Nigerian Parliamentarians to take lead in fighting corruption

Nigerian parliamentarians agreed that they must lead the fight against corruption.

Members of the Nigerian National Assembly who met in the capital, Abuja, from 19 to 22 October 2004 agreed that parliamentarians must lead the fight against corruption. They resolved to work towards this goal with the country's executive, judiciary, political leaders and parties, civil society, donors and police.

Around 30 Nigerian parliamentarians gathered to discuss parliament's involvement in poverty reduction strategies, combating corruption and ensuring accountability for public finances. Organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), the workshop was aimed at strengthening legislatures and promoting the professional development of parliamentarians.

Participants considered ways to enhance Nigeria's pro-poor policies and discussed its national poverty reduction strategy. They examined budget processes; anti-corruption policies and parliament; and how Nigeria's public accounts committee deals with statutory and other government bodies.

Delegates drafted an action plan recommending that the National Assembly should re-examine and -- where necessary -- amend anti-corruption laws to reinforce the powers of anti-corruption agencies. They agreed that parliamentarians should monitor budget expenditure and approve additional appropriations; that the auditor-general should be autonomous and report to the National Assembly; and that the National Assembly should give prompt attention to the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, the Procurement Commission Bill and the Freedom of Information Bill. They also stressed the strong linkage between poverty and corruption, asserting that poverty helps entrench corruption while corruption exacerbates poverty.

The workshop was one of five national meetings organised under the CPA's West Africa Parliaments Programme (WAPP). A similar seminar has already been held in The Gambia, with upcoming seminars to be held in Cameroon, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

WAPP aims to provide parliamentarians with an oversight on the use of public funds to improve accountability; the prevention of the waste of resources; and to assist in combating corruption. The programme also examines parliament's involvement in poverty reduction plans.