The Chief Executive Officer of Dankawu Universal Services Limited Arc. Abdulrahman Mustapha, on Saturday said the mitigation of money laundering will foster development and eliminate harm done to society especially residents across Jigawa Local Government Councils.
Mustapha made this disclosure during a one-day training for Local Government Council chairmen, treasurers and relevant officials on accountable governance and anti-money laundering measures in Jigawa State.
The workshop was organised by Dankawu Universal Services Limited in collaboration with Jigawa State Ministry of Local Government Dutse.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that its held at Green Desert Hotel, Airport Road, Kano State.
While welcoming participants to the training workshop, Mustapha said is
essentially aimed at equipping critical officers and stakeholders of the 27
Local Government Councils in Jigawa State with skills and tools for effective
and accountable governance as well as strategies for detecting and or
preventing anti-money laundering in the state to ensure service delivery for
the people.
According to him, the training is a sequel to the successful election and inauguration of new Local
Government Councils in the state, stressing the need to ensure effective and accountable governance driven by sound Public Financial Management
cannot be overemphasised.
He said, “It is against this backdrop that the Jigawa State Government found it necessary to engage our company to organise this one-day training and workshop. I am happy to state that today, with the help of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other institutions of government, there are thousands of investigations, prosecutions and convictions every year and several officials of government at all tiers of government are affected.
“Stopping money laundering reduces the harm caused to people and society
by crime and terrorism, it protects the financial system, attracts investment,
promotes economic prosperity and it enables sustainable growth and development
“Ladies and gentlemen, an open, timely dialogue like this one will help Jigawa
State navigate and accelerate the Anti money laundering journey in a prudent
and effective manner. We must collectively ensure that the LGCs lead the way on innovation in AML work, delivering higher levels of effectiveness and
better outcomes to safeguard our financial systems from being abused for
illicit fund flows and to protect the councils from financial losses. I look
forward to further insights and fruitful discussions in the remaining part of
the programme.”
A facilitator, Dr Sabiu Zakari, from the Department of Sociology, Bayero University, Kano who presented on ‘The psychological effects of corruption to government officials’, noted that corruption has significant psychological effects both on individual and the society in general.
He added, “Cognitive Dissonance Government officials Corruption among Government officials in Nigeria has significant psychological effects both on individual and the society in general.
“Government officials engaging in corruptions or corrupt practices may experience cognitive dissonance, whether their actions conflicted with societal norms and values and personal morals.”
Zakari harped on the need to promote transparency, accountability and empower communities to hold those in authority accountable through mechanisms like public audits and oversight committees can deter corruption and ensure resources.
He noted that investing in education is key specially sensitising the community on the dangers of the negative impacts of corruption, “empowering them to report incidences of corruption and be active partners engaging in corruptions or corrupt practices,” Zakari added.
On her part, Barrister Amina Sulaiman, Senior Partner, Rightfield Attorneys, Senior Legal Empowerment Officer, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, during her session harped on ‘Legal implication of corruption and money laundering of public officers: overview of offences and punishment’.
According to her, the ever-dynamic forms of corruption involving financial crimes have elicited a hard stance and posture in battling money laundering and other related financial crimes, adding that there is now a trend towards symbiotic and collective legal cooperation among various Ministries, Department and Agencies to exercise to due process of law in its relationship.
She said, “The reason for this development is not farfetched it is negatively affected by the odium occasioned by this pervasive problem. Recently there have been efforts by Nigeria to enact laws aimed at ensuring that public officers, wherever they may be, do not contribute to an already escalated crime of financial crimes.”
