Ambassador Aminu Abubakar Majidadi, the national president of the popular anti-graft NGO, Almushahid Initiative for Transparency and Accountability (AITA) applauded the move by Federal Government of Nigeria for considering the creation of special international anti-graft court.
Speaking to Capitalwatch Media correspondant, Majidadi said “the move by federal government is long over due considering how that would ease the difficulties encountered in courts before completing cases of corruption which has negative implications to the efforts in the war against corruption and other related matters in Nigeria and beyond”.
The Federal Government, on Tuesday, said it was considering the growing demand for the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court, describing it as a paradigm shift in its approach to combating corruption at the global level.
The government said the corrosive impact of corruption on Nigeria’s development, stability, and prosperity could not be overstated.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), represented by a Deputy Director (Public Prosecution), Yusuf Abdullahi Abdulkadir, stated this in his speech delivered in Abuja during the 33rd Anti-Corruption Situation Room organised by Human and Environmental Development Agenda also known as HEDA Resource Centre, in collaboration with Integrity Initiatives International.
He said, “Nigeria, as a country that has been deeply affected by corruption, could benefit significantly from the establishment of an IACC. Such a court could provide a platform to address cases that involve individuals and assets located abroad, often tied to grand corruption schemes that have a devastating impact on Nigeria’s development efforts. It could serve as an additional tool to complement and strengthen the nation’s domestic anti-corruption efforts. The corrosive impact of corruption on Nigeria’s development, stability, and prosperity cannot be overstated.”
While describing corruption, in all its ramifications as a great threat to the stability, progress, and development of nations around the world, the AGF said graft was a cancer that knows no boundaries, undermines trust, weakens institutions, hampers economic growth and perpetuates social injustice.
The Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraj, lamented that “many corrupt people are getting elevated to higher places.”
“You can see ministers who are accused of corruption being returned to office. Some of them are becoming ministers, some governors who are still standing trial and ministers are now heads of agencies, and quite a number of them are currently at the federal and state levels,” he said.
Describing the urgent need for the establishment of the special anti-graft court, Amb. Majidadi said there is no doubt if the special anti-graft court is established, the problems related to fighting corruption in Nigeria would be 70 percent solved.
“AITA welcome and encourage the new and positive development towards making our efforts in fighting corruption easier. We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to consider the establishment of the special anti-graft court as one of his greatest achievements as president of Nigeria worthy of commendation”, Majidadi added.
