The Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has said that the present administration has recorded tremendous achievements in the fight against corruption most especially in the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA), by which it has succeeded in blocking leakages.
He stated this in an exclusive interview with NTA while giving the Ministry’s score card since 2015, in his office, Abuja.
Malami said that, “in the area of anti-corruption, let’s look at it from two different fundamental perspectives, from the perspective of prevention and enforcement, this is a government that ever in the history of Nigeria, that has observance of a Treasury Single Account (TSA), by which it has succeeded in blocking leakages. Before now, Ministries, Departments and Agencies get opening multiple accounts whereby the resources of government are being siphoned”.
“Since government has imposed the TSA, by ensuring that all agencies of government operate the TSA, thereby establishing the visibility funds of government, establishing transparency of government expenditure and accountability, from the point of TSA. For example, you can agree with me that preventive method is put in place in blocking leakages associated with corruption”, he explained.
Furthermore, the Minister disclosed that the Government has succeeded in ensuring that all personnel in the public sector are being captured electronically which made it impossible for ghost workers to be incorporated into the pay roll system or structure.
He noted that, it is the first time in the history of the country that government has succeeded in weeding out over 34,000 ghost pensioners and 25,000 ghost public officers within shortest periods of time.
Speaking on democracy and rule of law, the Minister explained that, “the perspective of the rule of law is a multidimensional one, from the point of protection of national interest in terms of security and associated development programs of the government, equally from the point of litigations, judgments, court orders and compliance there with and the overall interest of human rights observers”.
“However, it is clear that from the point of human right observers, the government is indeed taking steps, not only acknowledging the relevance of human right commission, but it gives effects to the findings and recommendations!”, he said.
He gave instance of the ‘Apo six’, which was alleged to be unlawfully killed by security agencies. He explained that despite the fact that the alleged offence was committed during the past regime, the present administration revisited the case and ensured the payment of 135 million naira as compensation to those who were affected.
The Minister explained further, ‘’the fact that effect is given to the recommendations of Human Rights Commission and coupled with the facts that it was equally effected, it establish a point that this government is rated high in terms of given effect of recommendations and processes, inclusive of the facts that those who committed the crime were convicted”.
Emphatically speaking, ‘’from the point of human rights, it is clear we have done wonderfully well and then if you look at it from the point of observance of the court orders and judgments, for examples, the fact remains clear that some of the judgments that were remained unaddressed over a decade were been addressed”.
Concluding, he said “from the perspective of the security of the State, at the observance of the rule of law, from the contest of the national interest, it is important to bring to our notice and attention that when national interest is at stake; it’s only logical that the individual right and individual interest must give way”.
Ngozi Iheuwa
For Deputy Director
