The Jigawa Government said it has set up a committee to draft an anti-corruption bill.
Gov. Muhammad Badaru stated this during the Nigerian Youths Walk Against Corruption in Dutse on Friday, organized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports and National Youths Service Corps (NYSC).
Badaru, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Umar Namadi, said the bill if passed into law, would enable the government to fight the menace properly.
“This bill, if passed by Jigawa House of Assembly, will help in tackling corruption in the state,” Badaru said.
He explained that his administration had recorded significant progress in its fight against the menace.
“We have improved in the fight against corruption in all sectors and also keyed into the federal government’s fight against corruption.
“For instance, our migration from multiple expenditure banks accounts to TSA, as well as biometric registration of civil servants, had led to the discovery of a large number of ghost workers.
“We are also doing a transparent and all-inclusive budgeting system,” the governor said.
He said that through the use of the TSA, the government was able to discover about 140 different expenditure bank accounts used by MDAs.
Earlier, the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, said the exercise was to share with the public, the new perspective on the prevention mandate of the commission as set out in section 6(p) of the EFCC Act.
He said the commission would do everything possible to make sure the public participated in the fight against corruption.
“Public enlightenment and sensitization about the menace of corruption have become imperative as we continue to check the evils of economic and financial crimes in our midst.
“My desire in this regard is to ensure public ownership of the fight against corruption and every Nigerian is a stakeholder in the fight,” Magu said.
The chairman said the commission would awaken and mobilize Nigerian youths to the task of exposing, confronting and tackling the menace of corruption.
“The new perspective we’re exploring is the awakening and mobilization of youths to the task of exposing, confronting and tackling the scourge of corruption.
“This is because, as we all know, youths constitute the bulk of our population and they’re the realities and strength of our future.
“The youth are crucial to the success of the anti-corruption crusade and commitments of President Buhari’s government,” Magu said.
In his remarks, the NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr Ibrahim Muhammad, noted that corruption is practiced not only in government circles, but also in homes, schools, and worship places.
Muhammad pledged that NYSC would continue to sensitize the public, particularly school children, in order to catch them young. (NAN)
