Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has called on traditional rulers in the country to speak out in strong term on the endemic corruption that had wrestled the nation’s economy to the ground.
“Traditional rulers in the country should raise a strong voice of condemnation against those who have stolen public funds and engaged in corruption that has crippled the country.”
Osinbajo who had a meeting with a group of traditional rulers and leaders from Remo-Land in Ogun State, at the Aso Rock said: “as leaders, we must condemn corruption in the strongest terms.
“I think it’s right that we condemn corruption in strong terms, more so that traditional rulers do not belong to any political party. The kind of corruption we experienced in the recent past is the kind that in any other part of the world, it would be considered as a crime against humanity.”
According to the Vice President, the kind of corruption that has been observed in the country is one for which people should be ashamed even as he lamented that some people had the guts to steal the money that was meant to provide the weapons for soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
“What the leaders did in the past few years is very shameful. Corruption is such a terrible thing and I don’t think it is a matter of politics. I think it’s one thing everybody should be ashamed of, if you consider what the leaders of this country had done.”
Vice President Osinbajo told the delegation led by Akarigbo of Remo-Land , Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, that the Buhari administration is fully committed to the anti-corruption crusade and “going forward, the determination of this government is to ensure that people know that corruption has consequences.
“We will not only hold those who have served to account, but also hold ourselves to account.”
He said that this is the only way the nation can avoid the Hobbesian state of nature where life is “poor, nasty, brutish and short.”
Osinbajo said that the anti-corruption fight is hinged on transparency and that the government is trying to put in place a system that ensures that there is consequence if the people do wrong and so that no one is treated like animals.
“I think that one of the major problems that we have faced is just that the level of corruption is high. The fact is that when you look at what has happened, the truth is stranger than fiction. When you look at the facts and figures, it doesn’t make sense.”
Earlier, the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Michael Sonariwo had commended the government of President MuhammaduBuhari for its anti-corruption policies.
Also, the Vice President met a delegation from the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics (NAEE) where he called on the experts in the energy, oil and gas sectors to contribute their expertise in the sector so as for it to overcome all its challenges.
Professor Osinbajo said that it is strategic for professionals as well as members of the Energy Economics to always join in the energy debate and render their expert advice to government.
He added that President Buhari’s administration is transparent, open and accountable.
Earlier, leader of the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics, Professor Wumi Iledare, who is also a Professor of Petroleum Economics at the Emerald Energy Institute, University of Port Harcourt, said he was in the State House to invite the Vice President as Special Guest to the 9th NAEE/IAEE International Conference, “Energizing Emerging Economics: The Role of Natural Gas and Renewable Energy” coming up in April. [myad]
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