Centre orders MDAs to fight corruption
Mr. Umar Yakubu, the Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTiW), has called on Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to raise the bar in the fight against corruption to save the economy from collapse.
Yakubu made the call in Abuja on Thursday at a workshop or presentation of the Transparency and Integrity Index methodology handbook on anti-corruption.
He said the handbook was expected to promote transparency and develop strong preventive mechanisms against corruption.
Yakubu added that the handbook would assist public institutions in improving their performance across the various indicators used for ensuring compliance with public regulations.
“The Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) methodology, therefore, employs six parameter indices to benchmark the performances of MDAs toward good governance in certain critical areas.
“They are website integrity, fiscal transparency, open procurement and contracting, budget implementation, inclusion, and citizen engagement, as well as human resources,” he said.
Yakubu noted that the purpose of the program was to draw the attention of government at the federal, state, and local levels to the criteria set out to promote transparency in governance across five major thematic areas.
“When we started in 2021, the highest score was 32.9% out of 100 marks, but in 2022, the Development Bank of Nigeria scored 52, so if you can get a 20 percent increase within one year, I think it is a good development.
“But a lot of other agencies are not doing so well, but with this kind of engagement, we expect them to improve.
“What we assess is the availability of the information on the website, and we are collaborating with other CSOs on anti-corruption to ensure that the information being put out is actually true.
“The impact of this workshop on the economy is the prevention of corruption, because we have enough institutions combating corruption and we can prevent it before it happens, which is a lot cheaper.
“Prosecuting corruption is not cheap, and most of the time, it is difficult to get the economy back on track, so the whole message is about prevention of corruption, which cascades into good governance,” Yakubu said.
Mr. Dasuki Arabi, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR), said in his assessment of MDAs that they would continue to work with CeFTiW to deepen transparency and accountability across public institutions.
Arabi said the workshop was aimed at acquainting participants with the requirements necessary for them to discharge their duties creditably, as well as ensuring the principles of accountability and transparency in their respective organizations.
“The Bureau drew its inspiration to partner with the CeFTIW on the Transparency and Integrity Index (TII) based on her strategic role as a driver of public service reforms across MDAs.
“Public Financial Management of the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms seeks to achieve strategic, efficient, and effective mobilization, allocation, and use of public resources, as well as ensure fiscal discipline, transparency, integrity, and accountability through timely reporting.
“This position is also reinforced by the BPSR's role as a member of various inter-ministerial anti-corruption agencies and the underlying objective of driving public engagement in line with its statutory role in the implementation of this objective.
“It is also informed in the quest to put in place machineries and institutional arrangements aimed at providing a common vision and long-term agenda to position the country among major player in the global economy in year 2050
“This workshop/presentation of the Transparency and Integrity Methodology Index Handbook is coming against the backdrop that during the 2022 Transparency and Integrity Index, it was evident that most public institutions were yet to be versatile with the parameters used for ranking.
“This is owing to the low level of awareness and compliance levels in the parameters used for ranking amongst MDAs,” Arabi said.
Amb. Angela Nworgu, BoT Chairman, CeFTiW, said that transparency must be embraced as an essential principle of good governance.
Nworgu noted that transparency was an important tool with which citizens could hold government accountable, promote trust in government, and foster a thriving ground for integrity.
“The TII serves as a powerful tool to promote transparency, monitor public sector expenditure, and strengthen the integrity mechanisms of public institutions.
“And through this assessment, we hope to make a long-lasting impact by fostering a culture of openness and accountability within the public sector,” Nworgu said.
