A policy advocacy group, the Think Tank on Nigeria, has suggested that political offices should be made less attractive if the fight against corruption must be achieved.
The group which described its advice as the best way to fight corruption to a standstill in Nigeria, also stressed the need to strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks in the country.
The above is part of the submission of the TToN which parades an acclaimed membership of over 250 professionals drawn from across the different geo-political zones of Nigeria.
The advocacy group, in a communique adopted by 84 members who were in attendance, stressed the need for the country to enact and enforce strong anti-corruption laws and regulations, adding that independent institutions should be created to investigate and prosecute corruption cases.
The meeting convened by Dideolu Falobi urged that the government should also ensure that its activities and decision-making processes are transparent and open to public scrutiny.
The communique further read, “Enhancing public awareness of processes and bureaucracy at all levels would create an enabling environment for citizens to speak out. For those of questionable wealth, checks need to be done on their tax status. Also, the tax percentages for the very rich should be higher than those of the common man in order to discourage wealth inequality.
“In order to combat corruption, those involved in oversight functions should avoid all forms of corruption. Meritocracy should be promoted in all areas, and honesty, fairness, transparency, openness, equity, and accountability should not be compromised.
“Those on the supply chain of corruption elements should be drastically reduced in order to reduce the demand. Laws need to be put in place and enforced, with strong-willed good leaders in office,” TToN noted.
Continuing, it insisted, “It is also important to have a fairer society, with laws that are fair and practical for all citizens.
“Checks and balances need to be put in place to checkmate corruption, and best practices from other countries should be implemented. Psychologists can be engaged to devise ways in which the minds of the citizens can be re-engineered and made to know that corruption is the bane of the society that affects the development of a nation,” it pointed out.
