Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Thursday said corruption has been driven under the table in the nation.
Speaking at a special Town Hall meeting on the fight against corruption in Abuja, Mohammed said the fight against corruption was one of the three cardinal programmes of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, with the others being the war against insecurity and the revamping of the economy.
“Yes, this is not the first time Nigeria is fighting the canker-worm of corruption, but it is the first time that the fight is
being backed by a strong political will, with a President renowned for his honour, dignity and incorruptibility personally leading the fight. And that is making all the difference, as you will soon hear from our panelists.
“One may say that the war against corruption is still a war in progress. But it is also fair to say that corruption has now been driven under the table, and that the corrupt ones can no longer flaunt the proceeds of their corruption the way they used to do in the past. That is a major step forward. After all, every successful battle is a step towards winning a war,” he said.
According to him, the war against corruption was a war of survival for Nigeria because the success of the other key programmes of the government, revamping the economy and tackling insecurity, was closely intertwined with how well the nation was able to fight corruption, saying that for as long as the nation failed to check corruption, tackling insecurity and the revamping the economy would remain a mirage.
“In other words, the fight against corruption is pivotal to the success of the other cardinal programmes of the Administration. I want to reiterate that the anti-corruption war is not Buhari’s war, It is Nigeria’s war, hence the need for every citizen to support it.
“Part of the efforts to win the support of Nigerians is to carry them along every inch of the way. Today’s Special Town Hall Meeting on the Fight Against Corruption fits into that effort, as it provides an opportunity for the major stakeholders in the federal government’s battle against corruption to give account of their stewardship, and for Nigerians to have the opportunity to interact with them, ask them questions and also make suggestions. This way, we can all be on the same page as far as this war of survival is concerned,” he stated.
