The major impediment to the fight against corruption is the fact that the citizens have not come to own the fight. It is when the citizens own the fight we will not start taking practical positive steps
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for more citizens engagement and participation in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists at the end of a town hall meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, the Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuneen, said the anti-corruption survey report was released this year was aimed at accessing the level of corruption and the perception of Nigerians.
He said: "The major impediment to the fight against corruption is the fact that the citizens have not come to own the fight. It is when the citizens own the fight we will not start taking practical positive steps from individual perspective that is when we can fight corruption."
Also speaking at the event, the Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare said the meeting was to sensitise and get citizens involved in the fight against corruption.
"Today's event is a town hall meeting on the anti-corruption survey report we launched earlier this year and the findings of the report are interesting. I think it should be interesting to all Nigerians and anti-corruption agencies. So the town hall is to sensitise everyone and get citizens involved in the fight against corruption.
"The report shows that the people perceived based on experience and perception that police is the most corrupt agency out of the five sectors we looked at. Again, the survey is part perception and experience, it is with the experience we have with the people in this anti-corruption agencies. Power came second, education came third, judiciary came fourth and health is the last."
Kolawole explained that the survey was not an indictment on the agencies rather an opportunity to galvanise the people in the fight against corruption.