Nigeria elected to chair ECOWAS Anti-Graft body

Countries in the West Africa sub-region have resolved to establish a Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in ECOWAS member states even as Nigeria has been elected to chair the new body.

The resolution which was the high point of a two-day workshop organized for the anti-graft agencies in West Africa by ECOWAS in Conjunction with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was aimed at boosting anti-corruption efforts in the sub-region.

The workshop which held in Banjul, The Gambia was attended by various anti-graft agencies from 14 countries in the sub-region including the EFCC which was represented by Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Emmanuel Akomaye.

Among the resolutions of the gathering which was also attended by top officials of the UN, UNODC, UNDP and members of the diplomatic community in The Gambia include a call on governments of member states to “abolish the impediments to the successful prosecution of the war against corruption”.

These, they added, include “political interference, lack of political and financial autonomy, weak operational procedure, archaic and outdated laws, banking secrecy, lack of power of prosecution, lack of security of tenure for commissioners, lack of protection for whistle blowers, and inadequate cross-border framework for coordination and cooperation.”

The new body which elected Nigeria as its first leader based on the country’s successes in various anti-corruption efforts, has the responsibility of ensuring inter-state cooperation in the fight against graft, build capacity of member–states that have already established anti-corruption institutions and encourage those who have not to do so.

Others include; harmonizing legal, regulatory and administrative arrangement for the smooth running of the network; exchange experiences and standardize tools, techniques and approaches in the fight against corruption in ECOWAS member states, among others.Apart from the election of Nigeria as the chairperson, the new body also elected its Vice Chairperson from Republic of Benin, Secretary from Cape Verde and Financial Secretary from Mali.

Participants at the workshop which held between March 30 and 31, 2009 also recommended that member states governments should exercise increased amount of political will in the fight against corruption by ratifying and domesticating UN Convention Against Corruption, encouraging the establishment of independent anti graft institutions, separate from the Ministry of Justice and ensure that such institutions enjoy financial and political autonomy and have the power to prosecute cases of corrupt practices without being answerable to political office holders for the day-to-day running of their institutions.