Ali M. Ali
17 September 2008
Abuja — Responsible leadership and good governance and not only good policies and strategies are the key to a successful battle against corruption, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, former President of Mozambique, has said.
This coincided with the position of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Mrs Farida Waziri, to the effect that there are no sacred cows in the effort to rid the country of the cankerworm.
Deliverng a keynote address on the occasion of the 7th International Seminar on Economic and Financial Crimes yesterday, the former Mozambican leader who won the maiden Mo Ibrahim $5million prize award for good leadership in Africa, noted that corruption thrives in the Continent because African leaders promoted exclusiveness in the national economic process.
"Africa needs leaders who promote inclusiveness in the national economic process, good corporate ethics as well as enforcement in accordance with the rule of law of internationally accepted relevant codes and standards", he said.
Chissano, who said the "rule of law is not a readymade suit" also stressed that the country was able to institutionalise reforms without "those sophisticated manuals on how to combat corruption."
He mentioned some of the anti-corruption strategies adopted by the government as development of a culture of transparency, improvement of the efficiency of the judiciary, strengthening of the public financial system among others.
Speaking earlier, the head of the graft agency said that "the coming months and years will be tough against the corrupt officials".
The EFCC boss also hinted that there will be "absolutely no sacred cows" in the fight against corruption.
"Political allies and associates will be targets just as those in the opposition. Once politics is allowed to have a say in the war, that will be the beginning of an end to the war. I am happy that Mr. President has times without number unequivocally reiterated his zero tolerance for corruption," Mrs. Waziri said.
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