Corruption: Top of the Agenda at the 30th AU Summit
The theme of the 30th AU Summit, held last month in Addis Ababa, was “Winning the fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”. Dedicating the year 2018 as the “African Anti-Corruption Year”, the continental campaign was officially launched by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday (January 28).
President Buhari, appointed as the champion to advocate inculcation of the concept in African institutions, expressed his gratitude to the Assembly of the Union, “for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as the Champion of the Theme of the Year;” and President
Buhari made a solemn vow to do his best “to ensure that the anti-corruption agenda will receive the attention it deserves and make the impact we all hope for, during 2018 and beyond.”
According to estimates from the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Africa loses about $50 billion dollars every year to continental-wide clandestine chains of illicit financial flows, making it one of the continent’s most urgent current concerns. Ms. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the UNECA, while praising the initiative of the African Union to uphold the fight against corruption said firmly: “Corruption has held Africa back for far too long and it’s time to nip it in the bud.” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also expressed UN determination to work with national anti-corruption institutions to curtail the curse of corruption and bring perpetrators to justice. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, under Goal 16, calls on all countries to promote and develop accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, notably, by reducing bribery and corruption. The Secretary-General told the AU Assembly that combating corruption, tax evasion and illicit financial flows required an unimpeachable commitment to transparency and accountability. He stressed: “together we can end this menace and make sure that public funding and investments go where they are needed most.”
Referring to the appalling impact of this “global epidemic”, President Buhari told the AU Assembly that “Corruption is indeed one of the greatest evils of our time. Corruption rewards those who do not play by the rules and also creates a system of distortion and diversion thereby destroying all efforts at constructive, just and fair governance.” Commenting on the reasons behind the adoption of corruption as the theme of this year, he said: “Fifteen years after the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combatting Corruption, 2018 provides a good opportunity to take stock on progress made so far, assess what still needs to be done and devise new strategies that appropriately address new corruption challenges.” President Buhari was clear. Merely accepting the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) or signing it into law in a country was not the answer to the undesirable spill-over effects of corruption. Indeed, the “the adoption of the legal and policy frameworks has not had the desired success in tackling this evil.”
Indeed, Agenda 2063’s Aspiration 3, promising the people of Africa that, “Corruption and impunity will be a thing of the past”, recognized that the overwhelming and continuing adverse effects of the ‘corruption pandemic’ over the years have overshadowed advances made in various areas. It also notes that corruption erodes the development of a universal culture of good governance, democratic values, gender equality, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of the law. Corruption has had a devastating impact on marginalized communities especially the youth, women and children. Corruption breeds unequal societies, renders vulnerable groups prone to human trafficking, as well as recruitment into armed groups and militia. In effect, corruption deprives our young citizens of opportunities to develop meaningful livelihoods.
Despite the sustained growth seen in Africa over the past two decades, public confidence has been eroded by the focus on short-term priorities and payoffs, propelled by corruption, which too often leaves projects uncompleted and promises unfulfilled. In this context, corruption and its effects have many facets and can pose real threats to national security, unity and survival of the State and people. He emphasized that one example of this has been the continuing and ever-falling public confidence in governments at all levels. The failure to deal with the ‘Corruption Industrial Complex’ has stripped citizens of any trust in government.
President Buhari underlined: “Strong institutions are a necessary condition in any society which aims to fight corruption.” The building of such robust and integral institutions at all levels of the government ensures the sustainability of “good governance, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law” in Africa, as part of Aspiration 3 of Agenda 2063. Equally, they serve as a bulwark against menaces such as corruption that threaten the very existence of the State, let alone a continental union that strives to serve and satisfy all its “children” under its wings. They also further ameliorate the condition of relegated sections of the society “especially the youth, women and children.”
A Judiciary which stands firm against arbitrariness and injustice by the executive is a vital pillar in the anti-corruption fight, and President Buhari stressed, “As leaders, we must build synergy between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of government in order to entrench good governance, transparency and accountability.” In building strong national and regional institutions, he said, “we must adequately empower our national anti-corruption agencies and insulate them from political influence. We have to encourage increased institutional collaboration between Law Enforcement Agencies and anti-corruption Agencies in order to win this fight.”
President Buhari presented three major initiatives as a basis for the AU’s fight against corruption. The first was to organize African Youth Congresses against Corruption, in order to sensitize and engage youth in the fight against corruption; the second: to mobilize all African Union Member States to implement the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption; thirdly, to advocate for the strengthening of the criminal justice system across Africa through exchange of information and sharing best practices in the enforcement of anti-corruption laws.
The African Union Advisory Board on Corruption should be strengthened in order to play a more proactive role in the anti-corruption fight, and important actors such as parliamentarians, women associations, the media, the business community, faith-based groups, the youth, educational institutions and traditional leaders, should all be brought into the fight.
Referring to the Report of the AU High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, chaired by Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa, he noted the causal relationship between corruption and illicit financial flows and the corrosive role that tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions play in concealing ill-gotten assets. The African Union, he underlined, must do more to stop the continuous assault on economic and financial resources by multinationals in collusion with citizens. It was important that one of the goals of this year’s theme should be the development of a Common African Position on Asset Recovery.
In conclusion, President Buhari returned to the point that manifestation of corruption in Africa was a reflection of the need for stronger leadership and oversight institutions. Equally, he said, tackling corrupt acts and greed required a reorientation of attitudes and perceptions. To win the fight against corruption, a change of mind set was necessary, requiring “a greater awareness as a means to instill better and more transparent values in the political class and the citizenry, especially people in positions of trust.” He reminded the Assembly that “fighting corruption is not going to be a straightforward task and that corruption does fight back. While we may face some setbacks, we should remain resolute. Our common goal is to eradicate corruption in the best interest of our societies.”
