The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmoud Mohammed, has attributed the high prevalence of corruption in Africa to the lack of accountability, transparency and weak government structures.

Making this assertion through a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Cletus Nweze at the annual conference of the Pan Africa Lawyers Union (PALU) with the theme; Combating Corruption: “The Role of The Legal Profession in Africa,” the CJN insisted that greater attention should be placed on the war against corruption.

“Great attention should be placed on African Union convention on preventing and combating corruption which was adopted on July 11, 2003. The convention as it is well known represents regional census on what African countries should do in the area of prevention, criminalization, international collaboration and asset recovery,” he stated.

The CJN through his representative at the event further pointed out that, “Corruption is characterized by the absence of culture of accountability, inefficiency, weak government structure, excessive concentration of power in the executive arm of government and lack of transparency.”

While observing that these had resulted in the shameless of stealing of public funds, and the waste or mismanagement of natural resources, he however, urged the participants to focus their deliberations on the allegations of corruption in the various judiciary bodies in the continent.