President Muhammadu Buhari
departed for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to participate in the 30th Ordinary Session
of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, AU, on
Friday.
The highlight of the President’s
engagements during the visit was his speech under the historic theme for the AU
Summit, namely: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to
Africa’s Transformation.”
Here is the full test of
President Buhari speech:
It gives me great pleasure to
address you on the occasion of the launch of the African Union theme: “Winning
the fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”. I
congratulate the African Union for dedicating the theme of the year to the
noble cause of fighting corruption on our Continent.
I also take this opportunity to
thank you, on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
on my own behalf, for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as the
Champion of the theme of the year.
I pledge that I shall do my very
best to ensure that the anti-corruption agenda will receive the attention it
deserves and make the impact we all hope for, during 2018 and beyond.
Excellencies,
Corruption is indeed one of the
greatest evils of our time. Corruption rewards those who do not play by the
rules and also creates a system of distortion and diversion thereby destroying
all efforts at constructive, just and fair governance.
In tackling corruption, the
Continent has made significant strides, putting in place legal and policy
frameworks, notably the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating
Corruption (AUCPCC). However, the adoption of the legal and policy frameworks
have not had the desired success in tackling this evil.
Excellencies,
Fifteen (15) years after the
adoption of the African Union Convention, 2018 provides a good starting point
to take stock of progress made so far, assess what still needs to be done and
devise new strategies to address new corruption challenges.
It is true that our continent
has witnessed sustained growth over the past two decades. Nonetheless, public
confidence has been eroded by a focus on short-term priorities and payoffs,
propelled by corruption, which too often leaves projects uncompleted and
promises unfulfilled.
Corruption and its effects have
many sides. It poses real threat to national security, unity and survival of
the African State and people. The African Union Agenda 2063, under Aspiration 3
recognizes that corruption erodes the development of a universal culture of
good governance, democratic values, gender equality, respect for human rights,
justice and the rule of the law.
The United Nations 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, under Goal 16, calls on all countries to promote
and develop accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, notably, by
reducing bribery and corruption.
In this connexion, I cannot
over-emphasize the value of strong institutions. A Judiciary which stands firm
against arbitrariness and injustice by the executive is a vital pillar in the
anti-corruption fight.
As leaders, we must build synergy
between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of government in order to
entrench good governance, transparency and accountability.
Your Excellencies,
Strong institutions are a
necessary condition in any society which aims to fight corruption. In building
strong national and regional institutions, we must adequately empower our
national anti-corruption agencies and insulate them from political influence.
We have to encourage increased institutional collaboration between Law
Enforcement Agencies and anti-corruption Agencies in order to win this fight.
Distinguished Ladies and
Gentlemen,
It is evident that Corruption has
a devastating impact on marginalized communities especially the youth, women
and children. Corruption breeds unequal societies, renders vulnerable groups
prone to human trafficking, as well as recruitment into armed groups and
militia. In effect, corruption deprives our young citizens of opportunities to
develop meaningful livelihoods.
We must therefore, work
together to defeat this evil. With the endorsement of Your Excellencies, during
the course of 2018, I wish to prioritize the following initiatives, to help us
in the fight against corruption.
a) to organize African Youth
Congresses against Corruption, in order to sensitize and engage our youth in
the fight against corruption,
b) mobilizing all African Union
Member States to implement the African Union Convention on Preventing and
Combating Corruption, and
c) advocating for the
strengthening of the criminal justice system across Africa through exchange of
information and sharing best practices in the enforcement of anti-corruption
laws.
The African Union Advisory Board
on Corruption should be strengthened in order to play a more proactive role in
the anti-corruption fight.
We also propose to enlist as
partners, important actors such as parliamentarians, women associations, the
media, the business community, faith-based groups, the youth, educational
institutions and traditional leaders, among others.
Excellencies,
We also need to redouble our
efforts in addressing the causal relationship between corruption and illicit
financial flows. The Report of the AU High Level Panel on Illicit Financial
Flows from Africa, chaired by H.E Thabo Mbeki, former President of South
Africa, in partnership with United Nations Economic Commission (UNECA) revealed
that Africa loses about 50 billion dollars annually.
The High Level Panel has also
pointed out the corrosive role that tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions play
in concealing ill-gotten assets.
The African Union must do more to
stop the continuous assault on our economic and financial resources by
multinationals in collusion with some of our citizens.
It is also important that one
of the goals of this year’s theme should be the development of a Common African
Position on Asset Recovery.
The manifestation of corruption
in Africa is also a reflection of the need for stronger leadership and
oversight institutions. Tackling corrupt acts and greed require a reorientation
of our attitudes and perceptions.
To win the fight against
corruption, we must have a CHANGE of mind set.
Changing the state of play
requires retraining a greater awareness as a means to instill better and more
transparent values in the political class and the citizenry, especially people
in positions of trust.
In Nigeria we have gone far into
the implementation of our CHANGE Agenda, which is primarily aimed at fighting
corruption.
Excellencies,
As we set off on this honorable
path, let us also bear in mind that fighting corruption is not going to be a
straightforward task and that corruption does fight back. While we may face
some setbacks, we should remain resolute. Our common goal is to eradicate
corruption in the best interest of our societies.
Let me end my remarks by
reiterating Nigeria’s abiding commitment to the fight against corruption today,
tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
Excellencies, Chairperson of the
African Union,
I am truly inspired in this task
by the commitment, encouragement and support of my fellow African Heads of
State to succeed in this noble cause.
On this note, I officially launch
on the theme of the year.
I thank you for your kind
attention.
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