Buhari Govt Most Transparent In Nigeria’s History – Lai
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says Nigeria has never had a more transparent and accountable government than the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
Mohammed said this on Friday when he hosted Delia Ferreira Rubio, chairperson of Transparency International (TI), at his office in Abuja.
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The minister, who was quoted in a statement released on Saturday by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, accused TI of not offering adequate support to the Buhari government.
He said when the government disclosed that 55 people stole N1.34 trillion between 2006 and 2013 and the time it published the looters’ list, the anti-corruption watchdog “was busy parroting the cliche that the allegations were one-sided, instead of supporting the government’s action”.
The minister further cited a recent report by the international body, saying corruption was getting worse in the country.
The 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released in February by TI indicates that corruption in the country has been bloated under Buhari.
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The report revealed that the current administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which met Nigeria’s corruption score and rank at 27/100 and 136th respectively, has taken the country 12 places below.
Transparency International now ranks Nigeria 148, with a CPI of 27, a figure lower than the average in the Sub-Sharan region.
“Nigeria has never had a more transparent, more accountable government than the Buhari administration,” the minister said.
“As a policy, this government is the most committed to fighting corruption. We need your support in the area of advocacy and capacity building. They look at the actions of an aberrant few to condemn the government.”
Mohammed said the federal government is not only fighting corruption with laws but also with education and “inclusiveness in government”.
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According to him, corrupt officials are fighting the government with looted funds, because President Buhari’s relection would spell doom for them.
