Bukola Afeni
Stakeholders in the Defence and Security sector has called for strengthening of the recruitment process into the Defence and Security sector.
They said it will prevent infiltration of unscrupulous elements for better performance, management and overall efficiency.
The group made the disclosure at the end of a two day Defence and Security anti corruption training for CSOs organized by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre(CISLAC), (CISLAC -Ti), and Defence and Security Prpgram in Lagos State.
According to them, it is important to strengthen oversight activities across corruption-porous components of Defence and Security, like political, financial, personnel, operational and procurement spheres to prevent mismanagement and sabotage occasioned by entrenched interest.
The stakeholders also noted that defence corruption is motivated by high value contracts, secrecy, political connections, and technicalities.
“External oversight of the Defence and Security procurement is a critical and collective responsibility of the National Assembly, Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, Civil Society and the media”.
The participants further called for continuous civil Society advocacy to strengthen oversight activities in the Defence and Security sector for enhanced operational efficiency.
“We need immediate amendment to the relevant provisions in Freedom of Information Act including Section 11(1), to remove contradictory provisions hampering civilian oversight of the Defence and Security sector, while enhancing transparency and accountability in procurement process.
“We also need to maintain a balanced-journalism of Defence and Security reporting to prevent consequences of conflict insensitivity and over-sensationalism”, the group added.
