The Chief Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission (PCC), Hon. Bashir Abubakar, MFR, has urged stakeholders to anchor Nigeria’s anti-corruption strategy on the preservation of human dignity.
Speaking before a high-level audience at the 2025 African Anti-Corruption Day celebration in Abuja, that included representatives from international organizations, government ministries and civil societies, Hon. Abubakar said corruption is not only an economic offense but a grave assault on the rights and dignity of Nigerian citizens.
“The fight against corruption must go beyond recovering stolen funds or punishing offenders, It must be built on systems that protect fairness, equity, and administrative accountability,” Abubakar declared.
The Chief Commissioner underscored the Commission’s pivotal role in investigating maladministration, bureaucratic impunity, and abuse of office, adding that such acts eroded public trust and undermined institutional integrity.
“As Nigeria’s Ombudsman, we are committed to restoring human dignity by ensuring citizens can access administrative justice without discrimination or delay,” Abubakar stated.
He said the PCC is actively reviewing the procedures of justice sector institutions to eliminate barriers that deny ordinary Nigerians fair redress.
The Chief Commissioner reiterated the PCC’s alignment with preventive frameworks, In line with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption,
stressing that anti-corruption measures must uphold due process, respect personal liberty and include strategies that do not violate human rights.
Hon. Bashir Abubakar MFR, commended organizers of the event and other development partners while expressing the PCC’s readiness to collaborate further in strengthening Nigeria’s national anti-corruption architecture.
The Head of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti- Corruption Reforms who gave the welcome address,
Secretary of the Inter Agency Task Team (IATT), Mrs. Jane Onwumeri and the Attorney General of Federation, represented by the Solicitor General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy Agba, who gave the key note address, all harped on the need to protect democracy and national peace.
This year’s event, themed “Promoting Human Dignity in the Fight Against Corruption,” featured good will messages from the Chairman Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr. Abdullahi Usman Bello, Executive Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Mr. Victor Murako, representatives of UNODC, NEITI, ICPC and civil society groups.
NIM
