Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, said until leaders examine their consciences and eschew all forms of corrupt practices, the fight against corruption will continue to be a mirage.
Obi in a statement issued on his X platform on Monday, to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, added that the day holds a very important lesson for Nigeria, considering how the country has been burdened, over the years, by high levels of corruption at all levels of government and across the different arms of government.
“A day like this provides us the opportunity to search our consciences as leaders and eschew all forms of corrupt practices that pervade every part of our leadership positions,” he stated.
He noted that the report credited to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), painted a grim picture of the effect of corruption on the economic and social fabric of the country.
“Corruption is, indeed, the bane of our national development.
“From lack of transparency in budgeting and allocation of funds to misappropriation of public funds through mindless looting and budget padding, to abuse of public office for personal gains and the many layers of contract inflation–all are different manifestations of corruption across different levels of government, not to mention the bribery, favouritism and toll-gating that go on in different offices,” Obi stated.
The former candidate observed that Nigeria’s corruption perception index of 145 out of 180 countries shows the high level of corruption in Nigeria, and said the monster needs to be fought to a standstill if the country expects any meaningful development.
Obi also regretted that Nigeria currently ranked among the eleven worst-ruled African nations in the last 10 years.
“All these have not only continued to discourage good governance but have continued to clog the wheels of our national development,” he added.
Obi quoted a media report where the auditor general of the Federation uncovered financial infractions amounting to N3.403 trillion in some government ministries, departments, and agencies for the financial year ending 31st December 2021.
“A whooping N3.403 trillion not accounted for in a single year! An amount bigger than 20 per cent of our national budget for the said year,” he stated.
Obi, who was former Anambra State governor, noted Nigeria is at the moment grappling with a very high debt profile, and blamed this onthe insatiable hunger for more loans by the government.
He regretted that the loans were without a commensurate account of all the previous loans already received and piled up for the next generations.
“There are no visible investments or positive impacts on the economy from these loans, showing that they were likely misappropriated or consumed.
“All these are different manifestations of the endemic corruption eroding our development efforts,” he said.
He therefore, called anti-graft and anti-corruption agencies to step up their fight against corruption and begin to preoccupy themselves with serious issues of national interest.
“Such corrupt practices like oil theft, budget padding, bribery, collection of large sums of money as bribes for political favours or appointments, and misappropriation of public funds should preoccupy our anti-graft agencies. Those found guilty must face stern justice,” he stated.
Obi also enjoined the followers to stand against all forms of corruption in all capacities for the national interest and pledged his commitment to contributing to the reduction of corruption in the country.
“As I have always maintained, in any organisation or nation where the leaders are not corrupt, corruption is reduced by over 60 percent, and fighting the remaining becomes manageable,” he added.
