Countering corruption is not only a key concern in Nigeria but also a core United States national security priority for the President Joe Biden administration, US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo, has said.
She also said the Biden government is committed to supporting anti-corruption initiatives and collaborative efforts to prevent graft, strengthen investigation and prosecution of corrupt persons and institutions.
Pierangelo stated this on Friday when the US Consulate General, in collaboration with the Inter-Religious Coalition Against Corruption in Nigeria, launched ReportMagoMago.com, a web-based portal that leverages citizen engagement to fight corruption.
In a statement signed by Temitayo Famutimi of the Consulate’s Public Affairs Section, Pierangelo explained that ReportMagoMago.com puts the power to report corruption in the hands of the Nigerian people.
She, therefore, urged Nigerians to demonstrate their commitment to the fight against corruption by making use of the innovative online platform which seeks to address the daily instances of corruption faced by millions of Nigerians.
“Countering corruption is not only a key concern in Nigeria but also a core U.S national security priority for the Biden Administration,” Pierangelo was quoted as saying in the statement titled, ‘U.S. Consulate, Religious Leaders Launch Anti-Corruption Website’.
“Growth and development, consistent with the richness and strength of Nigeria, depend on a new narrative and a culture where corruption has no place,” she added.
Pierangelo further expressed optimism that the new initiative will encourage Nigerians affected by corruption to feel empowered to share their experiences and spark a new movement in citizen engagement in fighting the scourge that has hampered development and stifled prosperity in the country.
The PUNCH had reported that global anti-corruption coalition, Transparency International, on January 25, 2022 rated Nigeria the second most corrupt country in West Africa, after Guinea.
In the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index released by TI on Tuesday, Nigeria dropped five places, scoring 24 out of 100 points in the 2021 index.
The ranking was released against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s avowed fight against graft.
Nigeria’s current 154 ranking out of 180 countries in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index is a drop of 149 in the 2020 index.
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