Corruption in executive far more than the one in legislature, judiciary combined- ICPC boss

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) chairman, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, has said that there is more corruption in the executive arm of government than the one in both the legislature and judiciary combined.

The commission’s spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, said in a statement that Professor Owasanoye made the claim on Monday during a lecture at the 9th National Assembly induction programme for new legislators, in Abuja.

Delivering a lecture entitled, “The Legislature and Fight against Graft and Corruption”, Owasanoye stressed that the execution of the National Assembly budget, which has grown exponentially from N6.9 billion in 1999 to about N139 billion in 2018 for the same number of legislators, has remained shrouded in secrecy, thereby giving room for allegations of abuse and misappropriation of the funds.

In spite of this, however, he argued that, “Corruption in the executive is far more than the legislature and judiciary combined. This is because the executive spends a far bigger chunk of the money appropriated.”

He stated this as he spoke on the alleged huge allowances of the National Assembly members and the controversial issue of constituency projects.

According to him, the public perception of legislators as being corrupt would not go away until the National Assembly throws open its yearly budget to the public.

“It is believed that we have the highest paid legislators representing the poorest people in the world. Since 1999, NASS budget has increased without defensible legal or moral justification. Without increase in membership and addition of only one or two agencies, NASS budget grew from N6.9 billion 1999 to N139 billion in 2018.

“The problem is that it is just a single line item. The public is hardly told the breakdown and how it is used. The criticisms will disappear if we are told how it is spent,” he said.

Owasanoye, who said that corruption is the enemy of development and good governance, added that it remains the biggest challenge to Nigeria’s development.

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He said the legislature must wake up to its role of over sighting Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to curb the menace.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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