A statement from the global organisation’s Interim Head of Media and Public Affairs, Will Henley quotes the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland as handing this commendation while addressing a conference of High Commissioners and judges in London.
According to her, “I must commend President Buhari of Nigeria for his brave leadership in tackling corruption head-on and commitments to reform the legal system. President Buhari’s envoy, Professor Gambari, who was the Nigerian foreign minister and UN Under-Secretary-General, is working with Madeleine Albright in New York to develop an international consensus on anti-corruption.”
Scotland, who was Attorney-General in the UK and one of the architects of the country’s Bribery Act, promised to step up collaboration among member countries to confront corruption in all its forms, stressing that “every dollar lost to corruption is a dollar lost to investing in a child’s education, healthcare or much needed infrastructure.”
She announced plans to launch a new Commonwealth ‘kitemark’ against corruption, alongside a new Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform, explaining that the initiative would aim at providing all the 53 member countries with the templates and needed support to develop legislation and best practices.
“I want to make it clear that I have heard the high priority given by all member states to eliminating fraud, bribery and the corruption which continues to undermine development and compromises fairness and equality of opportunity in our societies,” the Commonwealth Secretary-General stated.
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