COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A RADIO TOWN HALL MEETING AGAINST CORRUPTION, ORGANISED BY THE PROGRESSIVE IMPACT ORGANIZATION FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (PRIMORG).

BACKGROUND TO DELIBERATIONS

The Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG) with support from the MacArthur Foundation held a town hall meeting against corruption on March 4th, 2021. The theme of the town hall meeting was; SUSTAINING ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. The meeting was also used to celebrate an outstanding public servant, Mr. Kehinde Aremu, a Deputy Director with National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

He is a 2018 Integrity Icon awardee, whose relentless effort in ensuring government systems are accountable and transparent paid off through the redesigning of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) mobilization process.

Other participants and speakers at the meeting looked at the causes and dangers of lack of accountability in the public sector. They also proffered solutions on how to tackle the ever-growing poor accountability by government ministries, departments, and agencies.

The participants include James Afolayan, Director of Special Duties, NYSC; Chuks Ohuegbe, Director of Publications, Nigerian Pilot Newspapers; Chief Anthony Ani, Retired Director, Mobilization, NYSC; James Ugochukwu, Executive Director, African Centre for Entrepreneurship and Information Development and Prince Chimaraoke Chukwuka, Representative of Accountability Lab Nigeria.

In the course of deliberations, participants at the town hall meeting noted the following:

– Accountability, transparency, and integrity are the sine qua non for national development.
– Impunity is a major enhancer of corruption in the public sector.
– Nigerians, especially leaders should promote accountability by being responsible for their actions.
– Religion has a major role to play in molding persons of integrity.
– Lack of leadership towards integrity and loss of societal value are some of the main reasons for the low level of integrity in Nigeria’s public service.
– Low level of integrity in Nigerian society has become a norm and now receiving the blessing from citizens

– To breed high-level integrity, Nigerians must critically look at leaders.
– If Nigerian leaders are of good character and persons of integrity it will permeate down to the followers.
– Nigeria must prioritize the character and integrity of a person before appointing or making him or her a leader.
– Parents are supposed to be the first individuals to instill integrity into their wards/children.
– Mode of appointment, promotions, ethics, and religious factors responsible for 70% of low rate of integrity in Nigeria’s public sector.
– Public servants are not given adequate orientation on retirement from when they are employed.
– Lack of accountability has eroded every facet of Nigeria’s economy from the appointment of personnel to the management of resources.
– The primary effect of lack of accountability is that livelihood of the citizens is at the lowest ebb and with its attendant effect.
– Nigeria struggling with its set goals due to lack of accountability.
– For the past 10 years 40% of national budgets in Nigeria are never implemented.
– Legislators in states and at the national level have failed in holding the executive arm of the government accountable.
– Existing laws against corruption in the public sector not properly implemented in Nigeria.
– Judicial process in Nigerian too slow and prone to being circumvented.
– Organs of government (such as SERVICOM) not doing enough to promote accountability in the public sector.
– Lack of effective oversight on the part of the Federal Government (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) has emboldened public servants to steal from Nigeria.
– Citizens also failed in their duty to hold leaders at all levels to account.
– Federal Government cosmetic in fighting corruption in Nigeria.
– Gradually young people are beginning to fancy integrity despite the failed leadership of Nigeria to set good precedence and example for youths.
– Some public servants who are standing upright are afraid of being vilified.
– NYSC has institutionalized probity in their offices, provided institutional support against extortion and other forms of corruption.
– Citizens should endeavor to display integrity and eschew corruption in their spheres of influence.

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION

– The media has to do more in holding the government at all levels accountable.
– Nigeria needs more campaigns against lack of accountability in the public sector from Non-Governmental Organizations.
– Non-Governmental Organizations should liaise with lawyers when necessary in ensuring leaders are held to account for their deeds.
– The integrity and effort of the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary arms of government vital for Nigeria to achieve sustainable development.
– Nigerians need to hold leaders accountable, ensure credible elections that will usher incredible leaders of integrity.
– Persons of integrity should be well celebrated and compensated to encourage others.
– Government should do more in tackling corruption in the public sector.

Chidozie Ogbonaya
Communications/Media Officer
PRIMORG
09022656167