By Denja Yaqub
NO doubt, the dawn
of the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency has changed the corruption surge in Nigeria , even
as anti-corruption laws and institutions are still very weak and lacking in both
capacity and will to curb the spate.
Corruption is
unarguably Nigeria ’s
worst problem, every other problems including unemployment, sit on the trivet
of corruption and all we urgently need is a serious government that is
committed, beyond words, to the battle against the plague.
*Amaechi, Buhari and Fashola
President Muhammadu
Buhari’s promise to fight corruption during his campaigns and his
anti-corruption pedigree certainly gave him majority of the votes that shot him
to power as most Nigerians are eager to clear the global dent on our collective
image and he needs to ensure he goes beyond mere declarations by strengthening
all structures and institutions that can effectively wipe off corruption or at
least reduce it.
Since his emergence
as President, the only weapon that has been fighting corruption is simply his
name. His name has become anti-corruption law, agency and court. Individuals,
organisations and government agencies have adopted a culture of self-control;
some people who had diverted public funds to their private vaults have been
reported to have quietly returned the funds to government. Indeed, the Governor
of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai publicly said a former public officer, whom he
didn’t name, had contacted him to facilitate the return of money he stole while
in government during Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency.
The Peoples
Democratic Party, a party that ruled this country to economic ruins for sixteen
years but now in the opposition is swamped with hallucinating fright as most of
those being questioned for corruption are members of the party. The party
believed the anti-corruption battle is directed at its members. It would be
strange if majority of those being investigated or facing prosecution are
members of any other political party, anyway.