Tinubu urges ECOWAS to ratify anti-graft protocol

FG, NACIWA move to recover stolen artefacts

Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Bola Tinubu, has urged member countries to ratify and fully implement the Protocol against Corruption to wipe out the menace.

Also, the Federal Government plans to strengthen laws that facilitate the return of stolen artefacts into the country. Similarly, the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) vowed to recover all the region’s stolen assets taken to the West with interest paid on them.

Tinubu urged ECOWAS member states to act by implementing the anti-graft protocol, maintaining that the region’s future hinged on its capacity to build governance structures that were not just transparent, accountable and efficient, but also serve the interests of the people.

He made the call, yesterday, during the 6th Annual General Assembly of NACIWA held at the ECOWAS Secretariat in Abuja, where he announced Nigeria’s donation of an office building to serve as headquarters of NACIWA.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President said, “In recognition of NACIWA’s pivotal role in our regional anti-corruption efforts, I am proud to announce that the Nigerian government has donated a property to serve as NACIWA’s permanent headquarters.

“This gesture underscores our commitment to strengthening NACIWA’s institutional capacity and providing a solid operational foundation. As we deliberate on implementing the ECOWAS Protocol against Corruption, I urge all member states to renew their commitment to this cause.”

The ECOWAS Chairman urged member countries to move beyond rhetoric and focus on concrete actions targeted at harmonising their “legal frameworks to close loopholes exploited by corrupt individuals.”

He listed other tangible actions required to include enhancing cross-border cooperation in investigations and asset recovery, investing in innovative technologies to detect and prevent corrupt practices, promoting transparency in public procurement and resource management, engaging civil society and the media as partners in the region’s anti-corruption efforts, and strengthening the independence and capacity of its national anti-corruption institutions.

Earlier, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, noted an urgent need for regional and global cooperation in the battle against corruption, describing it as a cancer that threatens Africa’s stability and development.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, emphasised the crucial role of collaborative efforts in the fight against corruption.

While the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, urged regional anti-corruption bodies to adapt their strategies to evolving threats, his Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) counterpart, Musa Aliyu, emphasised the fight against corruption as a long-term struggle requiring unwavering commitment.

Representative of the ECOWAS President, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, outlined the strides made by ECOWAS, in collaboration with national anti-corruption agencies, to include implementing policies that promote transparency and good governance.

The Federal Government’s plans to strengthen the laws were revealed by the EFCC Chairman at the ongoing general assembly NACIWA.In his opening remarks, Olukoyede stressed the need for anti-graft agencies in the region to strengthen their collaboration to reduce corruption.

The meeting is themed ‘Implementing the ECOWAS Protocol on the Fight Against Corruption Towards Strengthening Institutions for Regional Unity’.  NACIWA is a regional anti-corruption network made up of 14 countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, recently took custody of two looted royal stools from the German government. They were reportedly looted from the Oba’s Palace during the punitive expedition in 1897.
OLUKOYEDE, who doubles as the President of NACIWA, in an interview with newsmen at the event, said the West would be made to pay interest on the stolen assets domiciled in their countries.

Hẹ expressed concern over the absence of three West African countries, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso at the assembly and attributed the development to the current political situation in the region.

The anti-graft czar, who noted that the network required collective might to overcome the challenge of corruption in the sub-region, expressed optimism that the issues would be resolved as soon as possible.