Corruption: Statistician Wants FG To Feed MDAs With Information

General Manager, Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Samson Fiberesima (left) and Chairman, NUJ, Radio Rivers Chapel, Comrade Walson Ibim Asako, presenting a souvenir to Dame Lizzy Fombo, former Director, News, Current Affairs, RSBC, during the sendforth ceremony of retired members of NUJ, in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

The President of Nigerian
Statistical Association (NSA), Dr Mohammed Tumala, has advised the Federal Government to open up information in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to curb financial corruption.
Tumala, who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen recently in Abuja, said such efforts would enhance transparency in the civil service.
He said financial corruption was all about hiding information, saying “where information is available on actions and activities of public office, corruption will be out of place.
“The tradition of using statistics, making information available in the country is very low and that is why government officials entrusted with public funds could easily convert them for other purposes.
“This is mainly because the information is not available to monitor them.
“I think government should open up and make information available and insist that MDAs become more transparent in their dealings by providing information.’’
Tumala, however, expressed dismay over the manner in which officers handled employees’ files in MDAs.
The president said that some employees’ files were marked with secret, preventing them from having access to their files.
“If you go to offices today, you will see files marked secret and you ask yourself, what is secret about somebody you have employed to work for you?’’
He also advised the MDAs to work with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to harmonise various data produced in their offices.
“They should submit data to the NBS and the bureau should insist on using that same data to avoid conflicting data,’’ he said.
According to him, the Statistical Act is very clear about how data should be gathered and disseminated in the country.
The president, however, said that the association had been raising awareness on statistical issues in the country.
NSA was founded in 1976 as a non-profit making professional body of statisticians, economists, planners, demographers, analysts and corporate organisations with interest in statistics.
It also engages in providing sound information base to enhance policy formulation and strategic planning in the public and private sectors of the national economy.