Apart\u00a0 from barefaced theft of public funds, corruption has also been
\ncited as the main reason for poor policy choices, the prevalence of
\npoverty in the midst of plenty and waste of resources in the country,
\naccording to President Muhammadu Buhari in his Goodwill message to the
\nConference of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria earlier today in Port Harcourt.<\/p>\n
In a message delivered on his behalf by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi
\nOsinbajo, SAN, the President declared that\u00a0 “corruption in our country is
\nso endemic that it constitutes a parallel system. It is the primary reason
\nfor poor policy choices, waste and of course bare- faced theft of public
\nresources.”<\/p>\n
While further clarifying his administration’s commitment to the war
\nagainst corruption, the President said “our fight against corruption is
\nnot just a moral battle for virtue and righteousness in our land, it is a
\nfight for the soul and substance of our nation.”<\/p>\n
Giving an insight into the way corruption destroys the nation, the
\nPresident told the Second Plenary of the Conference that “it is the main
\nreason why a potentially prosperous country struggles to feed itself and
\nprovide jobs for millions.”<\/p>\n
In the same way the President posited that “the hundreds of thousands of
\ndeaths in the infant, maternal mortality statistics, the hundreds of
\nthousands of annual deaths from preventable diseases are traceable to the
\ngreed and corruption of a few. This is why we must see it as an
\nexistential threat, if we don\u2019t kill it, it will kill us.”<\/p>\n
On security, the President disclosed that “we are on course to militarily
\nrout Boko Haram, and make them incapable of taking and holding territory,
\n” adding that suicide bombings in some parts of the North East are the
\ndesperate acts of the terrorists to create a sense that they are still in
\nplay.<\/p>\n
He assured that “with vigilance and good local intelligence we will make
\nthose cowardly acts practically impossible.”<\/p>\n
Briefing the conference on the economy, the President disclosed that “we
\nmust change the paradigm of thinking about our economy and the ultimate
\ngood of the majority. While we create an enabling environment for free
\nenterprise, we must reason, plan and budget\u00a0with the understanding that
\nalmost 2\/3 of our people are extremely poor, and must be helped first to
\nsurvive and then to fully participate in the economy of the nation.”<\/p>\n
Consequently, he continued, “we must create a safety nets for the very
\npoor and vulnerable while ensuring that social spending is also a direct
\ninvestment in the economy. We must invest substantially in relevant
\neducation, teacher training, and vocational and entrepeneurial traning.”<\/p>\n
The President who had attended the First Plenary of this year’s Conference
\nin February as the presidential candidate of the APC, expressed a sense of
\nhonour\u00a0 at the invitation, and delivered to the Conference, “warm
\nfelicitations on behalf of the Government and people of our great nation
\nNigeria.”<\/p>\n
He praised the Catholic Bishops noting that he has “always been impressed
\nwith the social consciousness exhibited by the Catholic Bishop\u2019s
\nConference.”<\/p>\n
The President praised the Bishops’ Conference that their\u00a0 “bold critical
\ninterventions at various crucial moments in our national journey have
\nhelped to caution, admonish and ultimately stabilize the polity. This is
\nas it should be. This nation belongs to us all, leaders in every sector
\nowe it to this generation to contribute in building a good society.”<\/p>\n
He concluded by asking for daily prayers while promising that “for us
\nelected into government we have since set about the daunting tasks before
\nus, with vigour and commitment in the full assurance that by the grace of
\nGod our country will become safe, secure, prosperous and virtuous.”<\/p>\n
In his speech, the President of the Conference, Most Revd Igantius
\nKaigama, the Archbishop of Jos commended the Buhari administration’s
\ncommitment to the fight against corruption and praised the formation of a
\nPresidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption.<\/p>\n
According to him, “the president is dead right that if we don’t kill
\ncorruption, corruption will kill us.” He also prayed that God will give th
\ncitizens of Nigeria a new heart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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