• Buhari, Kogi gov, others bag award
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARDI), a non-governmental organisation has concluded plans to hold a colloquium on the progress made so far in the federal government’s anti-corruption crusade.
The event, which is scheduled to take place in May this year, will feature the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, who will deliver lecture on the topic ‘The Role of the Media in the Fight Against Corruption’.
Also the group is partnering the secretariat of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multi-stakeholders initiative that focuses on improving government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to citizens through technology and innovation, which will give a score card of its operations in the country.
As part of efforts to encourage the fight against corruption, the group has therefore nominated President Muhammadu Buhari and the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello,  for an award in recognition of their achievement in government.
The group said the awards are in the categories of ‘Best Civil Service Reform’ and ‘Best Security State’ respectively.
President Muhammadu Buhari was nominated for an award as the ‘Best anti-corruption fighting president’ in the upcoming maiden annual event of ARDI.
Bello was nominated for two awards in recognition for his bold step and determination to rid the state civil service of its age-long monumental corruption through the state government’s verification exercise in the civil service which has so far revealed over 1,500 certificate forgers and over 5,000 other corruption cases, a situation that was gulping over 85 percent of the state total revenue before now.
A statement issued by the Executive Director of ARDI, Denis Aghanya, said recipients of the awards would be decorated onMay 25 at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja.
According to the statement, there will a lecture on the ‘Role of the Media in the Fight against Corruption’ would be delivered by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is nominated for an award of ‘Outstanding governor of the year in curtailing drug abuse’; Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, as ‘Prudent manager of state resources governor of the year’; Senator Abu Ibrahim will be awarded as the ‘Anti-graft fighting senator of the year, while the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, as ‘Anti-Corruption Man of the Year’.
