By Musa Adamu
Abuja
The Transparency International (TI) has linked insecurity in the country to pervasive corruption currently being uncovered by the present administration in defence.
The organisation, in its recent report, declared that the Nigerian Army’s fight against Boko Haram was strongly undermined by the very high risk of defence corruption.
It stated in London, on Tuesday, that the systemic weaknesses in Nigerian defence’s anti-corruption systems must be addressed to fight Boko Haram.
“Nigerians defence institutions are ranked “E” meaning they are at a “very high risk” of corruption,” it said.
According to the transparency watchdog, its findings show that parliamentarians fail to exercise their oversight of defence and security policy, defence budgets lack transparency despite making up for 20% of the national budget and soldiers fail to receive the necessary equipment to adequately fight Boko Haram as military hardware procurement was not scrutinised on grounds of national security.
“This has undermined efforts to combat the growing threat of Boko Haram.”
According to the Director of TI’s Defence and Security Programme, Katherine Dixon, the report, however, highlights that the defence corruption problems Nigeria faces today are systemic.
She said: “In very few places globally is the dangerous correlation between corruption and insecurity as stark as it is in Nigeria. Gaping holes in military budgets, down to a lack of oversight and transparency, are contributing to a rise in support of extremism, and crucially disabling the fight against it.”
She, however, said positive steps had been taken by President Muhammadu Buhari to address corruption, including the arrest of former defence officials.
