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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operational procedure, archaic and outdated laws,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.
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