Stakeholders, commence review, adoption, validation process of NACS 2022 -2026 action plan

FG working towards inauguration of IMC

Following adoption of the second cycle of the National Anti -Corruption Strategy (NACS 2022- 2026) by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in November last year, scores of stakeholders driving the process in Abuja to commence review, adoption and validation process of the Action Plan document.

Representatives of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society groups and the members of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E) committee of the strategy, headed by Mr. Andrew Gandu, held their brainstorming exercise to review the 2017-2021 action plan in line with new realities.

Speaking on the event sponsored by the Rule of Law and Anti -Corruption (RoLAC), financed by the European Union and implemented by the British Council, the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Beatrice Jeddy- Agba, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs. Victoria Fila Ojogbane, said the Federal Government was committed to the implementation of the second cycle, informing that the inauguration of the Inter -Ministerial Committee (IMC), by President Muhammadu Buhari would happen soon.

She commended the efforts of RoLAC officials, including the National Programme Manager, EU -RoLAC, Danladi Plang; Component Manager, Emmanuel Uche; the Consultant, Dr. Ada Chidi -Igbokwe; Programme Officer, Dala Pwanakei; among others, for their support towards driving the process since the strategy commenced.

The Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, equally commended efforts of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), their assistance to the M and E Committee, the Secretariat of the committee, Technical Unit on Governance and Anti -Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), headed by Jane Onwumere.

She said: “You have displayed very good commitment. Let your responses on the review, adoption and validation of the action plan be submitted.”

For Jeddy- Agba, the need to review the action plan, particularly, the thematic areas such as, the technical objective (prevention), level 1 (Strengthening the legal and institutional framework designed to prevent and combat corruption), level 2 (mainstreaming anti-corruption principles into governance and service delivery and mainstreaming anti-corruption principles into sub-national public administration among others.

In their speeches, Dr. Ada Chidi-Igbokwe; Gandu, Pwanakei stressed their drive and commitments to ensure that the 2022-2026 cycle is carried out without the hiccups experienced in the last phase.

Highlight of the event was the maiden meeting of the M and E committee to commence the 2022 – 2026 cycle of the strategy, adoption of the template and the planned cascading of the strategy to the sub-national governments through visits.