Nigeria on Monday criticised Transparency International (TI) following the release of the 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index report which ranked it among the world’s most corrupt nations.

Nigeria was ranked 146th out of 180 countries with a score of 26 out of 100 making it the second most corrupt nation in the West African region.

Through the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian government faulted TI for not taking into account measures it had taken to curb the vice.

“The ICPC hereby states categorically that the report is unfair and untenable as Transparency International has consistently failed to recognise the efforts of the government to tame corruption,” a statement from the ICPC read in part.

The ICPC cited an increasing number of cases filed in court and jail terms secured in several convictions against people accused of corruption, including VIPs.

The ICPC also accused TI of ignoring a number of prevention measures put in place to tackle corruption.

“The reality is that government has put in place several mechanisms to ensure transparency in the management of its financial affairs. The IPPIS, GIFMIS, TSA and more recently the portal opentreasury.gov.ng are examples in point.”

The ICPC said it had recently released a report which gave a number of initiatives on corruption prevention including the withholding of billions of Naira from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) which were at risk of misappropriation.

The ICPC said that Nigeria currently led Africa in asset recovery from proceeds of corruption and had improved in its rating on open government standards.

The ICPC acknowledged that work remains to be done to reduce the spread of corruption in the country but added that Nigeria has made progress and President Muhammadu Buhari retains the backing of a majority of Nigerians.

“No doubt we are not yet where we ought to be, but we have not been stationary either. The country has moved well away from where it was a number of years back in terms of enforcement, prevention and citizen engagement against corruption.”

Source: Federal Government of Nigeria