KatsinaTimes
The Chief Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Hon. Bashir Abubakar, MFR, has called for a rights-based approach in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, urging stakeholders to place human dignity at the heart of the campaign against graft.
Speaking during the 2025 African Anti-Corruption Day celebration in Abuja, Hon. Abubakar emphasized that corruption should not only be viewed as an economic crime but also as a serious violation of citizens’ rights and dignity.
"The fight against corruption must go beyond recovering stolen funds or punishing offenders," he said. "It must be built on systems that protect fairness, equity, and administrative accountability."
This year’s event, themed “Promoting Human Dignity in the Fight Against Corruption”, brought together representatives from international organizations, government agencies, and civil society under the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT), to reaffirm their commitment to people-centred governance.
Abubakar highlighted the PCC’s critical role as Nigeria’s ombudsman in tackling maladministration, bureaucratic impunity, and abuse of office. He stressed that the Commission remains committed to restoring public trust by ensuring citizens have access to administrative justice without discrimination or delay.
“As Nigeria’s Ombudsman, we are committed to restoring human dignity by ensuring citizens can access administrative justice without discrimination or delay,” he stated.
The Chief Commissioner revealed that the PCC is currently reviewing procedures in the justice sector to remove systemic barriers that prevent ordinary Nigerians from accessing redress.
Aligning with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, Abubakar reaffirmed PCC’s support for preventive frameworks that uphold due process, the presumption of innocence, and personal liberty.
“Corruption breeds frustration and social unrest,” he noted. “To protect our democracy and national peace, we must ensure that our strategies do not violate human rights.”
He commended the event’s organizers, development partners, and other anti-corruption bodies for their ongoing collaboration and pledged the PCC’s continued support toward strengthening Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture.
"Let us not only punish corruption but also restore the dignity and humanity of every Nigerian," he concluded. "That is the only way we can truly defeat this scourge."
The event featured a welcome address by Mrs. Jane Onwumeri, Head of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms and Secretary of the IATT. The keynote address was delivered by the Attorney General of the Federation, represented by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy Agba.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello; Executive Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Mr. Victor Murako; and representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and various civil society groups.
