THE INTERNATIONAL ANTICORRUPTION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ACT

UNCLAS ABUJA 000484 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/C/CP (DKOHN) (DLUNA),INL/C (RGIFFORD),INL/P (CSHARRIS),INL/AAE (ECARROLL) (JLYLE),AF/W ASILSKI),AF/EPS (CERTEL),H (MSMITH) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCOR KCRM SNAR NI IZ SUBJECT: THE INTERNATIONAL ANTICORRUPTION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ACT (IAGGA) AND RELATED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS REF: STATE 18836 ¶1. (U) Mission Nigeria provides the following in response to reftel. ¶2. (U) Host country efforts to combat corruption and improve transparency/acountability in 2006/2007: Former President Olusegun Obasanjo initiated a broad agenda to tackle corruption, including enforcement of existing anticorruption legislation, passage of fiscal transparency and public procurement legislation and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) bill, and civil service reform. These initiatives led to the arrest, prosecution and/or conviction of several high ranking public officials including State Governors, an Inspector General of Police, and a Senate President who was eventually impeached. President Musa Umaru Yar'Adua, who assumed office in May 2007, vowed to build on the reform legacy of the previous administration. Yar'Adua set the tone for his administration by voluntarily declaring his assets and by consistent public reference to the importance of the rule of law. However, the sudden transfer of the very active Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),plans to merge the EFCC with the less effective Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB),and the failure to sign the Freedom of Information bill passed under the previous administration raise questions about the administration's commitment to anticorruption efforts. In 2007, the GON established a Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption (headed by a former recipient of USG anti-corruption and good governance training) to coordinate all GON anti-corruption efforts in order to ensure effective partnership and coalition building among governmental watchdog agencies. Commitment to and progress in anticorruption reform is generally much less evident at state and local levels and varies significantly from state to state. Some states have recently begun to improve budget processes and public expenditure management but progress in other key areas is less apparent. ¶3. (U) USG funded programs/initiatives and diplomatic effort to combat corruption and improve transparency/accountability in 2006/2007: Training assistance has helped EFCC and ICPC prosecutors and investigators to develop their capacity to combat corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing. Since 2004, the USG has also facilitated the training of EFCC personnel in cybercrime and criminal investigations. Despite its successes, there are allegations that the EFCC has been used in the past to intimidate political opponents, many believe that its work to reduce corruption, targeting politicians and businessmen, caused this outcry. Since May 2005, the USG has provided an Intermittent Legal Advisor (ILA) to the ICPC. 4 (U) During the reporting period, the USG continued to implement several projects as part of the G-8 transparency and anticorruption compact with Nigeria. Work with the Office of the Accountant General to institutionalize the Transaction Recording and Reporting System continues as the system is deployed to the zonal level to strengthen budget and payroll oversight and audit capabilities. In addition to assisting the EFCC, the USG also assists the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) as both continue to provide the EFCC with data necessary to pursue corruption cases. Officers from ICPC, EFCC, and SCUML attended USG-funded criminal investigative and financial forensics courses at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Gaborone, Botswana. ¶5. (U) The USG worked closely with civil society during the reporting period to promote accountability and transparency in key institutions, most importantly the national legislature. Over the past three years, USAID support through the National Democratic Institute (NDI) helped to establish an independent, bicameral, non-partisan, and highly professional National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO),enabling it to carry out its oversight responsibilities and enhance citizens' input in the budget process. In FY 2007 almost 500 government officials, including both elected members and permanent staff of the National Assembly, received USG-funded training on budget best practice and broader anti-corruption agendas. ¶6. (U) In FY 07, USG support focused on increasing effective advocacy for key policy reforms, strengthening civil society - government partnerships to fight corruption, and building program and financial management capacity of 21 civil society organizations (CSOs),focusing on national membership organizations, coalitions, and professional groups. Particular efforts were made to engage historically marginalized groups, including people living with disabilities, women, and Muslim faith-based organizations. The CSOs successfully conducted 152 anticorruption advocacy campaigns, increased civil society oversight capacity in monitoring oil and mineral revenues, and broadened civic participation in the democratic process. Jointly organized National Budget forums provided opportunities for CSOs to demand accountability from government, with government demonstrating increased willingness to respond to these demands. USAID extended budget advocacy support to CSOs in four Nigerian states for engagement with sub-national governments on budgetary issues in specific sectors. Sanders