Roundup: Africans urged to fight corruption in line with AU agenda

ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- As the African Union (AU) revealed fighting corruption at the helm of the upcoming AU summit, experts and policymakers have underscored the need to tackle corruption and maladministration so as to realize Africa's development.

The pan African block has recently announced that it will hold its 30th ordinary session of the assembly of African heads of state and governments from January 22 to 29 at its headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The summit, which will be held under the theme "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation," has already attracted the attention of experts and policymakers due to the expected impact it would contribute to the continent's overall growth and development.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, said in his New Year remark that fighting corruption is key for Africa's overall development and, therefore, to avoid inequality among Africans.

"As we work towards building stronger institutions and promoting prosperity, the fight against corruption assumes even greater importance and urgency. It is a well-recognized fact that corruption hinders efforts aimed at promoting democratic governance, socio-economic transformation and peace and security," the chairperson stressed.

Corruption has created inequality in Africa's societies and erodes the rule of law in the continent. While empirical evidence shows that Africa has made some encouraging steps in the last five years, huge challenges remain, according to Mahamat.

According to the chairperson, in a bid to tackle the major challenges imposed by corruption in the continent, the AU Assembly has declared 2018 as the African Anti-Corruption Year (Project 2018), with the theme "Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation."

Experts also argued the need to tackle the negative impact imposed by corruption in a bid to realize Africa's transformation.

According to Costantinos Bt. Costantinos (PhD), who served as an economic advisor to AU and UN-Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA), it's a high time to fight corruption in Africa.

"If the renaissance that will bring Africa into the global arena is going to happen, the AU Summit must primarily understand that the authority of state derives from the will of the people. It may be exercised only in accordance with that will," Costantinos told Xinhua on Thursday.

"For many post-independence African leaders, development was a major preoccupation and they espoused various slogans. What is different today is the slogans have become collective, under the resplendent auspices and premises of the African unity," he said.

Costantinos, who is also a professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University, further indicated that fighting corruption is a timely and most important task for African countries' leaders and the general public.

The expert, however, argued that mal-governance and corruption cannot be seen in isolation. Its effects permeate societies, which in turn can either encourage or discourage corruption. Professional associations, civil society watchdogs, consumer associations and religious leaders can build coalitions to demand greater executive accountability.

"They can also play a crucial role in informing the public by galvanizing public opinion and persuade citizens to actively combat mal-governance: open, transparent, predictable and accountable state," he said.

The AU Summit should note that without the active involvement of civil society, it would not be possible to combat mal-governance, he stressed.

Costantinos also called on Africa's media to play its role in educating people, exposing corruption and building support for efforts to combat it. Enditem