A Non-Governmental Organization in Zambia, the Gender Organizations Coordinating Council (NGOCC), has decried what it described as persistent corruption in the country in 2024, in a year it says has been of mixed outcomes in governance, citing progress in some areas and setbacks in others.

The Board Chairperson of NGOCC, Beauty Katebe, who made the assertion while speaking at a year-end media briefing in Lusaka on Monday, acknowledged government’s efforts to combat corruption but expressed concern over political and governance irregularities.

Katebe noted that the gale of suspension, dismissal, and conviction of high-profile individuals involved in financial crimes has bern positive steps but however criticised the unabated corruption, emphasising that it disproportionately harms vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.

“Corruption diverts resources meant to uplift the livelihoods of citizens, particularly women and girls, who make up the majority of the poor in Zambia,” Katebe said.

She also drew attention to findings in the Financial Intelligence Centre and Auditor General’s reports, noting that irregularities remained unaddressed.

“The glaring financial discrepancies are deeply worrying, and no concrete action appears to have been taken to address them,” she stated.

The NGOCC leader condemned the prolonged detention of protesters in 2024, attributing it to the outdated Public Order Act, reiterating the groups’ earlier calls for reforms to the legislation, describing it as repressive.

“The government must ensure justice is visibly served, with fairness and equality before the law, including for those exercising their right to protest,” she said.

Katebe also urged the government to operationalize the Gender Equity and Equality Commission, which has remained dormant since its establishment in 2015.

“The Commission, enshrined in the Zambian Constitution, is vital for mainstreaming gender in policy, legal, and administrative frameworks. Its absence denies women and girls a mechanism to promote gender parity,” she emphasized.

The Nigeria Police has rejected a report by Amnesty International that accused the force of killing protesters during the #Endbadgovernance demonstration that erupted in the country from August 1 to 10.

In the report titled, “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests,” the global human rights organization accused the police of extrajudicial killings during which 24 protesters were killed in six states.

However, the Nigeria Police, while refuting the report, described the claims as false, misleading, and damaging to the image of the force.

Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, said a special investigation carried out by a panel set up by the Inspector General of Police, Sunday Egbetokun, to verify the claims, found the AI claims to be false and misleading.

Adejobi explained that the panel, in collaboration with Commissioners of Police from the affected states, conducted extensive investigations and compiled a comprehensive report highlighting inaccuracies in Amnesty International’s allegations.

“Amnesty International is advised to reflect on its frequent false reporting on Nigeria’s law enforcement activities and ensure its reports are accurate and contain a true and fair representation of events affecting national security and public safety,” the Force spokesman said.

“Accurate reporting of facts is essential to the integrity of any international organisation, and Amnesty International should not be an exception.

“The Nigeria Police Force will, in due course, write to Amnesty International to demand the retraction of this report from the public domain along with a public apology.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in protecting the rights of all citizens while ensuring the security and stability of the nation. We, therefore, urge the public to be wary of sensational reports designed to incite mistrust and weaken confidence in law enforcement institutions.

“In Borno State, it was established that the protesters were violent, engaging in widespread looting, pillaging, and wanton destruction of public and private property. For example, the Skill Acquisition Centre of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was looted and vandalised.

“The warehouse of the World Food Programme, located on Baga/Maimalari Barracks Road, Maiduguri, was also looted, with several items belonging to the international organisation destroyed and stolen by some of the protesters.

“Therefore, the claims by Amnesty International that the police threw a hand grenade from a convoy of vehicles into a filling station killing three persons is a blatant falsehood and leaves right-thinking members of society dismayed at this reported falsehood by an international agency that ought to act in accordance with international norms and standards of fair and honest reporting of human rights violations in the country,” Adejobi stated.