Lai
Mohammed, minister of information and culture, while speaking in Lagos on
Sunday, said the current administration would not be discouraged by the ploy of
its opponents. Describing as an incentive, the commendation which John Kerry,
US secretary of state, gave to President Muhammadu Buhari on his anti-graft
fight, Mohammed said the battle must be won for the nation to achieve
sustainable growth.
At
a speech delivered during the just-concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) annual
meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Kerry lauded the current administration.
Mohammed said he would soon kick-start a series of town hall meetings across
the country to take the sensitisation campaign, which he launched in Abuja last
Monday, directly to Nigerians. ”The federal government is delighted that the
anti-corruption war being led by President Muhammadu Buhari has been
acknowledged and applauded on a global stage,” he said.
”It
is particularly gratifying that in that speech, Mr Kerry made the link between
corruption and terrorism. We agree that corruption is indeed a radicaliser
because it destroys faith in legitimate authority. “Let me remind you,
gentlemen, that radicalisation is a key causative factor of terrorism… ‘We know
that those who stole us dry are powerful. They have newspapers, radio and
television stations and an army of supporters to continuously deride the
government’s war against corruption. “But we are undaunted and will not relent
until corruption is also decimated.”
Mohammed
said corruption was responsible for the endemic poverty in the country, noting
that whereas Nigeria’s national budget has increased from just over N900
billion in 1999 to over N6 trillion in 2016, poverty has also increased almost
by the same proportion. “The reason is not far-fetched: Appropriated funds have
mostly ended up in the pockets of a few looters,” he said. ”When the money
meant to construct roads is looted, the end result is that the roads are not
built and the people suffer and even die in avoidable road accidents. When the
money meant to provide electricity is looted, we all are perpetually sentenced
to darkness.
When
the money meant for healthcare is pocketed by a few, we are unable to reduce
maternal and infant mortality. These are the costs of corruption.” He faulted
the view that the government was dwelling too much on the war against
corruption to the detriment of other areas of governance. “The situation is
very grim indeed, as far as corruption is concerned. That is why the federal
government is embarking on this sensitisation Campaign,” he said. “Our approach
– which is to count the cost of corruption – is not to vilify anyone but to use
facts and figures to give Nigerians a sense of what corruption has done to
their lives.”
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