Buhari Reassures Zero Tolerance To Corruption; Commitment To Recover Stolen Public Funds

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, October 28th, 2015

– Congratulates Alassane Ouattara On His Re-Election

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday in New Delhi, India has reaffirmed his administration’s resolute commitment to curbing corruption, plugging all loopholes in public sector accounting and deploying available resources for the good of Nigerians.

While addressing members of the Nigerian community in India, Buhari declared that the recovery of stolen funds and prosecution of suspects would continue and pursue with the vigour.
Mr. President said he expected the ongoing recoveries and prosecutions to serve as a deterrent to others who nursed the ambition of seeking public office solely for illegal personal gain.

He also assured the community that his administration fully recognized the devastating consequences of the illegal diversion of public resources meant for national development into private bank accounts, and was doing all within its powers to stop the trend.

“The anti-corruption campaign will be on-going for many years. We are committed to the enthronement of good governance that plugs the loopholes in public sector accounting, and the use of scarce resources for public good.

“We are determined to demonstrate exemplary leadership that will make our citizens to change their ways in a manner that lays a solid foundation for reconstruction and development.

“I am confident that our approach to fighting corruption through value re-orientation, improved internal processes and systems and the rule of law, as well as enhancing the capacity of the various anti-corruption agencies and institutions will prove more enduring in addressing this evil.

“In the meantime, we will continue to prosecute those who have been indicted for corrupt practices and ensure that stolen funds are recovered, to serve as deterrence to others who nurse the ambition of seeking public office solely for illegal personal gain,” President Buhari said in a statement by his SA on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adeshina.

The Nigerian first citizen told the Nigerians in India that he was fully aware of the expectations of Nigerians who elected him on the platform of change, integrity, probity and accountability, stating he was doing his utmost best to meet those expectations.

“I wish to assure you that we shall do our best to fix the economy, create jobs for the teeming population of our youths and make the home environment safe, secure and more attractive to Nigerians outside the country like your good selves.

“On the economy, our aim is to address the challenge of infrastructure in all its ramifications, especially power and transportation. We are seeking to create jobs through agriculture, mining, industrial value-addition and the promotion of small scale enterprises.

“We are also taking steps to address criminality across the country. We are tackling the menace of terrorism posed by Boko Haram head on and I am pleased to note that though sporadic attacks on soft targets have not stopped, the over-all capacity of Boko Haram to hold territory and determine the course of the conflict has been severely degraded.
“If the current positive trends are maintained, we are confident that by the end of this year, we would have succeeded in permanently turning the tide against the Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria,” Mr. President noted.

In the meantime, the President has congratulated re-elected President Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire for a second term in office.

Buhari in a statement issued Wednesday, by his SSA on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu commended the people of Cote D’Ivoire for putting the unity, stability and progress of their country above all other interests.

He applauded the peaceful conduct of the election, which President Ouattara won with almost 84 per cent of the votes and expressed belief that the relatively high turnout of voters, despite calls for a boycott, was a clear testimony of the commitment of the people of Cote D’Ivoire to peace, unity, stability and progress in their country.

Buhari was hopeful that President Ouattara would continue to do his best to foster national unity and faster socio-economic development for the benefit of all Ivorians, assuring that he looked forward to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire, as well as accelerate the pace of economic integration in the West African Sub-region.