FORMER finance minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has welcomed President Muhammadu Buhari's war on corruption saying it is necessary to move Nigeria forward just as the former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam was arrested by anti-graft agents.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala, who was former president Goodluck Jonathan's finance minister was a leading member of the then People's Democratic Party (PDP) and as the coordinating minister for the economy, was partly responsible for curbing corruption while in office. However, she was unable to curb the activities of several PDP ministers and governors who are now being prosecuted by the Buhari administration.
Yesterday, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officials arrested Governor Suswam, over alleged corruption during his tenure as governor between 2007 and 2015. He was being quizzed at the EFCC office in Abuja over alleged graft in his state, following last Friday’s questioning of his former finance commissioner Omadachi Oklobia.
EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwajuren, said: “He was invited by the EFCC in connection with ongoing corruption investigation in Benue State.” Mr Oklobia, who served under Governor Suswam, had been invited by the EFCC to defend allegations of the diversion of public funds, abuse of office, embezzlement and fraud during his tenure.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala expressed support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s effort at tackling corruption, saying graft remains Nigeria’s biggest impediment to achieving sustainable development goals (SDG). Speaking as a guest lecturer at the 2015 Holts Lecture of the Pennsylvania University Law School, she said the president was confronting corruption head on and was setting the example that would directly help root it out in other sectors of government.
“The new president of the country who is just taking office has made it the central plan of his administration to fight corruption to root it out and he sets about restructuring some of the key agencies where things are happening, setting example. I think with that, when you see examples in one place, it sends the message about what should happen in other places.
"I think this is being confronted head on and I think and hope that with what is going on and what we tried to do in the previous administration, it will bring more transparency to the way of doing business. With the example being set by the president, I am hopeful Nigeria will get rid of corruption," Dr Okonjo-Iwela added.
She added that although funds needed for SDGs are huge, blocking illicit financial flow could help free up the needed funds. About 80% of the SDGs are infrastructural goals which require $6trn in funding over the next 15 years.
According to Dr Okonjo-Iweala, current global funding for infrastructure stood at $1.7trn and 60% of the SDGs and their funding are to be borne by developing countries, justifying why corruption must be confronted. She said that as a minister, she made efforts to improve transparency and fight corruption in the government but regretted allegations of corruption directed at her after leaving office.
She also hinted that her decision to join the Goodluck Jonathan government after serving in the Obasanjo government may have been mistaken. Dr Okonjo-Iwela added: “When the opportunity came to go for it for the second time, I went, perhaps unwisely but I went because no one will fight this corruption for us and we have to do it ourselves."
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