Participants at the 33rd Anti-Corruption Situation Room conference have stated that stolen funds from Africa are enough to transform the impoverished continent and improve the lives of Africans, just as they demanded for the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court, IACC, that would prosecute Africans who steal public funds, as well as prosecute countries in Europe and America that receive such illicit funds.

These were among recommendations made by stakeholders at the anti-corruption conference organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda, HEDA Resource Center, a Nigerian anti-corruption organisation, in collaboration with the Integrity Initiative International and with support from the MacArthur Foundation, that held in Abuja on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Among participants that took part in the conference include the former Prime Minister of Senegal and member of Club De Madrid, Aminata Toure; representatives of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS; Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone, International Anti-Corruption Steering Treaty Drafting Committee, IACC, Justice Richard Goldstone, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi, among other global anti-corruption experts 

While it is estimated that over $100 billion which represent some 25 per cent of Africa’s Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) are stolen every year from the continent by local and international collaborators including African heads of state, participants said that such funds would go a long way in providing good roads, social security, access to health and education for the teeming population in the African continent that are currently ravaged by poverty, famine and hunger.

The participants, after deliberations, noted in their recommendations that corruption is a global problem and remains a major impediment to economic growth, human development and prosperity, particularly in Africa where "corruption is fuelling war, misery and extremism", thus the need for the "government and the people to unite to put an end to the scourge."

They called for the removal of obstacles that corruption places "by privileges" on selected people thereby making them "above law and order" while participants advocated that stolen funds should not only be repatriated by host countries but along with "the excess interests that proceeds from years of banking such illicit funds.”

Participants also recommended that there is "the need for renewed capacity building for Judges with a new curriculum that addresses corruption while there should be secured tenure of office for drivers of anti-corruption institutions.”

Particularly for Nigeria and other west African countries, they recommended that the country "should improve her anti-corruption profile in order to reflect her status as the largest economy in Africa" and that "there is the need for constant education and enlightenment," with the strengthening of "ECOWAS and all regional institutions" to enable them to "fight corruption effectively."

While also commending HEDA Resource Centre for its commitment to the fight against corruption at great risk to its officials, the MacArthur Foundation and the Integrity Initiative International for their support, the participants called for the creation of an African Network of the Friends of International Anti-Corruption Court to be led by HEDA.

#penglobalcommunity