Sagay panel, TUC bicker over anti-graft fight

It was a war of words yesterday between the Professor Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Lagos as both disagreed over modalities in the fight against the menace nationwide.

The hot exchange happened during a roundtable organised by PACAC to review its activities in the last one year and to elicit the support of the media and civil society organisations (CSO) in furthering the crusade.

Firing the first salvo, acting Secretary of TUC, Comrade Simeso Amachree while speaking on the what labour wa doing to encourage the fight, said it was erroneous to exclude labour representatives in the panel.

According to him, the work of the committee would have been better enhanced had labour be accommodated instead of inviting them only to deliver speeches.

Responding, a member of the committee, Professor Femi Odekunle, accused labour leaders of corrupt practices. He said union leaders were known to have compromised their positions under shady circumstances, adding that the union leaders needed to be investigated as well.

He argued that the war against graft was not about including everybody in the membership of the committee but the contribution such bodies give within their own sphere of influence to campaign against graft.

To the panel’s executive secretary, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, it was unnecessary inviting everybody into the committee.