L
LequteMan
Guest
At the opening of the 54th annual conference of the Nigerian Economic Society, NES, in Abuja yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan spoke about the corruption situation in Nigeria and people’s behavior towards it.
The National Mirror quoted him as saying “I want a society where all of us will frown upon people who come up with what they are not supposed to have. If a young man who just started a job and within six months or a year comes up with a car of N7m to N15m and you clap for him, then you are rewarding corruption.
“When you talk about corruption, the private sector is involved; the public sector is involved; even the individuals including other societies and I wouldn’t want to mention names so that I will not be attacked.
“But I know that if collectively all of us don’t reward corruption, people would not be attracted to corrupt practices but when we all reward corruption, then of course we will be tempted to go in that direction.”
The President reassured that his administration would continue to focus on how to strengthen anti-corruption agencies to step up the fight against corruption.
He explained that the Federal Government’s approach to fighting corruption was targeted at building institutions that had the capacity to overcome corrupt influences.
He said the approach would encourage anchoring the framework of the war against graft on the rule of law, empowering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in the process to successfully implement their mandates.
He added that in order for reforms to be sustainable, they must be driven by strong, sound and effective mechanisms, processes and institutions and that they must not be centered on individuals, no matter how strong they might be.
He admitted that fighting corruption isn’t limited to empowering EFCC& co. alone.
“So for us as a nation, to bring corruption down in Nigeria, it is not just blaming government or blaming police but all individuals must frown upon people who have what they are not supposed to have, who live in houses they supposed not to live in; who drive cars they are not supposed to drive and who wear suits more expensive (than they earn).
“And until Nigerians are able to do this, then invariably we are all rewarding corruption and until we stop that, I don’t think we will get to where we want to go.”
He added that the electronic management of the country’s budget, especially the payroll, had helped in curbing leakages in public finance, adding that the former manual system had given avenue for ghost workers and pensioners to drained the nation’s pockets.
The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. NgoziOkonjo-Iweala, and former Minister of Health, Prof EyitayoLambo were honoured with the Society’s Fellowship Awards at the event.