vigorously support prevention, enforcement, public education and
enlightenment activities of anti-corruption agencies.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s spokesman, stated this on Thursday in
a statement while reacting to the latest Transparency International (TI)
report on Corruption Perceptions Index in Nigeria.
The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2020 report, published by
Transparency International, had said that Nigeria scored 25 out of 100
points, thereby occupying the 149th position out of the 180 countries
surveyed.
The report further alleged that Nigeria is now the second most corrupt
country in West Africa with Guinea-Bissau the only country more corrupt
than Nigeria in the region.
However, the presidential spokesman dismissed the report, questioning
the sources of data used in arriving at the TI report on Nigeria.
According to him, the report is not an accurate portrayal of the facts
on ground.
He said: ”We are currently analyzing the sources of data used in
arriving at the latest Transparency International (TI) report on
Corruption Perceptions Index in Nigeria since by their own admission,
they don’t gather their own data.
”This report is not an accurate portrayal of the facts on ground.
”In the coming days, the Government’s Technical Unit on Governance
Research (TUGAR) will be providing more detailed information on the
sources of the TI data.
”While this is being awaited, the examination carried out on their 2019
report showed that 60 percent of their data was collected from
businesses and other entities with issues bordering on transparency and
the ease of doing business at the ports.
”Although this is a government ready to learn from mistakes and make
corrections, the economy of this country, in its fullness, is bigger
than the sea ports we have.
”We are also not unaware of the characters behind the TI in Nigeria
whose opposition to the Buhari administration is not hidden.
”We have repeatedly challenged TI to provide indices and statistics of
its own to justify its sensational and baseless rating on Nigeria and
the fight against corruption.
”We expect them to come clean and desist from further rehashing of old
tales.”
Shehu, who narrated the achievements of the Buhari administration in the
fight against corruption in the last five years, revealed that the
government had so far recovered N1.2 trillion from corrupt individuals
and organisations through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) from 2015 to 2019.
He said various anti-corruption measures were also put in place to check
corrupt-practices in the public service.
”A Naira denominated review that excludes recoveries in Dollars, Pounds,
Euros shows that a sum of N1.2 trillion was recovered by EFCC between
2009 — 2019, N939 billion of that total was recovered between 2015 and
2019 with less than N300 billion recovered in the first six years.
”Additionally, preventative instruments deployed by this administration
such as Treasury Single Account (TSA), Integrated Personnel and Payroll
Information System (IPPIS) coverage expansion and the removal of 54,000
ghost workers from federal civil service (saving us N200 billion
annually), serve as evidence that perception is not reality.
”Reality is based on verifiable facts and data. And any evidence-based
analysis would prove that whether it is by prevention or punitive
measures in recoveries and prosecution, this administration would be
rising fast up these rankings rather than standing still,” he added.
He, therefore, advised that organizations should be factual in their
analysis and be prepared to rely on inputs outside of sensational media
reports and age-old narratives which had not been updated to reflect
today’s reality in Nigeria concerning its globally-respected war on
corruption.
”In the existential fight against this multi-pronged malice and
manifestations of corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that
he would take-no-prisoners, guided by respect for the rule of law.
”We invite Nigerians to stand with an administration that has done so
much on asset recovery, prosecution, legislation, political will and
leadership by example in the fight against corruption.
”Equally, we urge our friends in the media, development partners and the
civil society organizations to continue to support efforts to strengthen
accountability, transparency, ethical values and integrity in Nigeria’s
public sector.”
According to him, Buhari has put his hand to the plough and will not
relent in working with those passionate about the welfare, stability and
prosperity of future generations to come in Nigeria. (NAN)