Foundation urges FG to deploy technology in fighting corruption

Mr Frank Ijege, the Executive Director (ED), Bridges and Hands Foundation, Kaduna, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to adopt technology-based solution to win the fight against corruption.

Making the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna, Ijege described technology as the “key” to ensuring success in the anti-corruption war in the country.

He said that the current fight against corruption was recording minimal result because of the insufficient use of technology that would have ensured maximum result.

According to him, corruption has continued to thrive in the country because of too much human involvement in the tracking, arrest and prosecution of corrupt individuals.

“But technology ensure little interface or connection with humans who have a high tendency to be corrupt or might be influenced to indulge in corrupt practices.

“Therefore, the federal government must ensure that there is minimal interface between man and cash by going completely cashless. This will help in making all financial transaction easily traceable.

“The country also needs to digitise the civil service because a lot of paperwork is still ongoing in the civil service, making it a fertile ground for corruption to breed and thrive.

“We need to work on that.”

The ED also said that the country lacked harmonised data base of all Nigerians, who they are, where they live and what they do.

He however noted the efforts of the National Identity Management Commission, Sim Card registration by telecommunication companies and the Bank Verification Number.

He pointed out that the data were still fragmented, stressing the need for the federal government to develop a reliable data base to easily identify and locate corrupt individuals.

“The government also need to develop a mobile application that citizens will use to report corrupt practices in their locality.

“There is also the need to install surveillance cameras in all places of work to monitor and identify corrupt individuals in workplaces.

“I am very confident that technology will ensure maximum result with little human input,” he said.

He commended the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) for mobilisation of Community-Based Organisations and grassroots Civil Society Organisations on whistle blowing as a tool for strengthening the fight against corruption.

He noted that community members have a stake in monitoring government projects and reporting abandoned projects or abuse of office by political leaders, using the whistleblowing mechanism.

He, however, said that citizens engagement in the fight against corruption would be more robust with the aid of technology, such as mobile application and other e-solution platforms.

“So, while civil society organisations are creating the needed awareness on the ills of corruption and the need for all to join the fight, the federal government should deploy technology to fast track successes,” he said.