Corruption Perception Index Not Accurate Portrayal of Facts – Presidency

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The Presidency has reacted to a Corruption Perception Index report published by Transparency International (TI) which placed Nigeria 149 out of the 180 countries surveyed.

Eko Hot Blog had reported that the TI data suggested that law enforcement and COVID-19 pandemic response had worsened Nigeria’s corruption situation.

In a swift reaction, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration deserves credit for reducing corruption in the country.

According to Shehu, the TI report is not an accurate portrayal of the facts on the ground.

Read also: Pandemic Response, Law Enforcement Earn Nigeria Worst Corruption Index Rating

The statement read partly: “The Buhari administration deserves credit for diminishing corruption in the public service and will continue to vigorously support prevention, enforcement, public education and enlightenment activities of anti-corruption agencies.

“We are currently analyzing the sources of data used in arriving at the latest Transparency International (TI) report on Corruption Perceptions Index in Nigeria since by their own admission, they don’t gather their own data.

“This report is not an accurate portrayal of the facts on ground.

“In the coming days, the Government’s Technical Unit on Governance Research (TUGAR) will be providing more detailed information on the sources of the TI data.

“While this is being awaited, the examination carried out on their 2019 report showed that 60 percent of their data was collected from businesses and other entities with issues bordering on transparency and the ease of doing business at the ports.

“Although this is a government ready to learn from mistakes and make corrections, the economy of this country, in its fullness, is bigger than the sea ports we have.

“We are also not unaware of the characters behind the TI in Nigeria whose opposition to the Buhari administration is not hidden.

“We have repeatedly challenged TI to provide indices and statistics of its own to justify its sensational and baseless rating on Nigeria and the fight against corruption. We expect them to come clean and desist from further rehashing of old tales.”