Igbuzor, others task religious bodies on anti-graft war

Dr. Otive Igbuzor, general overseer of Palace of Priests Assembly (PPA) and other stakeholders have charged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other religious bodies to help in the implementation of the fight against corruption in the country.

The stakeholders comprise representatives of accredited civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media who gathered yesterday at Bolton White Hotel, Abuja, for a forum on National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), Planning and Implementation.

Jointly organised by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), the forum was anchored by the British Council and funded by the European Union (EU).

They stakeholders requested speedy implementation of the strategy plan covering 2017 to 2021, to minimise corruption in the country.

RoLAC consultant, Dr. Adaeze Chidi-Igbokwe, regretted that despite the three invitations extended to the religious bodies to participate in the scrutiny, correction and validation of the document, only the Sultan of Sokoto attended.

CAN, the umbrella body of Christians, could neither attend nor acknowledge the invitation, she added.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, lauded the efforts of RoLAC, the CSOs and the media in the validation and adoption of the document and how to implement the contents.

He was represented at the event by the chairman, technical committee on the implementation of the NACS, Ladidi Mohammed.

Igbuzor, on his part, was speaking at a capacity building workshop on Christianity and corruption organised by Priests, Peace and Justice Initiative (PPJ), the social arm of PPA, for church leaders from the North.

The project, which kicked off yesterday in Abuja, aims at mobilising Christian leaders and workers to join the fight against corruption.

Igbuzor informed The Guardian that the time has come for the Church to take the lead in the anti-corruption war, adding that Christian leaders were targeted because of their influence on their congregations.

He identified the historical role of the church to include its social dimension and contended that many Pentecostals were neglecting the role.

While appraising participants on the thematic focus of the training, the programme coordinator, Tive Denedo, disclosed that the three-day event would equip the church leaders with capacity in the Science and Art of Training, Christianity and Leadership, as well as Christianity and the Fight Against Corruption.