The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has recently intervened into the Code of Conduct Tribunal's fight against corruption in the 2013 EU Project work plan.
The UNODC Country Director, Mariam Sissoko made this known in Abuja when she visited the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakub Umar in his office to formalize the signing of a compact agreement between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Mariam Sissoko listed the intervention programme for 2013 between UNODC and the Code of Conduct Tribunal as comprising the provision of one Hilux Jeep and deployment of legal software and hardwares to facilitate e-library researches. The Country Director added that her organization is not to substitute the Government in its responsibilities to the tribunal but rather to collaborate in fighting corruption along with other sister agencies in the pursuit.
She decried that virtually the entire anti-graft agencies in the country have similar budgetary constraints, which she noted impacts on the efficiency of the institutions. The Country Director of UNODC advocated for collaboration between the anti- corruption agencies and donor agencies to brainstorm on the best ways to address issues relating to budgeting and mandates duplication.
In his response to the address, the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Yakubu Umar expressed delight for UNODC's resolve to partner with the Code of Conduct Tribunal. He promised to make optimal utilization of the facilities provided through the intervention efforts for the purpose which they were meant. The Chairman added that the tribunal is the only institution that handles the trial of corruption cases involving public officers throughout the country.
Danladi Umar appealed to donor agencies to assist the tribunal over the daunting responsibilities faced by it with scanty budgetary provision to cater to them. "If nothing is done, it may crash the system,' he said.
The tribunal, he averred is desirous of assistance in the areas of logistics, Information Technology and capacity building for its workforce to enable it efficiently adjudicate cases before it.
The Director of Legal Duties in the tribunal, AbdulMalik Shuaibu expressed appreciation to UNODC for achieving these feats with the Code of Conduct Tribunal; saying it was the first time that such a momentous stride was gained since the establishment of the tribunal. He expressed hope that the effort would mark the beginning of more mutual engagements between the two institutions.