The Vice-President (VP) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has called on well-meaning Nigerians, groups and institutions to join the government in the campaign against corruption in the country.
Osinbajo, represented by the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) on Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, made this call yesterday in Abuja while delivering the key note address at a symposium organized by the Integrity Organisation and Convention on Business Integrity (CBI) for participating stakeholders to discuss ways of raising fund to support in the sustenance of the campaign against corruption initiated by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
He said, “We would like to seize this opportunity to formally signal to all stakeholders that this administration realises that the fight against corruption can neither be won nor sustained without you. We therefore call on business organisations (both public and private), civil society groups, religious and traditional institutions and every well-meaning Nigerian to stop standing on the sidelines and positively engage this fight against corruption.”
He noted that the government was working tirelessly to ensure that there is no hiding place for the corrupt that have acted with impunity and is exposing and indicting those concerned.
“It is time that the people also made life unbearable for those who have deprived them of basic amenities by making them unwelcome in their communities,” he said.
He equally reiterated government’s commitment to diversifying the Nigerian economy as in his words, “Nigeria is currently paying for its over-reliance on oil and its reluctance hitherto to dal decisively with corruption.”
In his speech, Prof. Sagay who doubled as the Chairman of the occasion spoke on the need to strengthen the anti-corruption institutions and agencies through adequate funding.
He advocated that 5 per cent of any stolen fund recovered by such agencies as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) be kept back with the agencies as operational fund.
All the speakers at the event agreed that for the fight against corruption to be effective and sustained, all hands must be on deck both in the area of fund-raising and monitoring.
