Lawan restatates NASS commitment to curbing corruption, insecurity

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Friday in Abuja, reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to curb corruption and insecurity in the country through the enactment of enabling laws.

Lawan stated this at the National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and insecurity in Nigeria, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

He said that the National Assembly in its efforts toward unmasking the perpetrators of insecurity in Nigeria had realised the need to enact an anti-corruption law that would stop illicit financial flows which could be channelled into funding insecurity in Nigeria.

The Senate President explained that the 8th Assembly had to this end passed the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) Bill.

Lawan added that this was one of the major anti-corruption laws that saved the country from being expelled from the global body of the Egmont Group.

He said that the 9th Assembly similarly, in collaboration with security and law enforcement agencies, passed three bills aimed at combating money laundering, terrorism financing and the proceeds of crime.

Lawan said the laws, which were in tandem with President Buhari’s commitment to fight corruption and curb insurgency further strengthened the agencies’ capacity to tackle terrorists’ activities against the state.

The Senate President noted that the challenges of Nigeria’s security infrastructure were the concern of everyone and not just those in government alone.

“Indeed, this policy dialogue is showing us that summarily dealing with the ugliness of insecurity in Nigeria requires more than the deployment of military might. We must look at social and economic vices like corruption, which enables and even propagates insecurity.

“As lawmakers, we look forward to the eventual policy brief that will be shared hereafter to guide the nation’s policy direction in ending insecurity in Nigeria.

“I encourage all of us to fully participate and contribute to this all-important policy dialogue, as it presents a rare opportunity for a multisectoral view of the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria,” he said.

Speaking, ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said that corruption was a major contributory factor to the continuous existence and propagation of insecurity in the country.

According to him, ICPC’s research and investigation findings on the subject matter show that public sector corruption, directly and indirectly, enables insecurity, and can sometimes complement it.

He said that cases of job racketeering abound in the security sector and were under investigation by the Commission.