Buhari Has Sent Strong Signals For Change, Transparency International Replies Cameron

The global corruption watchdog, Transparency International has responded to  comment by British Prime Minster, David Cameron that Nigeria is a ” fantastically corrupt country”.

Responding to the recent comments   Managing Director of Transparency , Cobus de Swardt, International said: “There is no doubt that historically, Nigeria and Afghanistan have had very high levels of corruption, and that continues to this day.  But the leaders of those countries have sent strong signals that they want things to change, and the London Anti-Corruption Summit creates an opportunity for all the countries present to sign up to a new era.  This affects the UK as much as other countries: we should not forget that by providing a safe haven for corrupt assets, the UK and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are a big part of the world’s corruption problem.”

Transparency International  has also  warned that without real global cooperation and a deep sense of urgency on the need to fight corruption, the UK Anti-Corruption Summit will be just another talk shop with little impact.

The Panama Papers and Transparency International UK’s research on the billions of potentially corrupt capital invested in London property are the most recent indicators of the scale of the global problem and the need for global cooperation to tackle it.

“Fighting corruption is the first step to reducing inequality, safeguarding human rights, ending poverty and stopping those who act with impunity. It’s not an easy task, but it is not something world leaders can afford to ignore,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

“We want leaders to prevent corruption, punish the corrupt and protect those bold enough to speak out. We hope that world leaders will listen closely to the recommendations of civil society when deciding a way forward. Civil society represents the voice of the people, people who suffer the pain and indignity of corruption on a daily basis.”

“The UK Anti-Corruption Summit is too big an opportunity to waste. An ambitious and specific agreement on ending secrecy in the financial system, finding ways to stop the enablers of corruption and creating a safe environment for whistleblowers must be a priority for world leaders at this week’s meeting,” Ugaz added

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