FG’s efforts to revamp economy won’t achieve much without fighting corruption – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said

the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to revive the nation’s
economy will not yield positive results unless the fight against
corruption is also intensified.

Speaking at the 2016 Annual Lecture of the Federal Radio Corporation
of Nigeria (FRCN) in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister said that is why
the government is tackling both issues simultaneously.

”And that’s why the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture
launched a Sensitization Campaign Against Corruption on 18th January
2016…with a view to alerting Nigerians to the evils of corruption
and carrying them along in the efforts by the government to tackle the
menace,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed described as appropriate the topic of the lecture,
”Fighting Corruption and Growing a Sustainable Nigerian Economy”,
saying it could not have come at a better time, ”as this
Administration is stepping up its anti-corruption fight while also
seeking to bring the economy out of recession and put it on the path
of sustainable growth”.

”It is also noteworthy that the topic for this 2016 lecture
incorporates two of the three cardinal programmes of this
Administration, which are the fight against corruption and the
revamping of the economy to create jobs and provide wealth. The third
priority, of course, is the fight against insecurity,” he said.

The Minister said there is a direct correlation between corruption and
economic growth, noting that corruption stifles economic growth in
many ways, including by discouraging foreign investment, reducing tax
revenue and preventing infrastructural development.

”In other words, in countries where you have a high level of
corruption, there is reduced economic growth and, of course, higher
poverty level. That’s why the Berlin-based global civil society
organization, Transparency International, said corruption, especially
public sector corruption, is about so much more than missing money.
It’s about people’s lives.

”It is therefore not a surprise that the countries that have
consistently scored high marks in the Annual Corruption Perception
Index of Transparency International are also the countries that have
also managed to grow a sustainable economy,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed noted that, having recognised corruption as the
biggest threat to the economic and political development of any
country, the Federal Government will not relent in its efforts to
tackle the menace of corruption to a standstill.

”The Buhari Administration, since its inauguration, has left no one
in doubt regarding its commitment to ridding Nigeria of corruption, as
captured poignantly in President Buhari’s statement that if Nigeria
does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.

”We are very much aware that the fight against corruption will not be
easy. Fighting entrenched corruption can sometimes be a very lonely
road to travel in our part of the world, where a true community of
genuine corruption fighters are assailed from every side by unwary
recruits of the looters among us, in our communities, places of work
and worship. We also know that corruption is fighting back, fastly and
furiously. But with uncommon commitment and determination, we will win
the war against corruption,” he said.