The policy dialogue, organized by the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), was to present and review the nation’s implementation of anti-corruption commitments, including the implementation of the London Anti-corruption Summit and the Global Forum for Asset Recovery (GFAR).
It was observed that while the nation continues to make progress theoretically, there’s work to be done to effectively mobilize stakeholders’ actions toward the implementation of relevant laws and international commitments. The enactment of the Proceed of Crimes Act (POCA) for instance, provided a comprehensive legal and institutional framework for the nation’s asset recovery regime, and it is hoped that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies would improve their current efforts on asset recovery.
To improve the asset recovery regime, the workshop especially noted and recommended that ACAs should publish disaggregated data of assets and other relevant information to improve transparency, which should be made accessible on their websites. Also, to boost the fight against corruption, the dialogue called for expedited actions toward the passage of the Whistle Blowing (Protection) and Audit legislation.
On their part, the dialogue noted that the role of civil society organizations should be better mainstreamed, so actors would be seen as playing complementary, rather than antagonizing government efforts.
The Center, as part of its efforts at ensuring the proper institutionalization and implementation of the recently passed anti-corruption Acts, including the POCA, the Center would continue to build the capacity of stakeholders towards strengthening the nation’s anti-corruption environment.