BRISIN envisioned to tackle corruption – Uwa

From Okwe Obi, Abuja

The Head of the Basic Registry Information System in Nigeria (BRISIN), Dr Anthony Uwa, has said implementation of the agency’s requirements would tackle corruption, block economic leakages and create jobs through the use of data for planning and management of resources.

Uwa, in a statement yesterday, said the BRISIN was a solid foundation and fundamental to economic development of any nation, adding that, “Nigeria is in shamble today because of few ignorant and selfish persons in government.”

He said if given the legal teeth, Nigerians in the diaspora and investors would beg to invest in the country.

According to him, the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning should live up to its responsibilities and synergise with the Technical / Implementation Committee to meet with solution providers in getting the desired result.

“There is a need to re-strategise for implementation, in the interim a tripartite urgent meeting between the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning and solution providers be held to agree on pending issues and obligations.

A system like BRISIN cannot be toiled with in a country like Nigeria if we must think of unity, equity and justice,” he said.

He explained that the project was to be implemented in phases starting with preparatory which leads to pilot in FCT.

“We finished the preparatory stage in 2008 and started the awareness campaign with FCT providing a temporary operating office without logistics, funds were not released.

“So after exhausting the externally sourced funds we could not do much but continue on sensitisation which led to the Presidency’s request that funds should be released and more provision for the extension of the pilot to geo-political zones, FCT actually continued budgeting but funds were not released.

“In 2013 National Assembly Committee on FCT wrote to both MBNP and FCT to implement the project since they have been approving the budget as requested by them on the project.

“In 2015, the Presidency approved the inauguration of the National Technical/Implementation Committee to liaise with the solution providers for the interest of every sector of the economy.

“After the inauguration, several meetings were held planning for the official flag off of the pilot in FCT a sensitisation tour of the MDAs took place and many investors both local and international showed interest all waiting for the Flag Off but were disappointed.

“Italy and EU as well as other countries showed interest and are still waiting, not forgetting that it was the G7 that advised Nigeria that to be great, it must have a database to govern their development.”