President Muhammadu Buhari says the anti-corruption war is tough and
grueling, with corruption fighting vigorously back, but assured that the
battle would be won.
Meeting with American Secretary of State, John Kerry, Wednesday, on the
margins of conference on climate change, COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco,
President Buhari said corrupt people had accumulated a formidable arsenal
of illicit wealth, which they were now deploying against the government on
diverse fronts.
“But it is a war we are determined to win, and which we will win,”
President Buhari said. “People of goodwill are behind us, countries like
America and many others are with us, and we will surely win.”
The President also updated Secretary Kerry on the war against insurgency
in the North-east of Nigeria, efforts being made to tackle humanitarian
problems caused by the insurgency, informing that a presidential committee
had been launched “under Gen T.Y Danjuma, a man of high integrity.”
On the unrest in the Niger Delta area, which manifests in the sabotage of
critical oil and power installations, President Buhari said the engagement
process was proceeding apace, adding that it was rather difficult bringing
the main protagonists of the insurgency under one umbrella.
The President said Nigeria was happy with American support on different
fronts, assuring that the economic challenges facing the country were
being “frontally tackled, and we will overcome them soon.”
Secretary Kerry expressed delight at the many successes of the Buhari
administration, pledging continued U.S support in the bid to overcome
security, humanitarian, political, and economic challenges.
As the Barrack Obama administration exits next January, Kerry said he
would love to continue engaging with Nigeria, even in a private capacity.
He described President Buhari as a strong international partner in the
battle against violent extremism.