Presidency Debunks Report on Nigeria’s Latest Corruption Rating

The Presidency has described as untrue reports that Nigeria has been rated as the 8th most corrupt nation by Transparency International.
Reno Omokri, special assistant to the president (new media) said “This information is completely untrue as Transparency International has not even released its annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The last CPI was the CPI of 2012 in which Nigeria made improvements.
According to Omokri, “ it is necessary to alert the public that Transparency International is the only body that undertakes the official Corruption Perception Index. Also, Transparency International has written to disassociate itself from an organization which passes off itself as an offshoot of the genuine Transparency International based in Germany.”
His Statement:
Re: 8th Most Corrupt Nation-Transparency International Refutes Malicious Story on Nigeria
Our attention has been drawn to a story on some news sites stating that Transparency International has listed Nigeria as the 8th most corrupt nation in the world for 2013. This information is completely untrue as Transparency International has not even released its annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The last CPI was the CPI of 2012 in which Nigeria made improvements.
Also, it is necessary to alert the public that Transparency International is the only body that undertakes the official Corruption Perception Index. Also, Transparency International has written to disassociate itself from an organization which passes off itself as an offshoot of the genuine Transparency International based in Germany.
Below is the statement from Transparency International;
Transparency International, the global anti-corruption organisation, has no links with an organisation calling itself ‘Transparency in Nigeria (TIN)’ and has written to the organisation demanding that it stop associating its work with Transparency International, its name and logo.
Several articles published in the Nigerian press last week referred to a report titled ‘Budget Discipline Perception Index (BDPI) 2012/2013’, by ‘Transparency in Nigeria (TIN)’, describing the organisation as the Transparency International chapter in Nigeria. Transparency International has no links with ‘Transparency in Nigeria’, nor does it currently have an affiliate in Nigeria.
Transparency International is not responsible for the report “Budget Discipline Perception Index (BDPI) 2012/2013” and does not endorse its content.
Nigerians should be alert to false reports smuggled into the media to malign the image of the country. The elements behind these reports are desperate and will do anything to gain traction even if it means damaging the image of their country by selling a bogus story.
Under President Jonathan, Nigeria’s anti corruption agencies have had unprecedented non-interference from the executive which has led to recent successes in the trial of subsidy thieves, pension racketeers and politically exposed persons accused of money laundering.
The public is thus reminded that certain media, particularly online media, have no editorial boards and in many cases have been set up by disgruntled politicians to achieve political ends.
Reno Omokri
Special Assistant to the President (New Media)