For a better society: ‘Public office huge responsibility’

NAB chairman says effective accountability quintessential for economic growth, social stability

ISLAMABAD: While addressing newly recruited investigation officers, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said corruption is rampant in our society.

He said the phenomenon gives birth to multifarious problems, including nepotism and favouritism, and negates meritocracy, transparency and accountability.

As many as 104 new investigation officers have been selected on merit and training, and posted in eight of the anti-graft body’s regional bureaus for on-job training.

Chaudhry said NAB is a complaint-driven organisation, and that an exhaustive system of cognizance of cases has been formulated to standardise cases for processing. He said priority is assigned keeping in view the nature of the case, amount of money involved, and the number of people affected.

He said an effective accountability mechanism is quintessential for economic growth, investment and stability of social order. The NAB chair added that interventions by the bureau acted as a catalyst for promoting investment and economic growth.

He said youth are the future, and that NAB has set up character building societies (CBS) in educational institutions across the country to build an effective edifice against corruption. At present, more than 10,000 CBSs have been established, along with signing an MOU with the Higher Education Commission in this regard. He added that each of NAB’s regional bureaus is in touch with universities, colleges and other educational institutions to organise CBSs in their respective areas of responsibilities.

The chair said he hoped these young members will carry the message of anti-corruption to their homes and communities.

A public office is not merely a decorated room where one stares at the pile of files and signs daily mail, but is rather a huge responsibility that the state puts on one’s shoulders, Chaudhry said. He said it demands grace, it craves for your fullest efforts in the matters of public good, requires one’s analytical decision making to deliver benefit to the state.

This is why seven months have been involved in the training of new investigation officers, the chair added, addressing the new officers.

He said NAB has designed an automated monitoring system to manage the performance of individual officers, prosecutors and the field formations. The new system will replace the existing paper-based reporting system, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2016.