The Stop Impunity in Nigeria (SIN) campaign, a multistakeholder project to check impunity in the country, yesterday in Lagos launched a documentary highlighting the manifestation of impunity in various sectors of the society and its debilitating effect on the country's social, political and economic development.
In his welcome remark at the media event held in Yaba, campaign Coordinator, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, of Human Development Initiatives, HDI, described impunity as 'a malady more widespread and more dangerous than corruption or any of the modern vices put together.'
He said: "Indeed, impunity fuels other vices and diminishes the capacity of the state to govern because it promotes the delusion of immunity from sanction according to law."
Owasanoye continued: "Available research evidence shows that a country's development is directly linked with respect for the rule of law and the absence of impunity. There is direct correlation between the rule of law and a country's ranking in poverty index, corruption perception index, justice administration, health and education rankings, attraction of foreign direct investments, citizen welfare and social security."
Presenting the documentary, which was also simultaneously launched online, the Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, told journalists that it was part of the campaign's efforts aimed at explaining the concept of impunity.
National Mirror