VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUJA #0484/01 0721356
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121356Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2321
INFO RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 8920

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