LocalChamp: 'Apologize for Misleading Nigerians on Anti-Corruption Fight,’ ACN Tells President Jonathan

Posted: October 3, 2012 - 04:11

By SaharaReporters, New York
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to apologize unreservedly to Nigerians for misleading them on the blunder concerning the alleged positive rating given to the country by the global anti-corruption body, Transparency International.

In a statement issued in Lagos today by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, ACN expressed shock and sadness that the President of Africa's most populous nation and the continent's second largest economy can make such a frivolous claim on an issue of global concern as corruption.

''Transparency International has denied claims by President Jonathan, in his 52nd independence anniversary speech on Monday, that the global body has rated Nigeria as the second most improved country in the fight against corruption,'' the statement said, noting that the ACN’s demand for an apology came after it saw a copy of Transparency International's response to inquiries on the President's claim.

“Transparency International does not have a recent rating or report that places Nigeria as the second most improved country in the fight against corruption,” the body said in response to enquiry by Premium Times.

''In the 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures perceived levels of public sector corruption, Nigeria scored 2.4 on a scale where 0 means highly corrupt and 10 means very clean. It was ranked 143 out of 183 countries.”

ACN said that in addition to apologizing to all Nigerians for the embarrassment, the President must immediately kick-start an investigation into the source of a claim that has exposed his Administration and the entire country to global ridicule.

Furthermore, the President, who was apparently trying to showcase the 'achievements' of his administration in the fight against corruption, has now raised doubts about the authenticity of other claims he made in the anniversary speech, the party noted.

It said: ''Among other claims, the President had said that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 7.1 per cent on average; that his Administration's Investment Climate Reform Programme has helped to attract over N6.8 trillion local and foreign direct investment commitments, and that Nigeria is ranked first in the top 5 host economies for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inAfrica, accounting for over 20 per cent of total FDI flows into the continent.”

It stated that in view of the fact that the President's claim of positive rating for Nigeria in the anti-corruption fight has been debunked, it is logical for Nigerians to doubt the truth in the other claims, and indeed in the entire speech.

“This is very sad for the Jonathan Administration, because if the bond of trust between the government and its citizens is broken, the government's credibility suffers and, without credibility, any government is not worth its name,'' ACN said.

The party said if the President fails to act quickly to unearth the source of such a spurious claim and ensure it does not recur, he risks a bigger embarrassment from officials who may want to tweak facts and figures to justify their positions.

''In the end, the responsibility for any inaccuracy in any speech by the President rests squarely on his shoulders,'' it said.

It would be recalled that during a worship service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja on Sunday, President Jonathan attracted widespread mockery and laughter when he said that he is almost second to none in combatting corruption.

“Our commitment to the fight against corruption is second to that of America’s commitment,” he told the shocked congregation. “We are very commitment to it and everybody knows.”

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/%E2%80%98apologize-misleading-nigerians-anti-corruption-fight%E2%80%99-acn-tells-president-jonathan

Abujafood: So GEJ should apologise to Nigerians that way making him admit his folly! ACN is this a political point you want to score or do you love Nigerians so much that you believe they deserve this apology?

Let's not forget that your strong Man - Tinubu who criticised Jonathan's Power Reforms Program is among those justling to acquire a major power plant in the south west!

Ffuck ACN. who cares if they exist or not. Am a Nigerian that listened to the President's speech and now av realized that the retardeen deceived me from his speech. He had earlier told me on Live TV that he doesnt give a damn.
I demand an apology from the retardeen.

inspirenet:


What difference would it make if he apologizes?

Okontami: Tell Tinubu to apologise for lying to Nigerians first on his invitation by Obama

Elueme: These ACN buffoons are day dreamers... Lai Mohammed should tender an apology on behalf of his party for heating up the polity.. I don't understand what this regional political party thinks of themselves.. Still thinking

tjskii: So will his apology put food on my table or fuel in my car,mmsscheeww bunch of miscreants

garripack:

FIRST OFF ALL ACN ARE JUST BEING POLITICAL AND TRYIING TO FIND FAULT IN MR PRESIDENT
SECOND: I MY SELF THINKS THE ACN GORVENMENT AREWORST IN THE TERMS OF CORRUPTION SO THEY SHOULD ALSO APPOLOGISE TO NIGERIANS AND STOP THIS POLITICAL HYPOCRITE

THIRD: THE JOHNATAN GORVENMENT IS TO BE BLAMED FOR THEIR INCAPABILITY TO HANDLE NATIONAL MATTERS

FOURTH: MR PRESIDENT HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE INCAPABLE TO THE COUNTRY AND TO THE OPPOSITION PARTY HEREBY REVEALING IS INCAPABILITY HAS HIS WEAKNESS.

