Nigeria: Osinbajo - Corruption Is Fighting Back

UPDATES

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the present administration has observed that corruption is fighting back despite the concerted effort against it.

He spoke at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday while receiving a delegation of the University of Lagos Alumni Association.

The vice president said the government was also aware that some people were advocating a sort of bring-back-corruption campaign.

"We have watched corruption fighting back. Some people even said 'bring back corruption', but not the man in the street," he said.

He said Nigerians must insist that the problem of corruption be dealt with, given the extent of the damage it had done to the nation's economy.

"The nation has witnessed excessive corruption. No economy can tolerate the level of corruption seen in Nigeria without consequences. Look at the northeast; while a war was going on, Nigerian lives were being lost, some local governments had been taken over. Yet, people cannot account for $15 billion meant for security equipment purchases.

"The corruption has been so much. Look at the sheer amount of money stolen and decisions taken that fuelled corruption, decisions taken just with the sole aim of cornering national resources," the vice president said.

Osinbajo said President Muhammadu Buhari's administration was "not sitting down focussing on it (fighting corruption). All we do is to empower the relevant agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and others to do their jobs. Our main focus is the national economy.

"What catches our attention is the kind of discoveries we get and hear of daily. Nigeria is still blessed with honest people. As a nation, it is important to pay serious attention to issues of integrity.

This government is completely focussed on dealing with issues that concern this country. I work everyday with the president. So, I can say so. He is totally focussed on how to make this country a better place to live."

The leader of the delegation, Dr Sunny Kuku, pledged the association's support for Buhari's administration.