With several Nigerians clamouring for change sequel to the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari during his campaign as the Presidential flag bearer under the All Progressive Congress, APC, several individuals in the country have questioned the progress made by the current administration.
Although, the need to fight corruption holistically as a country has continued to remain a leading factor in the lips of various stakeholders in the country.
For instance, in recent time, the development in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, along with the suspension of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, has quelled the doubt of Nigerians on the current administration sincerity in the fight against corruption to a certain limit.
Recently, the No Alternative To Buhari Osinbajo 2019 (NATBO 2019) showered encomium on President Buhari, stating that he is the only Nigerian leader who has all it takes to fight the corruption plaguing the nation.
According to the National Coordinator, NATBO 2019, Mr Vincent Uba, President Buhari has demonstrated the capacity and will power in his fight against corruption.
He also stated that, apart from the fact that Buhari has no corruption stain on him in spite of holding several ‘juicy’ offices in the past, he has demonstrated doggedness in fighting the menace.
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He noted that corruption was a menace that had eaten deep into the fabrics of the Nigerian society, causing the nation embarrassment at the international scene.
“This shameful state of affairs has prompted Nigerians to be treated by other nationals as social pariahs. It has become so entrenched and complicated that fighting it seems like a near impossibility.
“Leaders after leaders were afraid to deal with it, not only because of its complexities and the fear of it fighting back, but also because of getting “in over their heads.
“Some leaders came and paid lip service to it, while others came and decided to play to the gallery in the guise of fighting it.
“So, it takes a leader with exceptional disciplined qualities. That is where President Muhammadu Buhari comes in and stands out as a dogged fighter of the corruption plague.
“President Buhari is one of the very few politicians who have all the trappings of leadership qualities of being genuinely sincere about fighting corruption.
“He is one leader devoid of any stains of corruption hanging on his neck, despite the fact that he had held sensitive positions in the country in time past,” he said.
Uba recalled that the President had been a petroleum minister, a special task force chairman and also a Military Head of State, but did not abuse his office or enrich himself.
He said that the level of integrity demonstrated by Buhari was the reason he was elected in 2015 to fight corruption, noting that the President had taken to fighting it squarely.
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“Since the inception of his administration, the corruption fight has been doggedly pursued to the admiration of Nigerians and international communities.
“Yes, the corruption fight has not been without obstacles and challenges,” he said.
Uba said that the opposition in a bid to stifle the anti corruption campaign, had accused the president of selective fight and also abandoning other aspects of governance.
While Uba expressed worry that Nigerians seemed comfortable at celebrating corrupt individuals in the country, he alleged some officials in the anti-corruption agencies were also compromised.
“Given the aforementioned variables, there is no way the president himself can recognise who is who in terms of being corrupt free because, he is not a spirit or God that possesses the third eye.
“He needs the cooperation and collaboration of his lieutenants and partners in government, to carry on with this battle.
“Despite the obstacles and challenges, President Buhari is very much on course in the fight against corruption. If any thing, he has to be applauded for the fact that there is no room for cover-up, no matter whose ox is gored.
“There are no sacred cows, as exemplified by the on-going investigation of Mr Ibrahim Magu, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, who is an appointee of the president.
“In the history of this country, this is the only time the anti-graft and other government agencies are being investigated in contrast to what obtained in the past,” he said.
He pointed out that it was wrong to conclude that this administration was corrupt simply because corruption was being exposed in government agencies headed by his appointees.
With reference to the recent exposition in the NDDC, Uba said that it was the same people who had been accusing this administration of corruption that were now at the centre of the current scam.
He stressed that in spite of the fight, corruption was still very much in the society and would be unfair to expect the President to completely rid Nigeria of the menace.
“Given its endemic nature, it will be uncharitable to expect that corruption will be completely eradicated during President Buhari’s administration.
“What is expected is what we are already seeing happening now, exposing it, investigating and at the same time prosecuting the culprits as can be seen from the looted amount recovered so far.
”What we also expect is for all and sundry to cooperate with and support the government and pray that President Buhari’s successor in 2023 will vigorously continue with the fight.
“That way, time will definitely come when corruption will drastically go down, if not completely eradicated,” he said.
