Convener/National Coordinator of Social Rehabilitation Gruppe (SRG) Dr Charles Marindoti Oludare, has called for more stronger anti-corruption measures against public office holders alleged of corrupt practices.
The socio-political affairs analyst who made this call stressed the need for Nigeria to hold those at the highest echelons of executive power and law enforcement more accountable to counter an overwhelming public perception of widespread corruption.
Speaking in light of the rampant fraud within the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry, while featuring on TVC programme, Oludare urged the President and the National Assembly to empower the anti corruption agencies to be able to freeze assets of public officials under investigation or indictment for corruption.
According to him, this will help to prevent access to ill-gotten gains and would significantly weaken the ability of corrupt officials to resist legal proceedings and would serve as a potent deterrent against the misuse of public funds.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for his decisive action in suspendong the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu who was embroiled in a scandal involving N585m.
Oludare said President had shown his determination to fight corruption by not paying lips service but by dealing with the erring politicians involved in corrupt practices.
He however proposed a significant overhaul of Nigeria’s welfare system, suggesting that replacing the current “Baller Cash” distribution with a more regulated and efficient system, the BOLA card – an acronym for Bridge Outreach for Living Assistance.
“This is similar to the WIC program in the United States, the BOLA card would be restricted to purchasing food items, aiming to curb misuse.
“Food sellers would be required to use card readers that capture data about transactions, ensuring transparency and accountability”
Oludare also said there is need to address the irregularities observed in the distribution of economic palliative rice and other food materials since the COVID-19 pandemic, nothing that the materials ended up with political followers rather than those in need, exacerbating inequality and corruption.
To rectify this, he recommended that the food aid be provided directly to food sellers, who would then distribute it to citizens via the BOLA card system.
He further suggested strict penalties for any discrepancies in the distribution, proposing fines double the market value of any unaccounted items.
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