Corruption responsible for institutional collapse – CSOs

Civil Society groups comprising the Partners for Electoral Reforms, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has said that the brazenness of corruption in the country especially in the public sector is an indicator of years of immense rot and institutional collapse.
According to them, corruption has assumed worrisome heights thereby depicting the inability of Nigeria to devise workable systems. Briefing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, explained that the mind blowing of effect of corruption has further worsen the poverty rate in the country, in spite of being blessed with vast natural resources .
On transparency and accountability in asset recovery, the group explained that in 2016 at the Anti-corruption Summit in London, the administration committed to strengthening asset recovery and management legislation through the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Bill. On violation of electoral guidelines, internal political parties democracy and hate speech, the group also expressed worry that persistent violation of the provisions of the Electoral Act through the wrong use of electoral timetable as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We are not unaware of the violation of various regulations guiding political party financing including deliberate effort to take advantage of individual’s socioeconomic situation and buying of votes that resultantly undermine free, fair and credible electoral process.
“The on-going recurring unresolved leadership, congressional and conventional conflicts erupting within political parties remain serious concerns that, in the absence of immediate appropriate measures and intervention, may not only erode internal party democracy but also spell doom for electoral credibility in the 2019 General Elections.
“We are also not unaware that all forms of electoral malfeasance are being committed including undermining selection of candidates within the political parties, vote buying; electoral violence, amongst others. “While we understand that candidate selection is a vital activity to the existence of any political party, we are disturbed by the emerging undemocratic processes employed by political party members in the endorsement of political candidates outside laid down party constitution. “We urge the government to ensure that this strategy is not seen as a government paper but a living document that will be engaged by every Nigerian citizen and other citizens resident in Nigeria in order to minimise corruption.

 

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