2023 Election : ANEEJ Urge Aspirants to Tell Nigerians How They Plan To Tackle Corruption

Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev David Ugolor has called on all Presidential and Gubernatorial aspirants for the upcoming 2023 general elections to tell Nigerians how they plan to tackle corruption, ensure transparency and accountability in governance if they win the election.

He also called on political parties to tell Nigerians their parties plan toward anti-corruption reforms as they go round the country seeking the support of Nigerians.

The call was made during his welcome address at the Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria Project Inception meeting in Abuja.

According to him, the Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project is an important one that seeks to promote and engage in anti-corruption policy reforms at both the national and sub-national levels.

“The Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement, SCALE project is a 5- year project being implemented by Palladium and its resource partners with funds from USAID. It is designed to enhance local civil society organizations ability to be positive and responsible change agents in Nigeria.

“Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reforms  Initiatives in Nigeria is designed following  the anchor cluster model adopted by Palladium  to promote and engage in anti-corruption  policy reforms. ANEEJ is the anchor for the Anti- Corruption cluster under the SCALE project working with eight cluster organizations across six states and Abuja.

“The states are Abia, Edo, Delta, Imo,  Ondo, Rivers and the FCT, Abuja. ANEEJ will work with the 8-cluster members located in these states including the FCT to implement and deliver this project. The cluster organisations are : 21^st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative, Abuja; Community Empowerment and Development Initiative (CEDI), Warri, Delta State; Community Heritage Watch for Development Initiative, (KAI) Akure, Ondo state; Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation (CFCF), Owerri, Imo State; Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), Aba, Abia state; Gender and Development Action (GADA) Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Joint Association of Persons with Disability(JONAPWD) Edo State chapter; and New Apostolic Church Centre for Development(NCD) Benin city,  state.

Rev Ugolor also disclosed that aside the anti-corruption component, the project is also designed to address reforms as well as issues of transparency and accountability in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and six oil and gas producing states- Abia, Delta, Edo, Imo, Rivers and Ondo and this explains why officials from these institutions are invited to this meeting as important stakeholders of this project.

He said that interventions will include advocacy for passage of pending Anti-Corruption Bills, the NDDC Act Amendment Bill currently before the National Assembly, adding that the project will also support oversight and implementation of the Nigeria’s International anti-corruption/asset recovery commitments;  Oil and  Gas Producing  Areas Development Commissions (PADECS) among others

While expressing profound gratitude to USAID through Palladium for providing ANEEJ cluster the grant to undertake this very important project at a very critical time of the nation’s democratic match, Rev Ugolor  added that, “Our cluster will also advocate for the mainstreaming of anti- corruption issues into the country upcoming 2023 general elections discourse,”

In his presentation, the ANEEJ Deputy Executive Director, Leo Atakpu who gave an overview of the Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives Project said at least two campaigns will be launched during this project.

“One of them will be, a campaign “to publish your assets” and the target is the 2023 election. We are aware that there are lots of issues about assets declaration. If you declare in your form, you are not obligated by law to make it public. But we believe that in the spirit of transparency and accountability anybody who want to lead Nigeria or become a governor should tell Nigerians these are my assets and when leaving office you should be free to tell the public when you were coming into office these are my assets and when I am leaving these are my current assets.

“We believe that if that happens, that will be a significant milestone in driving anti-corruption. We also want to launch a campaign, “Oil contracts for who?  Who are those behind the many contracts in the NDDC in the past and what have they done, what projects have they embarked upon

How the Project reporting requirements will be done quarterly, monthly and success stories was presented by Sandra Eguagie followed by questions, comments and clarification of the project

The Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria Project Inception meeting was attended by representatives of project clusters  from across the nation, NDDC, Oil and Gas Commissions, Anti-Corruption Agencies, Development partners and SCALE-Palladium team.