FIFTH: ABOUT BATTLING CORRUPTION II FILL NIGERIA IS THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AND THE PDP GOVERNMENT RE CRIMINALS AND ALL OFF THEM NIDS TO BE FULSED OUT

k2039: As much as I hate ACN with passion,I feel the president should apologise.

Less I forget,Tinubu has not apologised for lying to us that Obama invited him SPECIALLY to the democratic convection.
Tinubu is not any different from goodluck,infact he is worse.

Tinubu is not the president of nigeria, he is the leader of the opposition it is not a federal appointment neither is he accountable to the public, he is accountable to members of his party and his party supporters,

Tinubu has not come out to say he wants to be president of Nigeria either lets talk issues and not personalities, lets talk of unemployment lets talk of insecurity lets talk of food security lets talk of real issues, lets talk of power distribution and generation, lets talk of power now so far so bad

earthgreeners:

Action Congress of Nigeria,
The best political party in Nigeria. atleast for now

Okontami: Tell Tinubu to apologise for lying to Nigerians first on his invitation by Obama

Comparing the Corruption Perception Indexes for:

2001 - http://archive.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2001

and

2011 - http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2011/results/

Bangladesh was the most improved country in fighting corruption with a jump from 0.4 to 2.7 (2.3 improvement), and Nigeria was 2nd with a jump from 1.0 to 2.4 (1.4 improvement). President Jonathan said, “Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption” and the country’s Ministry of Information explained that the claim was based, “on the survey of global corruption perceptions for 2011 versus 2001”.

Based on the above, the President was technically right, as Nigeria was the 2nd most improved country in the CPIs for 2011 and 2001 compared.

Demdem:

Ffuck ACN. who cares if they exist or not. Am a Nigerian that listened to the President's speech and now av realized that the retardeen deceived me from his speech. He had earlier told me on Live TV that he doesnt give a damn.
I demand an apology from the retardeen.

_{Of cos i know he wont, retardeens dont}

earthgreeners:


Tinubu did not at anytime stated that Obama invited him...therefore, STFU

The party urged the opposition party to “rise beyond roadside sophistry and accept that the party and Tinubu traded on fraudulent claims when they lied to Nigerians that he was sent a gold card invitation by the Democratic Party to attend its recent national convention.”
The PDP also advised the ACN to apologise to Nigerians for embarrassing the country and for bringing it to ridicule before a foreign political party.

A USA based media outfit just reported that contrary to Bola Tinubu's claim that he was invited by Obama for the Democratic Party Convention, that he paid $5000 to obtain a generic invitation. The invitation was given to everyone who donated more than $5,000 to the Obama campaign the source disclosed.

earthgreeners:

give them first and lets see how it goes...we are just tired of d taboo called PDP

garripack:

FIRST OFF ALL ACN ARE JUST BEING POLITICAL AND TRYIING TO FIND FAULT IN MR PRESIDENT
SECOND: I MY SELF THINKS THE ACN GORVENMENT AREWORST IN THE TERMS OF CORRUPTION SO THEY SHOULD ALSO APPOLOGISE TO NIGERIANS AND STOP THIS POLITICAL HYPOCRITE

THIRD: THE JOHNATAN GORVENMENT IS TO BE BLAMED FOR THEIR INCAPABILITY TO HANDLE NATIONAL MATTERS

FOURTH: MR PRESIDENT HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE INCAPABLE TO THE COUNTRY AND TO THE OPPOSITION PARTY HEREBY REVEALING IS INCAPABILITY HAS HIS WEAKNESS.

FIFTH: ABOUT BATTLING CORRUPTION II FILL NIGERIA IS THE MOST CORRUPT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD AND THE PDP GOVERNMENT RE CRIMINALS AND ALL OFF THEM NIDS TO BE FULSED OUT