Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said a major challenge with the
anti-corruption drive of the Federal Government is the lack of successful
prosecution of high-profile corruption cases involving ‘Politically-Exposed
Persons’.
Obasanjo added that despite the efforts of successive governments,
corruption still posed a challenge to the progress and development of Nigeria.
The former President said this while delivering an inaugural lecture
organised by the National Open University of Nigeria, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
The lecture was titled, “Leadership, Governance, and the Challenges of
Development in Nigeria: The Way forward.”
Obasanjo, who admitted that Nigeria’s poverty and seeming lack of
direction was caused by leadership, said the institutions in the country needed
to be strengthened to ensure transparency and accountability.
He said, “Nigeria’s poverty, insecurity, lack of unity and cohesion,
youth restiveness and seeming directionless are conscious and unconscious
choices made by Nigerian leaders. The impact of corruption on the Nigerian
society and economy has been devastating. It continues to affect the
government’s ability to provide basic services and has negatively impacted on
the wellbeing of the population.
“The lack of successful prosecution of high-profile corruption cases
involving some Politically-Exposed Persons is giving a serious cause for
concern both for Nigerians and the international community. We must take away
the proceeds of illicit enrichment and remove negative role models in our
society.”
Obasanjo noted that the government needed serious investments in the
areas of human security and development of infrastructure.
“We must invest in areas that can improve human security including food,
education, and health. Our budget must reflect a genuine commitment for the
development of infrastructure such as roads, rails, power, ports and housing.
When we spend 70 to 80 per cent of our revenue on recurrent expenditure, we
have very little left for capital and infrastructural development. We should
move to 50 per cent of our revenue being spent on capital development,” the
former president added.
Source: Punch
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