Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), as well as former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday in Lagos declared that the Federal Government is off the course in the fight against corruption in the country.
They spoke yesterday at the Third Retreat of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
President Goodluck Jonathan, according to them, is not just doing enough to tackle the daily occurence of corrupt practices across the country.
They also deplored the rising level of insecurity in the Northeast, especially against the backdrop of yesterday’s invasion of Maiduguri by Boko Haram insurgents.
The Chairman of the NGF, Gov. Rotimi Amaechi, insisted that Nigerians wanted explanation on the alleged missing $20 billion oil money.
He said that effort by anyone to sweep it under the carpet would not work.
Exressing shock at yesterday’s invasion of Maiduuri by Boko Haram insurgents, Amaechi said the state of insecurity in the nation had become worrisome.
He told the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibility and deal with the incessant threat to the nation’s stability by terrorists.
Almakura said: “The issue of insurgency has become a routine in the country. Everyday you wake up to hear that people are slaughtered without any sign that it will abate. Lives are being taken with impunity, nobody is sure of what will happen to him in the next minute.”
Ribadu said that the tendency by the generality of Nigerians to indulge in corrupt practices would be minimised if leaders lived moderate lives.
“Show us how to behave and we will follow you. If we have less private jets,we see you live in moderation, we will follow and copy you, “ the former anti-graft boss said.
He said that corruption was a major threat to development, saying Nigeria would be far better fighting it.
Ribadu advised state governments to put in place mechanisms to check corruption in their respective states.
He described corruption as a deep-rooted malaise which could not be fought by centrally-controlled agencies alone.
He said that the active involvement of the states in the fight against corruption would check leakages and promote development.
“The states can do more and achieve more in the fight against corruption because they control a substantial amount of development resources.
“If they leave the fight to centrally controlled agencies alone, we will not get the desired results.”
On the Maiduguri attack, he said: ”As I am talking to you now, part of Maiduguri is under attack and people are being killed. This is a sad note for our country. I believe security is not what you can restrict to internal mechanism alone. We have reached the level where the country should seek international assistance to end the killings in the country.”
Governor Fayemi said there would always be a problem “when the gap between abject poverty and inexplicable wealth is so wide as you have it now in the country.”
He added: ”Any society that has problem with economy always ends up with insecurity. It is unfortunate that after many people were killed recently, the Federal Government still went ahead to host the centenary celebration.”
Speaking on Building System and Institutions that Prevent Corruption, Governor Fashola said corruption in the country has reached a level where everybody must rise to nip it in the bud.
His words: “People’s social status is incompatible with their income. They host social parties every weekend, feeding about 150 people and spraying money without recourse to the negative effect.
“If you can step on your own sweat, something is fundamentally wrong. There is a leakage somewhere that bankrolls the reckless spending. We reward people for no honour achieved. The police are corrupt because their pension had been looted.”
Governor Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to rise and fight corruption, noting that the dysfunctional effect of corruption is visible in all departments of the country’s national life.
“If we all judiciously make use of the resources at our disposal, there will be less cases of corruption and those factors that induce corruption will be minimal, “ he said.
Also speaking, former Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission and Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, stressed the need for the political will to fight corruption. Building system and institutions that prevent corruption, he pointed out, should be given adequate attention.
He said: “When Nuhu Ribadu, former EFCC chairman and I were fighting corruption, we knew it was possible to take anybody to court. But the story is different today. When the former Aviation Minister, Mrs Stella Oduah was accused of corrupt practices, it took government a long time to remove her from office. But in the case of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the President did not waste time to suspend him.”
He maintained that any person who must be a leader or president must be transparent in the discharge of his duties to the people.
Prof. Akin Oyebode of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) said: ”It is an unwarranted assault on the nation’s integrity which needs to be fought to the hilt if Nigeria is to survive. While it continues to threaten our national survival, no effort should be spared to bring it to the heel.
“Nigeria has enough laws and institutions to combat corruption. The architecture of the war against corruption seems adequate even if there might be the need for re-tooling here and there.
“A situation where anti-corruption agencies are denied the wherewithal to sustain the anti-corruption crusade smacks of a calculated attempt to disembowel and incapacitate them.”
Also present at the retreat were Senator Bukola Saraki; Governor Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto); Deputy Governor of Imo State, Eze Madumere; Dep. Governor of Osun State; Grace Laoye-Tomori; Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo); Governor Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa); Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Moses Adeyemo; Dep. Governor of Ogun State, Segun Adesegun; Prof. Grace Alele Williams; Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Deputy Govenor of Kwara State, Elder Peter Kishira and Governor Abdullazeez Yari (Zamfara).
In a communique at the end of the retreat, the Governors’ Forum said that the anti-corruption battle should be “anchored on a massive programme of national value-reorientation involving the state sector, private sector and civil society.”
According to them, the “debilitating impact of corruption on national development and the adverse human development indices requires a concerted effort to combat corruption in both private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.”
They added that the fight against corruption “needs strong political will, moral leadership, certainty of sanction and commitment of governors to succeed and pledged to fill the role.”
On security, the governors reiterated their commitment to “pursue cooperation on security management, including sharing of information and placing emphasis on human security needs of our people.”
They called for the reintroduction of teacher training colleges across the country as part of the effort to enhance educational quality and access.
The forum adopted its Strategic Plan for 2014-2016. (0)
Amaechi, Fashola, Ribadu, others tackle FG on corruption, insecurity
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