UNODC: POLICE; PHCN, LEAD NIGERIA MOST CORRUPT INSTITUTIONS — RIGHTS MONITORS
The Nigeria Bureau of statistic (NBS) has presented in its recent document prepared for the United Nation Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) that the Nigeria Police Force remains the most corrupt institution in Nigeria followed by the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
This was revealed recently in Lagos at a program organized by Human and Environmental Development Agenda(HEDA) Resource Center in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency(NOA). Other collaborators include: Technical Unit on Governance &Anti corruption Reforms (TUGAR), African Center for Media and Literacy (AFRICMIL) among others, all in a bit to promote accountability in governance and ensure the fight against corruption is sustained through public ownership of the process.
The program which was held on 18,Dec,2019, was the 17th Anit-Corruption Situation Room Forum (ACSR), since the launch in Abuja in 2016. It was themed: “Corruption in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends; A Review of National Bureau of Statistics and United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime’s Second Survey on Corruption in Nigeria 2019”.
According to the reviewer of the NBS 2019 report at the program, Dr. Adebusuyi Isaac Adeniran, a national consultant to UNODC, bribery in Nigeria is less prevalent than three years ago.
From the survey parameters in a discussion titled: Corruption Treads in Nigeria; Evidence From The 2nd Survey on Bribery and Other Forms of Corruption in the Public Sector, 33,067 persons where interviewed across Nigeria via a stratified random sampling methodology and representative selected for each of the 36 states plus the FCT. Target group are adults that are 18years and above.
The survey results altimately revealed that bribery in Nigeria is less prevalent than three years ago with certain improvements in relation to several types of public officials. The Nigeria Police Force for instance had a 46% record of bribery in year 2016 but now improved in expectations to 33% in 2019, although still remains the most corrupt public institution in the country followed by the PHCN and its allied otherwise presented as Public Utilities Officers.
Bribes paid to the two public officials indeed account for more than half of all bribes so far paid in Nigeria.
It is realized that vast majority of bribes are paid in cash and this is due to the regular daily physical interaction with public officials.
It was finally generally agreed by all participants that computerisation of services will go a long way in reduction of bribery and corruption in the country.
Participants drawn from the civil society across the country all commended HEDA Resource Center for being the rallying point in ensuring a sustainable anticorruption fight for the good of all Nigerians. Participating organisations include Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA); Nigerian Bar Association; Democracy Vanguard; Jonalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) among others.