Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders Criticises President Jonathan for Shielding Corruption

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, November 12th, 2013

Kayode Adelowokan, Lagos

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has criticised President Goodluck Jonathan over his lukewarm attitude towards the fight against corruption in the country.

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan

This came on the heel of the sack of Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Communications, Victoria Hammah by President John Mahama for allegedly making a statement that suggested that she could be corrupt.

On Thursday, a taped conversation that Hammah had with someone, in which she allegedly said she would not leave politics until she had made $1m, leaked. By Friday, she was sacked by the government.

Reacting to the news on behalf of the Coalition, its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran lamented the level of impunity in the country.

Adeniran said it is unfortunate that Nigerian leaders have so decided not to emulate what is moving other countries forward which is discouraging corruption and lawlessness.

In his word, “Ghana is a small country, less developed than us and it is fast moving on its path to growth and development as South Africa that got her independence after us has moved far ahead of us. It is a shameful thing when the citizens of Nigeria that prides herself as the ‘Giant of Africa’ are still wallowing in abject poverty despite her enormous resources because of pervasive corruption.

“The law is clear in all these matters, but the situation keeps exacerbating because some people have assumed larger than life status. In other saner climes, when you violate the law, you must face the consequences. Nigeria is the only country where the constitution is violated with impunity. A deputy minister got fired in Ghana for frivolous talk when she had not even been caught in the act, our President on the other hand set up committee on a clear case of corruption and abuse of office that the offender even confessed to.

“It is absurd that Ms. Stella Oduah still retains her position up till now! There is already water-tight evidence against her; invoices, testimonies from the NCAA, First bank and even the statements of the minister herself indicted her of approving a spending above her statutory power as a minister. It is surprising that nothing has been done yet by the president.

” The anti-corruption crusader however called on the federal government to pick a cue from Ghana’s decision if the country must move forward. “This should be a wake-up call to our government at all levels. There is need to be proactive in the fight against corruption if this country must occupy her pride of place in Africa and the world at large. President Jonathan must muster enough political will to rid Nigeria of this pervasive corruption, if not, it is only a matter of time before Ghana moves ahead of us in development while we keep priding in a lost glory”, Adeniran stated.