AGF Fagbemi wants Nigerians to also focus on states in fight against corruption

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has advocated for the extension of the fight against corruption to states instead of focusing on the Federal Government and its agencies alone.

Fagbemi who made the call at a one-day ‘Hybrid Sensitisation Workshop on Revised Guidelines on Negotiation and Drafting of Contracts and Agreements by Government Parties’ held in Abuja on Tuesday, said extending corruption fight to states would prevent illicit financial flows and ensure sustainable development.

The event which was organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), also aimed at revising guidelines initiated by the commission.

While addressing the audience, the AGF said:

“I want to mention that the issue of corruption and the tendency to limit the fight to the Federal Government alone is wrong. Contracts are not awarded at the Federal level alone.

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“States are also involved. There should be a way of bringing some of these states on board.”

Fagbemi added that some of the corrupt practices being fought in the country are “perpetrated at the state level but the international laws rarely recognise:the states.”

“The document that we are presenting to the public today will not only be useful to the Federal Government, it will also be useful to the state governments.

“If you look at it, in international law, the states are not known. It is the Federal Government that will stand for the states.

“Some of these atrocities are also perpetrated at the state levels and the Federal Government is called to come and account for it.

“My advice is that there should be another way of bringing the states on board to appreciate the need for your efforts,” he opined.

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