The Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) today in Abuja said that despite criticisms from familiar quarters, the anti-corruption war, the initiative of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, remains in full stream with attainment of phenomenal results like never before.
The group made the statement against the back drop of the low rating of the anti-graft war by the Senate President at a book launch in Abuja on Monday.
The Senate President, Dr. Olusola Saraki, was quoted as berating the anti-corruption war on the basis that the campaign focuses attention on punishment rather than deterrence, thereby adducing it as the reason why poor results have been recorded so far.
The statement which was signed by BMSG Acting Coordinator, Hon. Austin Braimoh and the Secretary, Chief Cassidy Madueke, said that the high integrity of President Bihari has infused steam into the war against corruption, coupled with the fact that anti-graft agencies have been rendering good account of themselves in reducing graft, most especially, blind looting of the national treasury.
The group said that “though the anti-corruption war in Nigeria like every other government initiative is subject to constant review for attainment of higher successes, top public officials at all levels should support the war against corruption rather than subvert it,’’ the statement said.
Furthermore, BMSG said that while the present government has always been open to constructive criticisms, it has not concentrated efforts solely on deterrence in its approach to addressing the problem of wide spread corruption in Nigeria.
The group recalls that the executive arm of government has lined up a number of Bills aimed at strengthening the war against corruption with prevention as the main focus, but that the Bills are still pending in the National Assembly waiting for passage.
It urged the Senate and the House of Representatives to as a matter of urgency ensure speedily passage of the Anti-Corruption Bills, most especially the Bill on Whistle Blowing aimed at preventing the looting of nation’s treasury.
“The President, to the full knowledge of Nigerians has been allowing the tenets of democracy to guide his conducts as he always submitted himself to guidelines by the constitution. So at any rate, the President is not punitive and autocratic as many may believe.
“BMSG, however said that if the President has been fighting corruption with kid gloves in line with expectations in some quarters, EFCC would not have discovered the huge sums of foreign and local currencies stashed away in secret places,” the statement said.
