The Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor said Civil Society Organizations are ready to deepen effort to sustain government initiative to tackle corruption.
Ugolor who noted this at a mid- term review meeting on “ Enhancing Anti-corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiative in Nigeria“ on Monday in Abuja explained that the Strengthening Civil Advocacy and Local Engagement (SCALE) project being implemented by ANEEJ and eight partners is a 5-year project being implemented by Palladium and its resource partners with funds from United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ugolor said that such assistance from CSOs to sustain government initiatives would improve integrity of the Nigeria among the comity of nations.
He said the 5-year project was to promote and engage in anti-corruption policy reforms in Abia, Edo, Delta, Imo, Ondo, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
According to him, project is also designed to address reform issues within the interventionist agencies set up to develop the Niger Delta region by both the Federal and State governments such as Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He further said that the project would contribute to the eradication of corruption in Nigeria by addressing poverty and inequality among Nigerian people.
He also said the cluster was leading an online campaign against vote buying to mainstream anti- corruption into the upcoming 2023 general elections.
Also, ANEEJ Project Manager, Mr Innocent Edemhanria, said ANEEJ together with other eight cluster members commenced the implementation of the project in February 2022.
He further said the project had implemented several activities to include- baseline research, capacity-building workshops for CSOs, media, private sector, PWDs and host community groups on several issues.