Senate to release new strategies on fight against corruption

The Senate President stated this on Tuesday at a two-day National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector in Abuja, adding that Senate would release new strategies on corruption fight to the public in the next few weeks.

President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmed Lawan, says the Senate will release new strategies on corruption fight to the public in the next few weeks, stressing that said the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly had just discovered that the war against graft was far from being over, necessitating action.

The Senate President who stated at a two-day National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector in Abuja on Tuesday, also promised that the Senate will from the next budget circle increase funding for security agencies and anti-corruption bodies in the country to enhance their effectiveness.

Represented by Senator Suleiman Kwari, Lawan said the Senate has also found out that there is undeniable linkage between corruption, insecurity, lost developmental opportunity and poverty.

“For us in Parliament, one of the four challenges of this senate is how to forge a strong collaborating linkage with at least six standing committees of the Senate with overlapping oversight jurisdictions.

“Today, I am pleased to inform you of the senate leadership approval of a legislative forum to fight corruption and financial crime within the Senate vault,” the Senate President said.

Lawan, who promised that the senate would continue to reach out to all the stakeholders in the fight against corruption, said: “Graft is a borderless and global problem that must be handled in all ramifications and we therefore require a concerted effort of all to eradicate it.

“In Nigeria today, there are at least 20 different legislations that have direct bearing on the fight against corruption and financial crime. As a direct result, we are exploring all available options to strengthen specific institutions like the Code of Conduct Bureau.

“If they have to succeed they have to be well funded so that they can be well empowered to carry out their mandate. Over the next budget circle, we will be systematically increasing the funding of law enforcement and other anti-corruption agencies.

“We will also be benchmarking their performance to ensure value for tax payers’ money are met.”