The Global Action Against Corruption and Bad Leadership Initiative (GAAC-BLI), an NGO, has called for mandatory scrutiny of tenures of forme...
The Global Action Against Corruption and Bad Leadership Initiative (GAAC-BLI), an NGO, has called for mandatory scrutiny of tenures of former public officers.
Its Executive Secretary, Mr. Denis Aghanya, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that such scrutiny of public officers’ performance would help to institutionalise the culture of accountability and transparency.
Aghanya spoke against the backdrop of arrest and prosecution of some former public officers for alleged corruption.
“Everybody that has been in position of authority, that has retired should be scrutinised.
“I think that is one problem that this anti-corruption fight of Mr President is facing, once somebody is called for questioning, the public draws conclusion immediately and begin to condemn such a person; it is wrong.
“When somebody is called for questioning, we should not start panicking and we should not start drawing conclusions.
“We should allow transparency on the part of the anti-corruption agencies.
“Let them use all the necessary but transparent yardsticks to assess public officers and if they are found guilty they should be prosecuted.
“One mistake we make in Nigeria is that the moment somebody is being questioned, we always draw conclusion; it is not so.
“Let us inculcate it as a culture in this country that everybody who is in position of authority must have it at the back of his mind that he or she will account for his or her stewardship.
“Let the law take its full course; anybody that is found guilty should be prosecuted, but in course of doing that, there should be some level of transparency (and) that has been our main concern.
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