NASTRA Acting Director-General, Dr Francis Chizea said this in a statement on Monday, in Abuja.

“Space and science technology has the capacity to help tackle corruption and key societal problems in Nigeria.

“NASTRA is engaged in research and development, capacity building in science, engineering and administration for sustainable development in Nigeria,” he said.

Chizea said that the agency was also providing support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption which has affected lives and systems in African countries.

“Corruption has continued to have devastating effects on the lives of the vast majority of the population in Africa, while its various causes are numerous and similar among African countries.

“Advances in space, science and technology have led to unprecedented and rapid access to vast amounts of data on societies, the economy and the environment.

“In keeping up with this development, governments, organisations and citizens across the globe are currently in new state of experiment and innovation adaptation.

“The data revolution which refers to both quantities of data now available and technological innovation has the potential to tackle key issues in the society including corruption,” he said.

Chizea said that access to information and transparency which were needed for democracy and good governance could help fight corruption and ensure a level playing field for both government and citizens.

He said that NASTRA plans to hold the National Space Dialogue between Dec. 2 and Dec. 4 in Abuja, to discuss the emergence of space tools, its relevance and applications for anti-corruption detection and prevention.

“The theme of the event would be- Potency of Space Dependent Technologies in Driving Good Governance and Eliminating Corruption in Post COVID-19 era,” he said.

He, however, said that the conference would feature technical presentations and have in attendance experts, the academia and research institutions for a robust event on advancing governance through space technology.

“The conference is expected to come up with recommendations on needs for investments in space programmes, highlight recorded achievements and outline sustainable strategies to effectively harness space, science and technology for the benefit of all and good governance,” he said.

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The president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, made the statement on Tuesday when he fielded questions from State House correspondents in Abuja.

The presidential aide was speaking with reporters on some issues raised by the opposition PDP since the beginning of the interrogation of suspended Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu.

Shehu said the volume and reach of the anti-corruption crusade had so far, reflected what the PDP left behind.

“Corruption became so normalized by the PDP that they had difficulty defining what is corruption and theft,” he stated.

The spokesman lauded Buhari’s determination to end corruption in Nigeria.

“The large number of cases, new and old, may appear to be daunting but PDP, which is now heckling the president has forgotten that the party bequeathed this to the current administration.

”They had large number of cases they did not investigate and prosecute.”

Shehu also warned the PDP to allow the process of investigation and prosecution to work, instead of being preemptive about ongoing cases and unduly agitating the public.

He expressed his optimism that the judiciary would deal with the cases swiftly and satisfactorily in a manner that would deter other would-be offenders.

“The current administration is handling many of the cases that the PDP should have dealt with and the new ones as they arise,” Shehu said.

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Our correspondent reports that the former Kano State governor, made this disclosure to newsmen in Sokoto on Monday.

Shekarau said: “The efforts by the president to fight corruption in all its ramifications is good for Nigeria”.

“Anybody, who gets any money fraudulently should be arrested, thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.

“I am a strong advocate of anti corruption fight, as I set up an anti corruption and public complaints commission in Kano State in 2005″.

The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, cautioned against selective justice in the anti corruption war.

Shekarau further urged that nobody should be above the law in this direction; there should also be respect, adherence and respect for the rule of law.

“You are innocent until you are proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt,” the former minister added.

On security, Shekarau called for improved funding of the nation’s security agencies.

This, he noted, would ensure the provision of ultramodern weapons, logistics, training, retraining, as well as the need to improve their welfare.

On agriculture, the former governor called for the reintroduction of commodity boards in the country.

He said, “This will add value to farming, boost food security and encourage farmers.

“Food security is next to nothing and any nation that fails to provide it remains weak and vulnerable”.

On politics, Shekarau said, “PDP will bounce back and reclaim its lost glory in 2019”.

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