Transparency International ranked Nigeria 150 out of 180 countries in the 2022 Corruption Perception Index.
Nigeria has reacted to Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perception Index, CPI, which placed the country 150 out of 180 countries.
The index published by the Civil Society Legislative Action Centre, CISLAC, on Tuesday showed the perception of corruption in Nigeria.
Transparency International ranked Nigeria 150 out of 180 countries in the 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) with little or no significant improvement compared to the 2021 ranking.
SaharaReporters reported on Tuesday that Nigeria moved four places up on the country ranking but still maintained its previous score of 24 out of 100 points which is the lowest score on the CPI since 2012.
However, the information and culture minister, Lai Mohammed, told State House Correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday that Transparency International’s template used in measuring corruption was oblivious to what President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was doing to fight corruption, Voice of Nigeria reports.
The minister said, “We are not fighting corruption because we want to impress Transparency International or any organization whatsoever.
“We’re fighting corruption because we believe if we do not fight corruption, there’ll be no growth either in terms of the economy or even political.
“Therefore, what we do and what we have put in place to fight corruption is not because we want to be rated by anybody.
“If, for instance, what we’re doing catches the attention of Transparency International, and they give us better marks, so well and good.
“However, I can assure you that we do not know what template TI is using. Whatever template they’re using is clearly oblivious of what this administration is doing to fight corruption.”
According to Mohammed, fighting corruption is not just about how many people have been arrested and tried.
He said the work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, indicates the country’s commitment to fight corruption.
“You should look at what we are doing even to make corrupt practices almost impossible or difficult.
“I’ll just give you two examples. For instance, this administration when funds were returned from the Abacha loot and other funds were recovered from the US, the UK and Europe, what this administration did, was that rather than pay these funds into the treasury and face the possibility of it being stolen or being re-looted, decided that we will put this money into a separate account and ask the National Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, to manage these funds and we used this money for specific projects.
“And some of our legacy projects today actually are being financed from our money that has been stolen, which were returned and which we have kept.
“To me, this is one example of how to fight corruption. An example of how to ensure that people do not steal what has been recovered again.
“I make proud to say that we have been more proactive in fighting corruption and people are not willing to see what we have put in place in fighting corruption.”
The minister said the administration’s courage to expose high-ranking officials who go against the law is evidence of its determination to fight corruption.
“So, we are not really worried or bothered about the rating of the TI because we know that everything we do is to ensure that we fight corruption the best way we know how to do it.
“If TI is not seeing this, then again, I think they have to change their template. But again, we’re not fighting corruption to impress them,” he added.
The index, released by CISLAC and the national chapter of TI faulted the Nigerian government for granting pardon to former Governor of Plateau State Joshua Dariye and ex-Governor Jolly Nyame of Taraba State, who were both jailed for stealing N1.16 billion and N1.6 billion respectively.
The report also attributed the poor ranking of the country to the continued occurrence of oil theft despite the presence of security agencies.
Other weaknesses include a lack of transparency and accountability in the security sector, a lack of transparency in constituency projects, and judicial challenges.