CDD debate: Political parties discuss anti-corruption manifestoes

Some political parties have disclosed their plans to tackle corruption if they emerge victorious at the presidential election.

The parties disclosed this at the Big presidential debate on corruption organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

Five political parties partook in the debate sponsored by MacArthur Foundation.

While the All Progressives Congress (APC) was conspicuously absent, the African Action Congress (AAC) and Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) were in attendance.

They were represented by Omoyele Sowore and Tope Fasua, their respective presidential candidates.

Kazeem Afegbua, a spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign, represented the party at the debate while Paul Isamadi, national secretary of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), represented Oby Ezekwesili, the party’s presidential candidate.

Young Progressive Party (YPP) was represented by Egbeola Martins, its publicity secretary.

Participants spoke on fighting corruption and improving the economy.

Sowore said there is lack of transparency in the way businesses are conducted in the country.

“Our biggest problem is the opaque nature of how we do our transaction in the public sphere, and the lack of transparency in the way we conduct our businesses,” he said.

“The moment you remove that, all the thieves will be hung out dry, because before they get anything done, we have seen it, we have tracked it, and we ensure that we nip them in the bud.

“If we are doing contracting, it must be transparent to all. There is no reason why an average Nigerian cannot tell how much we are making in the so-called TSA. How much is there? We are entitled to it, how is money moving?

“The second thing we need to do is that a lot of our assets is also publicly available. The land registry of Abuja, you cannot find it, because the whole of Abuja is owned by a few people.”

Afegbua said the fight against corruption has to be a collective effort.

He said the PDP would put policies is place that would encourage whistle-blowers and provide better protection for witnesses.

“The global definition of corruption is monopoly plus discretion minus accountability,” he said

“It’s the monopoly power of an individual that makes him abuse his discretionary power.”

The ANRP presidential candidate said the main reason why there is budget padding  is because the legislators know that every item on the budget “is owned by somebody in the country even in the executive.”

“Technology always delivers, one the things that cause corruption in this country is addiction and psychological problems,” he said.

The ACPN national secretary said some churches have encouraged corruption in the country.

Isamadi said: “Our party will fight corruption even in the churches. Our churches have encouraged corruption.

Martins of the YPP said technology would be used to fight corruption if his party is elected.