EFCC, Femi Falana, Others Laud ENetSuD Anti-Corruption Fight In Kwara

Anti-Corruption Stakeholders have commended the Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD)’s anti-corruption fight in Kwara State during the just-concluded 23rd Anti-Corruption Situation Room (ACSR) organized by HEDA Resource Centre in partnership with the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reform (TUGAR) and others that took place in Rockview Hotel, Abuja.

Chief Femi Falana SAN talked about pending bills, delayed court cases, and implications for the fight against corruption in Nigeria. He advised CSOs to continue fighting corruption in their States, that majority of corruption starts from states. He said only Kano and Oyo states enacted laws to fight corruption, asking what other States are doing. He urged various states to enact laws that will fight corruption at the state level, including the setting up of the State Anti-Corruption Agency.

ENetSuD narrated its experience on the efforts towards the domestication of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act in Kwara State, which birthed the Social Audit initiative of the Kwara State Government (KWSG). ENetSuD informed the audience of its Social Audit of KWSG’s projects and how it has been able to critically question about 1 billion naira from just 5 projects.

Chief Femi Falana, SAN, and representatives of NDLEA, EFCC, among others, commended ENetSuD’s novel anti-corruption fight in Kwara State and urged Civil Society Organizations in various states to emulate such, noting that fighting corruption at the state level is the ultimate and will be impactful. 

ENetSuD berated how the anti-corruption agencies have been very slow in their handling of petitions received on government projects. The representative of EFCC advised that regular follow-up of the petitioners on the petitions could yield a faster result, as the agency is overwhelmed with files.

The program was also attended by the Executive Secretary of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), representative of the Chairman of Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, Civil Society Organizations, among others.