Ayoola Hinges Corruption On Poverty

from All Africa

This Day (Lagos)

NEWS

By Mustapha Shehu
Bauchi

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, has expressed concern over the prevalent high rate of unemployment, saying poverty engenders corruption.

Justice Ayoola said this in a keynote address at the National Workshop on Anti-corruption and NEEDS Agenda, organised by ICPC, in collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), in Bauchi.

He said ICPC is uncomfortable with the trend of unemployment, which should not be used as a factor responsible for the incidences of corruption in the land.

He, however, admitted that poverty engenders corruption in the sense that those in official positions are often times tempted to commit corruption, because of the pressure of meeting responsibilities of their unemployed kith and kin.

Justice Ayoola, represented by Bauchi Zonal Officer of the Commission, Shogunle Adenikan, said for the fight against corruption to produce enduring change, the society must be transformed in several ways and at several levels.

He suggested provision of access to requisite infrastructure, quality education and vibrant economic programmes and formation a pathway to realising economic empowerment.

He said through the NEEDS agenda, the Poverty Alleviation Programme and other policy initiatives are already tackling the issue of poverty.

These programmes, he said, are designed to provide various economic opportunities for the unemployed, so as to access diverse skills that are meant to make them self reliant.

He however lamented that it is common place to see government officials operating the programmes in the NEEDS agenda, serving themselves and their cronies first and foremost,t to the detriment of other Nigerians. He advised such corrupt government officials to desist from these unwholesome practices which not only weaken the laudable objectives of government initiative, but could also earn them jail terms when apprehended. In addition to government economic programmes as vehicles for reducing corruption Justice Ayoola said, an important component of empowerment is the compelling need for employers of labour both in the public and private sectors, to compensate their workers adequately in order to minimize vulnerability to the temptation of indulging in corrupt practices.

In his own speech, ICAN Chairman in charge of Jos District, Barbabas Achaka, explained that the workshop was part of ICAN mandate to contribute to the body of knowledge and particularly in recognition of the efforts of the government towards economic empowerment of Nigerians. Achaka stated that with NEEDS agenda effectively prosecuted, the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would be a reality. Achaka further stated that the bold steps taken by government in 2001/2 to institutionalized the fight against corruption by enacting the Independent Corrupt Practice Commission Act and the inauguration of the Commission has had a great impact on the global perception of the country.