Forum laments corruption level, wants immunity clause removed from constitution Wednesday, 24 December 2014 05:43 Written by Charles Akpeji, Jalingo PARTICIPANTS at a one-day town hall meeting on Good Governance held in Taraba State have identified low participation by the citizens in governance as the major reason for the high level of corruption in the country. They called for removal of the immunity clause from the constitution to enable the citizens hold their leaders accountable. The workshop which was yesterday organized by the Center for Peace, Education and Community Development (CEPEACECODE) brought participants from all walks of life to the multipurpose hall of the state chapter of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Jalingo, the capital. Supported by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy (CISLAC) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), avid participation in governance, participants believed would go a long way in checkmating corruption in the nooks and crannies of the country. In a statement made available to newsmen in the state by the National Coordinator of CEPEACECODE, Joseph Gimba, the forum stressed the need for immediate removal of the immunity clause from the constitution, as it, according to them, would compel those in position of authority to eschew corrupt practices. They were also of the view that “most political appointees and those vying for offices lack prerequisite skills and knowledge in political governance.” Most disturbing to the participants was what they described as negative attitude of civil servants who, according to them, “are guilty of misdirecting politicians on governance.” The workshop noted that “good governance is hampered by budget deficit. Overhead cost takes a chunk of the state budget, citizen’s participation in policy decision making is key in ensuring good governance.” While asserting that membership of a political party is a vital step in participation in policy decis
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 11:11:45 +0000