terms of human and material resources, and as an organisation we try to create a synergy between the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Anti-corruption Agencies (ACAs). 

According to Atere ‎”under this current project we are supporting fourteen anti-corruption agencies building their capacities, and part of what we are doing here is to footer a cordial relationship between the CSOs and the ACAs so that at the end of the day they can work in the over ridding interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. 

“Also we have been providing funds for some CSOs under this project for aweraness creation and other related activities, and we are not putting them under pressure as to what they do with the funds and how they spend it. In any case we dont implement programmes directly we do that through the agencies of government but in this we build capacity, support them like you have seen in this atmosphere where we are going from the known to the unknown.

“First we talk about our perception at the of the day we discovered there is gap when we dont talk because the CSO is working in the interest of Nigeria and the Anti-corruption Agencies are equally doing that but when the two are not talking there no cooperation no synergy  no cordial relationship they will be working at extreme end that is why we said ok, come together and speak together so that it will be to the benefit of the country and the citizens. 

Delivering a lecture, the resource person, Kehinde Bolaji stresses the need for strengthening the relationship and synergy between the CSOS and anti-corruption agencies. 

He identified constraints to the present collaborative approach between the CSOS and ACAs saying “the first constraint is lack of trust between the ACAs and CSOs. 

“Capacity challenges on the CSOs to really be involved and engaged constructively in the activities of ACAs. 

 ‎”We acknowledge that very good mechanisms have been established at the national level. You have the national anti-corruption coalition of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“We also agree that in order to build the between the government, ACAs and CSOs should look inwards and address integrity and capacity deficit and also funding of their programme. 

“Government should be proactive in bringing in the CSOs into their process to understand not only ‎their short term activities but their medium and long term strategic plan and approaches to the fight against corruption.

Newsweb

At Newsweb Express we don't only break the news, we are committed to investigative and developmental journalism

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *