Poverty Causes Corruption – D-G, Budget Office

The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), Alhaji Tijani Abdullahi, has identified lack of virile welfare package, unemployment and weak oversight mechanisms as some of the causes of corruption in the country.

Alhaji Abdullahi made this observation at a sensitization workshop organised by the Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Unit {ACTU) of BOF for the Directorate Cadre of the organisation in Abuja recently.

According to the D-G, corruption is a social vice and the fight against it should be embraced by all staff of BOF, adding that “If we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us”. He also said that corruption could not be effectively fought without addressing its root causes and hoped that with the efforts of ACTUs in MDAs, it would be eventually eradicated.

In his welcome address, the Head of ACTU,  Mr. Ageda Albeto revealed that the workshop was the first of its kind in the year, especially for the Directorate Cadre, adding that the effects of corruption were far- reaching and could destroy the very existence of an organisation or society. According to him, “Corruption comes in various forms, and to curb or eradicate it, there is need for preventive strategies”.

Albeto also noted that the battle against corruption could only be won through the tackling of its causes. He urged the participants to empower themselves by discovering their hidden talents, exposing and opposing corrupt acts courageously with the fear of God always.

Two key officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences  Commission, the Head, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) Mr. Akeem Lawal and Mr. Justin Kuatsea, also of CMED delivered sensitisation papers on ethics and related issues.

Speaking on the importance of Ethics, Compliance and Integrity  in the Workplace, Lawal said “Corruption…thrives in an environment where institutional rules, procedures, sanction and reward system, and the general regulatory compliance are deliberately compromised to serve private advantage by those who have the responsibility to do otherwise”, adding that “we must maintain, promote and enforce integrity always”.