Ester Mbathera
Namibia is reviewing a proposal from Nigeria to train officers involved in anti-corruption activities.
The acting executive director of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO), Ambassador Jerobeam Shaanika, confirmed this on Tuesday to the Windhoek Observer.
“The specific areas of expertise will be agreed upon by the relevant institutions during the negotiations of the agreement,” he said.
Shaanika stated that the Office of the Attorney General scrutinises all agreements and memoranda of agreement before seeking final approval from the Cabinet.
The offer, extended by Nigeria’s Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), was discussed during a meeting on 11 October between Dr. Aliyu Musa Adamu, Chairman of ICPC, and Namibian Ambassador to that country, Humphrey Geiseb.
Shaanika reports that Geiseb welcomed the offer to train Namibian anti-corruption officers at the ICPC training school in Keffi, Nigeria.
“He said he would bring it to the attention of the relevant institutions for consideration,” said Shaanika.
Shaanika explained that the specific areas of expertise and training will be finalised through further discussions between the institutions.
According to him, Namibia and Nigeria share a long history that is laid on a firm foundation dating back to the years of Namibia’s struggle for independence.
Shaanika said the appointment of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari as the African Union’s anti-corruption champion underscores Nigeria’s leadership role.
“This appointment is indicative of the stature of the former head of state and the commitment from Africa’s largest nation in terms of population and economy to fight corruption,” Shaanika said.
The Afrobarometer’s findings released in July show Namibians are highly negative about the levels of corruption in the country.
According to the study, two-thirds of Namibians say corruption in the country is getting worse, although this share has decreased significantly in recent years, a new Afrobarometer survey indicates.
“Large majorities believe that at least “some” representatives and officials in government, civil society, and business are involved in corruption. Most citizens say the government is doing a poor job of fighting graft and that ordinary people risk retaliation if they speak out,” reads the report.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has on several occasions reiterated that Namibia lacks the will to implement the anti-corruption laws.
The Whistleblower Protection Act and the Witness Protection Act, which are crucial to eradicating corruption in the country, have not been implemented yet.
