In line with the anti-corruption stance of his
administration, President Muhammadu Buhari, will on Tuesday declare open a two
day seminar aimed at formulating a legislative framework for the
anti-corruption fight in the country.
The seminar which is being organised by the Senate and House
of Representatives committees on Anti Corruption has as it's theme: 'The role
of the legislature in the fight against corruption in Nigeria' and the seminar
is the first major event jointly organized by both chambers of the 8th National
Assembly since inauguration in June 2015.
Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker of
the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara will co host the anti corruption
seminar.
According to the Senate Committee Chairman on Anti
Corruption, Senator Chukwuma Utazi, "the Seminar is to give legal strength
to the anti corruption fight of the present administration and to create
legislative synergy for the anti corruption fight".
"The seminar is aimed at making good the promise of the
National Assembly that we are on the same page with the President Buhari led
administration and in line with the legislative agenda, that there is a synergy
between the National Assembly and the Presidency in the fight against
corruption. It is to reaffirm the point that you cannot clap with one hand. It
is our way of saying that there must be a legislative strength to back the anti
corruption stance of the present administration", Utazi said.
The keynote address of the seminar will be delivered by
Prof. P. L. O. Lumumba, Director General of the Kenyan Law School who is also
an international scholar on the issues of corruption.
Other topics slated for discussion at the seminar include
"the Legislature as Champion of Anti-Corruption Reforms Leveraging
Constitutional Mandates" under the chairmanship of former Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na'Abba with the House of Representatives
Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, Senator Bala Ibn Na'allah, Eze Onyechere of the
Centre for Social Justice and Adetokumbo Mumuni of the Socio-Economic Rights
and Accountability Project (SERAP) as panelists.
Also slated for discussion at the seminar is the "
Reform of the Anti Corruption Legal Framework /International Partnership
Against Corruption; Nigeria's Membership of FAFT in Focus" under the
Chairmanship of the Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal with
Hon. Pwajok Edward Gyang (SAN), Prof. Deji Adekunle, Director General of the
Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Femi Falana (SAN), Ibrahim Magu,
Chairman of EFCC and Prof. Shehu Abdulahi, former Director of GIABA as
panelists.
On the second day, former Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Agunwa Anaekwe will serve as chairman of the panel
discussion, titled, "Appropriation Process and Limits of Legislative
Powers" while, Hon. West Idahosa, Minister of Budget and National
Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, Prof. Sam Egwu of the Political Science Department,
University of Jos, Prof. Chidi Onyia and Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, a Director of
CISLAC will serve as panelists.
Other topics slated for discussion include "Consensus
Building in the Fight Against Corruption; Making the Arms of Government
Accountable" under the chairmanship of Katsina State a Governor, Aminu
Bello Masari with Hon. Pally Iriase, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Idayat Hassan,
Director, Centre for Democracy and Development and Hon. Ismaila Kawu as
panelists. The topic slated for discussion is "the Legislature and the
Civil Society; Making the Feedback Count" under the chairmanship of the
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu with Prof. Etanbi Alemika of
PACAC, Hon. Yusuf Ayo Tajudeen and Yemi Adamolekun of Enough is Enough (EIE) as
members of the panel.
The last topic slated for discussion is titled,
"Fighting Corruption at the State and Local Government Levels" under
the chairmanship of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmad Idris, with
Senator Sam Egwu, speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmad,
Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, Prof.
Sadiq Isah Raddah of PACAC, Mr. Debo Adeniran, Director of the Coalition
Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) and Prof. Malachy Okwueze of the University of
Nigeria Nsukka, Department of Economics.
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