Posted by By John Ighodaro on
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has commended the Federal Government's anti-corruption crusade describing it as "the groundwork for Nigeria's economic and social transformation."
PORT HARCOURT - United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has commended the Federal Government's anti-corruption crusade describing it as "the groundwork for Nigeria's economic and social transformation."
The USAID Democracy Officer in Nigeria, Mr. Steven Herbaly, disclosed this at the opening of the South/South interactive session of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) for civil societies and communities in Port Harcourt.
Herbaly also argued that it is not correct to say that the country's economy is oil-based. His words: "Nigeria's commitment to fighting corruption, and improving transparency and accountability in the nation's principle income-generating industry is laudable.
"In the past, oil revenues were treated as private, personal resources. But preventative as well as punitive measures being introduced and implemented to address issues of accountability, transparency and efficiency have laid the groundwork for Nigeria's economic and social transformation", he said.
He was of the opinion that anti-corruption measures being implemented by government are changing behavoural patterns amongst Nigerians just as they are improving Nigeria's reputation with international investors.
He however noted that people were looking forward to the passage of the EITI Bill, which was sponsored by President Obasanjo in February 2004, which will institutionalize annual audits in all publicly-run offices.
Also speaking, Governor Peter Odili argued that the key to the country's development from now on lies in the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). Dr. Odili declared that the Rivers State Government fully backs the Federal Government's reform processes.