Jurist calls for effective monitoring of govt budget, expenditure to effectively fight corruption.

From Cyril Mbah Abuja.

A retired Chief Justice of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Mwada Balami has suggested intensive and sustained monitoring of federal, state, local government budgeting and expenditure processes to curb rising corruption in the country.

Justice Balami also called for complete overhaul of the federal, state and local government public service system pointing out that civil servants are the foundation and invisible fuel that inflame and lead politicians into corruption.

In an exclusive interview in Gwagwalada, Abuja, the retired jurist explained that many civil servants take undue advantage of political office holders and lead them into corruption through bogus bills and payment vouchers.

Justice Balami called for thorough probe of old but serving civil servants who refuse to retire stating that such personnel are the funnels of corruption that are usually shielded by civil service laws even when politicians are prosecuted for misconduct.

“Politicians do not know how to steal. It is the civil servants that teach and lure politicians into stealing or how to engage in corruption. Eventually, the civil servants are spared while the politicians are prosecuted or disgraced out of office. We can still remember ex-Minister Betty Edu of the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry. If we investigate the case thoroughly, it will be seen that some civil servants misled her but what happened to them? Nothing. So, government should start it’s corruption war with the civil servants for it to be effective.

“Mr. President is doing well but let him focus on these civil servants. The man just can into office without knowing the intricacies of government. Let him reshuffle the civil services and set up ombudsmen to monitor government allocation and expenses at all levels for effective check on government expenditures and hold accountable those who fail to account properly for budget allocations,” he stated