National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said the immediate past leadership of the country were in the habit of sharing what he called ‘a huge chunk’ of the nation’s budget annually, leaving the country in poverty.
In a statement yesterday, Lai Mohammed, asked patriotic Nigerians, including the impoverished workers and the Civil Society who have declared open support for the anti-corruption war being planned by Muhammadu Buhari administration to stand up firmly against corruption.
The party’s national spokesman said that Nigerian workers’ unambiguous stand against corruption is also a clear repudiation of all those who have attempted to politicize the battle either by insinuating selectivity or saying the government should face governance instead of dwelling on the fight against corruption.
”Thursday’s nationwide demonstrations by Nigerian workers and the Civil Society in support of the anti-corruption battle is the clearest indication yet that corruption is now seen for what it is, a vice to be condemned and punished rather than something to be venerated and celebrated. The growing intolerance for corruption among Nigerians is also a clear example of what a nation can achieve under a committed, sincere, purposeful and focused leadership.”
Lai Mohammed said that the cankerworm of corruption that had eaten deep into the fabric of the Nigerian society was the main reason why millions of unemployed youths cannot get jobs, why hospitals lack necessary equipment and medicines, why infrastructural deficit is worsening and why social services are almost non-existent, just to mention a few.
”A huge chunk of the billions of Naira budgeted annually for all sectors of the economy end up in private pockets. Little wonder then that the economy has been in the doldrums over the years, despite the trillions of Naira earned by the country from crude oil sales alone.
“It is, therefore, baffling that some people, for whatever reasons, have decided to engage in sophistry in their attempt to distract the government from combating graft. Thursday’s nationwide anti-graft rally by Nigerian workers and the Civil Society has shown that Nigerians are not buying such fallacy.”
The party’s spokesman recalled the promise made by President Buhari in his inaugural speech on 29 May 2015, that his Administration would tackle head on the serious challenges facing the country, including insecurity and pervasive corruption, and appealed to all Nigerians to continue to give their unalloyed support to the Administration in its determination to surmount the challenges. [myad]
