By Francis Sadhere
President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to spread the anti-corruption fight across board and adopt a broad-based, and relentless approach with due regard to the rule of law.
National Coordinator, CEPEJ, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, a Niger Delta based Non-Governmental Organization, Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, who gave the advice on Wednesday in Warri, said well-meaning Nigerians are ‘’solidly behind you because those who plundered the nation resources and brought the nation to disrepute should be made to pay for it dearly to serve as deterrent to others’’, and restore the nation to its lost glory in the comity of nations.
Besides, he said the President should impress it on some foreign governments to return the looted funds stashed in their countries for the development of the country and prosecute those behind the heist.
‘’During his campaign , the President pledged to prosecute the fight against corruption and bring sanity to the country and Nigerians voted massively for him based on this because he was seen and he is still being seen as an upright man, who would deploy all arsenals to fight corruption and restore honesty to the country. So, he should not fail to deliver on the promises. We therefore implore him not to succumb to the whims and caprices of these corrupt Nigerians who would employ every trick in the book to fight back’’, he said.
The activist commended the anti-corruption agencies for the trials of some high profile politicians over alleged sundry malpractices and urged them to also beam the searchlight on the civil servants who he alleged aided and abetted the politicians in their sleaze.
He advised that firming up the various government institutions by making them active would help to drive his policies, stressing that ‘’no amount of pressure from dissident voices should make him give up the fight against corruption’’.
Comrade Mulade equally implored the President to introduce sweeping reforms in the civil service where most of the corrupt practices are allegedly perpetrated and ensuring that culprits are brought to book, no matter whose ox is gored.
He reiterated that President Buhari would etch his name in gold, if he is able to ‘’walk the talk’’ by stopping the level of impunity or lawlessness in the country, expressing disappointment that ‘’in contemporary Nigeria, court pronouncements are obeyed selectively’’.
‘’A situation where the AGF looks the other way while security agents commit criminal activities including extra-judicial killings was embarrassing to the nation. The new AFG should be a man of unquestionable character, principled and God fearing’’.
Comrade Mulade also called for the anti-graft agencies to be given legal muscle to scrutinize budget implementation at all levels of government to see areas where contracts are inflated or not executed at all, as according to him, loopholes have been contrived to plunder public funds and make stealing look legitimate.
‘’Many government officials now use companies where they have interests as consultants to do the very tasks they were elected to perform’’, he alleged.
