Accountability Lab was one of the recipients of the Anti-Corruption Youth Creativity and Engagement Award this past weekend!

PUTRAJAYA: Former Nigerian anti-corruption official Nuhu Ribadu, and World Bank group’s vice president of integrity Leonard F. McCarthy of South Africa have been named as the recipients of the Anti-Corruption Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement Award at the Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award here today.

They received the prestigious award from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al-Thani and Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.

For the first time, Malaysia is chosen to host the award ceremony, which was held in conjunction with Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al-Thani’s three-day working visit to Malaysia.

The Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award is to promote the importance of tackling corruption around the world and encouraging the efforts of the decisive measures stipulated in the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

Other recipients for awards are Dr Robtel Neajai Pailey of Liberia and Prof. Jason Sharman of the United Kingdom for Anti-Corruption Academic Research and Education; Accountability Lab (America) and Fernanda Angelica Flores Aguirre (Mexico) for Anti-Corruption Youth Creativity and Engagement Award; and PNG Phones Against Corruption (Papua New Guinea) and Dr. Roger Oppong Koranteng (Ghana) for Anti-Corruption Innovation.

They all were given an award in the shape of a golden lifted hand and a certificate in recognition for combating corruption.

Nuhu Ribadu, who was Nigerian former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said such award sent a strong message to the corrupted and those fighting corruption.

“When you fight corruption, it fights back and I had lost many friends in the fight against corruption,” he said.

Nuhu was reported to have “taken” US$15 million that was offered to him but he used it as evidence to nail the perpetrators and brought them to justice.

Meanwhile, Fernanda Angelica was grateful that she was chosen to be a symbol to fight corruption with the youth for the youth.

“We are not alone , it is time to be brave, raise our hands, tell the youth, fight against corruption for our future generation,” she said.

The award ceremony was organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Centre (ROLACC) in Doha, Qatar with the support of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). — Bernama

This article first appeared in The Sun Daily on 7 December 2018

eedev