Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

•Itse Sagay: heads advisory panel on corruption

In a major move to actualise one of the cardinal promises of his administration, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday set up a seven man Presidential Advisory Committee against corruption.

Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on media and publicity to the President said in a statement that the Advisory Committee will be headed by Professor Itse Sagay, a prominent professor of law and civil rights activist.

“The Committee’s brief is to advise the present administration on the prosecution of the war against corruption and the implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice system,” Adesina said in the statement.

According to him, other members of the Committee which is also expected to develop comprehensive interventions for achieving recommended reforms are:Prof. Femi Odekunle, a Professor of Criminology, Ahmadu Bello University, Dr. (Mrs) Benedicta Daudu. Associate Professor of International Law, University of Jos and Prof. E. Alemika, a Professor of Sociology, University of Jos.
The others are Professor Sadiq Radda, a Professor of Criminology, Bayero University, Kano, Hadiza Bala Usman, a Civil Society Activist and Professor Bolaji Owasanoye of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies who will serve as the Executive Secretary of the Committee.

Adesina also announced in the statement that in support of the Federal Government’s efforts, an Anti-Corruption and Criminal Justice Reform Fund has been established by three international development partners namely the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and Open Society Foundation.

According to him, the $5 million fund is to assist implementation of key components of the Action Plan and the work of the Presidential Advisory Committee.

He added that the fund will be managed by Trust Africa, an international development Civil Society Organisation with programme presence in more than 25 African countries.