In a bid to curb the menace of corruption in Nigeria, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has created an enabling platform for citizens to report and demand justice for all acts and perpetuation of corruption towards them on a daily basis.
CISLAC made this known during the launch of the Advocacy Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) and its Sensitization for Communities held at Golf View Hotel, in Lagos recently.
According to CISLAC the ALAC South West Desk will be operated by its partner, Arise Nigerian Woman Foundation in Lagos State. The ALAC Program Manager, Mr. Kola Banwo in his address stated clearly why ALAC is launched,
“The ALAC is a Civil Society led platform for receiving reports about corruption and is escalated to relevant anti-corruption agencies so they can be addressed. There is a toll free line 09073416656 which those who are either witnesses or victims of what we call petty corruption can report such cases. Examples of cases to be reported on the toll line includes admission fee paid for free hospital beds in the government hospital, or any other issues of corruption that affects their daily lives”.
“Citizens can file this report to us through the various ALAC platforms and what ALAC does is to take the reports and escalate it to the relevant agencies, if it is a ministry department or agency, they will use their internal disciplinary processes to discipline the erring staff, and if it is a real major corruption issue, then the ICPC, EFCC can also be involved. ALAC follows the case up and ensure t give the citizen’s feedback, that way they know that corruption is being fought and somebody cares about them”. “We believe this is the only way we can get citizens to believe that government is indeed fighting corruption and be empowered to play their role so that we all can fight corruption together’.
“ALAC has its central office in Abuja in Cislac’s office, and receives call from all over Nigeria, but due to the distance, it became a necessity that ALAC Centre is closer to the people. “ALAC aspires to cover all 36 states but at the moment working towards a coverage of the geo-political zones, at having 3 ALAC desks run by our partners- presently in Lagos, Asaba and Kano, whereby for the South West it is based in Lagos, and the North West is based in Kano, and for the South South, is based in Asaba, Delta State. We believe local cases that requires the attention of the EFCC, will be best addressed 1ST at its state level offices, so that whoever is involved can easily reach their offices and get their cases addressed,”
The founder of the Arise Nigerian Woman Foundation, Ms Abimbola Junaid in her welcome remarks urged Nigerians to curb the menace of corruption which has eaten deep into the fabric of the country.
Represented by ALAC Desk Officer, Miss. Basirat Balogun, Ms. Junaid urged Nigerians to desist from the habit of tolerating corruption, and so also did the Coordinator, National Human Right Commission South West Zone, Lucas Koyejo who graced the event, charge all Nigerians to fight against the menace.
However, Co-host of Your View on TVC and CEO Oluwaloninyo Media and Events, Madam, Olajumoke Alawode-James accused Nigerians of indecision in the fight against corruption, according to her,
“As Nigerians we have to first decide if we want corruption to end or not. Why I say so is that, if it is my brother who is in Government or in a position, I then believe that’s why it is not my right to share of the National cake? And therefore it’s no longer corruption once it’s my friend or brother that is in position. But once I am a victim of corruption then I start to scream, ‘Nigeria is corrupt”.
The corrupt people are not from Ghana neither are they from Heaven, Nigerians, it’s our brothers and sisters who will demand for bribe to do the work that they are paid for. From the security man who is supposed to open the gate, that’ it is his work but once he opens the gate , he believes that he ought to get something , until we all decided as a collective people and start to say ‘I am not going to bribe anyone’, though it would be difficult, though it would take time, when one person is arrested, it’s not a witch hunt and we need to use the ALAC desk and continually report such cases then can we start to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
The Toll line for all South West Citizens to reach the Lagos ALAC DESK for reporting all cases of daily corruption encountered by the citizenry is 09073416656.
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