United Nations lauds FG’s efforts to eliminate corruption at ports

The Country Director, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abuja, Dr Pa Lamin Beyai, said that corruption undermined human development, democracy and reduced access to public services by diverting public resources for private gains.

Beyai made said this in a message to a public launch of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Port agencies and Port Service Support Portal (PSSP) held on Thursday in Abuja to eliminate corruption at ports.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Beyai was represented by the Peace Development Advisor of UNDP, Dr Takwa Zebulon.

Beyai said that when public money was stolen for private gain, it meant fewer resources to build schools, hospitals, roads and water treatment facilities.

“When foreign aid is diverted into private bank accounts, major infrastructure projects come to a halt. Corruption enables fake or substandard medicines to be dumped in the market and hazardous wastes to be dumped in landfill sites and in oceans.

“First, as part of our mandate as encapsulated in United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2014-2017 to strengthen public accountability mechanisms through the conduct of corruption risk assessment.

“UNDP is glad to have been part of this process from inception. We believe that with an effective system and an enabling environment, Nigeria’s corruption perception index can improve positively.

“Nigerian Ports will not only render statutory services but become the preferred hub for the sub-region,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quotes Beyai as saying.

He said that an efficient and effective port sector would positively contribute to the ease of doing business, adding that it could be a good source of revenue and act as a stimulant for the diversification of the economy.

Beyai, however, commended the efforts of the Ports Steering Committee who had worked tirelessly since the launch of the Corruption Risk Assessment Report (CRA) in 2013.

He said that without the committee’s commitment, the CRA report on the Port Sectors would have been consigned to the archive.

Beyai said that UNDP would, therefore, look forward to seeing the maximum utilisation of the portal and the SOPs make Nigerian ports user-friendly.

Also, the Ambassador of Denmark, Mr Torben Bettermann, commended the Nigerian government and the minister of transportation for performing an outstanding work by trying to eradicate corruption.

Bettermann said that Denmark was an active player in corruption campaign in Nigeria.

Also speaking the Head, Technical Unit on Government and Anti-Corruption Reform (TUGAR), Ms Lilian Ekeanyanwu, said that a Research, Monitoring and Evaluation unit was set up by the government to respond to the critical needs for a rigorous approach to policy making.

Ekeanyanwu, who was represented by Mrs Jane Onwumere, said that TUGAR dealt with policy making based on empirical data collection and analysis.

She said that TUGAR had supported the anti-corruption agenda with knowledge products by connecting the dots and connecting different actors to build synergy.

“We are proud today that this is our baby and that the corruption Risk Assessment Project that is our brainchild has come to frution.

“We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this process to ensure that it achieves the desired objectives,’’ NAN quotes Ekeanyanwu as saying.

The Acting Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Ahmed Abdul, said that launching of the SOP’s and PSSP was the climax of a four-year journey which started in 2012.

Abdul said that some agencies such as; TUGAR, BPP, UNDP and Independent Corrupt and Anti-Corruption Reform Crime Commission (ICPC) were at the forefront of Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) project and pilot exercise in Nigeria.

He said that the BPP was also in Ports CRA exercise and the development of SOP.

Abdul said that BPP would continue in its determination to deliver its mandate of ensuring transparency, efficiency and competitiveness in government business.

He said that CRA was aimed at strengthening preventive mechanisms by identifying areas that were prone to corruption.

Abdul said that with collective collaboration with stakeholders as well as develop a plan to strengthen transparency and accountability service delivery would be enhanced.