The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre, has announced plans to organize protests at the offices of two anti-graft agencies in Lagos.
The purpose of the protest, according to it, is to remind the agencies of their responsibilities and wake rhem up to their core mandate to investigate corruption cases as assigned by law without reservations.
In a statement by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the body emphasised the urgency for Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies to rise to their responsibilities and take immediate action in investigating alleged corruption cases, particularly those involving high-profile individuals and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).
HEDA had previously made public a compendium titled: “Impunity Galore: A Chronicle of Some Unresolved High-Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria from 1999 – 2022.”
The compendium highlighted cases of national importance that have been ignored or poorly investigated by the anti-graft agencies and the National Assembly Ad-hoc and Joint Committees responsible for investigating corruption allegations.
According to the CSO, the cases involve a staggering amount of over $825 billion.
HEDA noted that it is a fact that if these funds had been utilised judiciously, Nigeria could have made significant progress towards becoming a developed nation with modern infrastructure, social support systems, and improved living conditions for the citizenry.
HEDA stated that it has therefore, decided to organize the protests towards drawing attention to the unresolved corruption cases, demanding immediate attention.
The group noted that “this proactive approach is essential in curbing corruption and restoring public trust in the fight against corruption.
“The protest, in response to the alarming number of uninvestigated corruption cases in Nigeria, will serve as a powerful call to action, urging the anti-graft agencies to promptly address the numerous allegations of corruption that have been reported within their jurisdiction, they noted.
HEDA asked EFCC and ICPC to immediately take steps to prosecute those involved in the alleged corrupt practices.
The protests, it noted, will commence at the EFCC zonal office in Lagos and subsequently move to the ICPC office at their Lagos Zonal offices, respectively.
Several other Nigerians including Fidelis Uzonwanne, George Oboh and Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, have drawn attention to several corruption cases, accusing the anti-graft agencies of looking the other way or doing a shoddy job even when they provided needed facts and documents.
