The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has called on anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria to support the implementation of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s new Strategic Vision for Nigeria 2030.
Malami spoke when he received the UNODC’s Representative in Nigeria, Dr Oliver Stolpe, who represented the Executive Director UNODC, Ms Ghada Waly, in Abuja yesterday.
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He commended UNODC’s work in strengthening and promoting justice and the rule of law in Nigeria in the areas of anti-corruption (Asset Recovery and International Cooperation); counter-terrorism (Complex Case Group), maritime crime group, transnational organized crime, deployment of liaison magistrate to Europe to help develop a human rights-based response to smuggling of migrants (with support from UNOOC), and Presidential Committee on Correctional Service Reforms and Decongestion.
“Nigeria also welcomes the thematic five priority areas of the strategic vision which has been identified to enhancing the criminal justice system with a view to upholding the rule of law, ensure access to justice and protecting victims of crime; safeguarding people, institutions and economies from corruption, illicit financial flows and money laundering; securing the safety of people from terrorism and violent extremism; protecting people, the economy and the environment against organized crime; and promoting people’s health through drug and HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care,” Malami said.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN), said the launch of the UNODC Strategic Vision for Nigeria 2030 came at the time of the SDGs and Nigeria’s aspiration for the realisation of the 17 SDGs and its 169 targets, adding that corruption and illicit financial flows were threatening Africa and Nigeria’s ability to realise the SDGs.
In her remarks, Waly said the vision was introduced as part of the response to drugs, crime, corruption, and terrorism in Africa.
