Corruption

1) ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC)

The EFCC is an agency of the Nigerian government empowered to to prevent, investigate, prosecute and penalise economic and financial crimes and is charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of other laws and regulations relating to economic and financial crimes. You will find here links to tNigeria’s major anti-corruption laws. You can’t write about corruption without first understanding the laws. Find archived news report about the cases the EFCC is prosecuting in court here.

2) NIGERIAN FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT (NFIU)

The NFIU,  an arm of the EFCC, is the central national agency in Nigeria responsible for the receipt and analysis of financial disclosure (Currency transaction reports and Suspicious transaction reports) and dissemination of intelligence generated there-from, to competent authorities. You can download the NFIU handbook and progress report here, important circulars and guidelines here  and Financial Action Task Force/United Nations Security Council Watchlist here. You can also access all the laws related to the NFIU here.

3) INDEPENDENT CORRUPT PRACTICES COMMISSION (ICPC)

The ICPC was established in September 2000 “to receive complaints, investigate and prosecute offenders. Other duties include education and enlightenment of the public about and against bribery, corruption and related offences. The commission also has the task of reviewing and modifying the activities of public bodies, where such practices may aid corruption.”

Dowload the Corrupt Practices Act 2000, commission’s reports and newsletters here.

4) CODE OF CONDUCT BUREAU

The Bureau has a mandate to establish and maintain a high standard of public morality in the conduct of Government Business and to ensure that the actions and behaviour of public officers conform to the highest standard of public morality and accountability.

Find here link to the Fifth Schedule of the Nigerian constitution which makes provision for the Code of Conduct Bureau.

5) TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

Transparency International is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. It monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. Every year, it releases the hugely popular Corruption Perceptions Index. It also assesses transparency and corruption in the world’s largest companies.

Find link to Nigeria’s corruption record here.

6) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY BLACKLIST

The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of Treasury publishes a list of individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries. The list, constantly updated, highlights individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers whose assets have been blocked. The individuals and companies are collectively called “Specially Designated Nationals” or “SDNs.”

Click here for more information on Treasury’s Sanctions Programmes. Check here to learn how to search through the list with a view to identifying Nigerians and other nationals on it.

7) WORLD BANK BLACKLIST OF COMPANIES

The World Bank regularly publishes list of firms and individuals sanctioned under the Bank’s fraud and corruption policy. Once they are listed, they become ineligible  to be awarded a World Bank-financed contract for the periods indicated beside their names.

Find link to the list here. To understand what World Bank regulations they violated, it is important that you familiarise yourself with the Bank’s  Procurement Guidelines as well as the Consultant Guidelines.

8) STOP THE BRIBES NIGERIA

Stopthebribes.net is a user-friendly ICT platform developed to track cases of lower level corruption by law enforcement and public officials.

Victims and/or witnesses can simply report incidents of extortion and bribery by using mobile phones to call, sending text messages, emails or make direct entries on the website, including upload of videos or photographs which provide evidence of such incidents.

Reporters can find a lot of interesting stories here by analysing the reports citizens are posting on the platform.

9) OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP

The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a global effort to make governments more transparent, effective and accountable.  Founders say “to become a member of OGP, participating countries must embrace a high-level Open Government Declaration; deliver a country action plan developed with public consultation; and commit to independent reporting on their progress going forward.

Find link to countries that have joined the partnership here and the commitments they made.