N2tn stolen yearly in Nigeria by public, private officials —Group

The Chairman, Human and Environmental Development Centre (HEDA) Resource Centre, Olanrewaju Suraju, has said about N2 trillion is stolen every year in Nigeria by public and private officials, with the technical assistance of professionals.

In a statement on Sunday, Suraju, said this was the view of experts at the 24th Anti-Corruption Situation Room (ACSR), organised by HEDA with the support of the MacArthur Foundation, in Abuja.

According to him, participants at the summit said Nigeria has 107 registered professional groups, some of whose members are alleged enablers of corruption.

Read also: Over $700m stolen funds returned to Nigeria in last four years —Malami

He identified participants and experts at the event to include representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), United Nations Office of Drug and Crime (UNODC), Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

According to Suraju, for the first time in recent memory, Nigerian professionals, civil society organisations, media, and anti-corruption agencies during the summit forged a new historic partnership aimed at stopping the over N2 trillion allegedly stolen every year in Nigeria’s public and private sectors.

He noted that with the new partnership, it will no longer be business as usual for professionals who aid crooks in the public and private sectors.

According to him, the participants urged the Federal Government (FG) to inaugurate the National Procurement Council (NPC), expected to have 11 members, five from the government and six from the public, established to strengthen the Public Procurement Act and ensure transparency in the award of contracts by MDAs.

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