The Head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), Brig Gen Henry Isoke, has said corruption is an enemy and a threat to national security.
Addressing a Senior Intelligence Officers pursuing the Officers Basic Intelligence Course at the School of Military Intelligence, Migyera, on Thursday, 16 November 2023, Brig Isoke said corruption is a security threat because of its effects on the economy, environment, military and national pillars of the state.
Specifically in the security forces, he said corruption manifests in form of stealing logistics, which is an obstruction to the forces’ effectiveness hence threatening the country’s security posture.
He added that it is also seen in abuse of contracts and public procurements, backed by corrupt public elites, which ultimately leads to poor service delivery and may be a cause of civil unrest.
Brig Isoke highlighted the critical role Intelligence agencies play in the fight against corruption. In particular, he said, SHACU’s operations are intelligence led, the reason for working closely with CMI and ISO, who give human and technical intelligence support to the Unit.
Additionally, he said intelligence assesses internal and external threats (including corruption) and disorganizes/disrupts such activities.
He added that the government has also pursued policies that increase transparency in government planning, such as decentralization, in which citizens participate in most of the government projects, including budget processes thus curbing corruption.
In concluding, Gen Isoke, urged the intelligence officers, as eyes and ears of the force upon whom the nation relies, to ensure fighting corruption is part of their routine institutional duty, and also should promote the culture of integrity, promote transparency and accountability.
He underscored the need for timely Intelligence reporting/sharing on any detected threats to national security. He encouraged the young officers to be patriotic and disciplined.
