Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

Mixed reactions have trailed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement that his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari, not only worsened the level of corruption in Nigeria but also chased away investors by de-marketing Nigeria abroad through his utterances.

The former president added that rather than take Nigeria to the next level, the Buhari administration decided to engage in media trials which also worsened the corruption perception of Nigeria, leading to Nigeria’s slip in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.

Jonathan made the claim in his recently published book titled, ‘My Transition Hours’.

He said: “The sundry accusations by the new administration will appear to have baited the media. Media trials are entertaining but have little or no effect in fighting corruption and improving the economy.

“Since I left office, rather than improve on our TI corruption perception record, the situation has worsened with the nation going 12 places backward, becoming number 148 according to the latest CPI ranking for 2014, from 136 in 2014 when I was president.”

However, speaking with our correspondent on Wednesday, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), said it was surprising that Jonathan used the occasion of his book launch to lie to Nigerians.

He said having seen the efforts President Buhari had put in the anti-corruption war so far, he expected Jonathan to have applauded his successor for his efforts so far, but he said the opposite in his book.

“It is a pity that former President Goodluck Jonathan could have said that. The amount of energy and resources that this government has spent in combating the massive corruption that this country has never seen before under Jonathan is so extreme.

“It is totally unprecedented in terms of scope and intensity. Not only that his government is worse than Buhari’s, it is the worst in this country in terms of corruption. We are in the middle of the rot still trying to clear it away.

“So, I don’t know where he had the courage to say that publicly yesterday. I expect him to come out and commend his successor for doing a great job in cleaning the Aegean stable of corruption but he was lying and saying the opposite, especially when President Buhari gave him a very warm commendation.”

Sagay also said the claim by the former president that foreign investors had fled the country since President Muhammadu Buhari took over was false.

According to him, only corrupt foreign investors who hugely benefited from the corrupt administration of Jonathan fled the country having realised that it was no longer business as usual.

“There are some investors who only operate in an atmosphere of corruption. They have nothing good to offer Nigeria. All they want to do is just to loot and entrench corrupt practices with the assistance of officials in government whom they have bribed.

“So, it is a company of corrupt people, both foreign and local, who operate in those circumstances. You must have heard of illicit financial flows. That was how it happened.

“They cooperate with these foreign investors to loot the country of her resources, inflating their costs and at the same time reducing the amounts they are to pay so that at the end of day, they leave the country with a lot of resources and under-develop the country and get away with it.

“Only investors of that ilk can say they are no longer coming because we have an honest government in place,” he said.

However, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, said Jonathan only quoted what Transparency International said that corruption in Nigeria had worsened under the Buhari administration.

Yinka Odumakin, its Spokesperson, said developments in the country had clearly shown that corruption had worsened in the country while the Buhari government was fighting a selective anti-corruption war.

“Transparency International said that corruption in Nigeria has worsened. The Federal Government then were abusing Transparent International, saying they were going to issue a robust press statement. They never said anything till now.

“Few days ago, news came out that the president has asked the EFCC chairman to go and give account of all that they have recovered. They later said fire has entered their data unit.

“We have had more monumental scandal such as the rice donation by China. They used N400 million to clear rice worth N414 million yet not a single grain got to the IDPs. We still remember the Baru-Kachikwu NNPC tango and LNG scandal, and so on.

“So, there is no denying the fact that corruption is worsening on a daily basis in Nigeria while they are busy fighting some selective war and that you are corrupt but once you join the ruling party, your sins are forgiven,” he said.

Also speaking, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said the reports by the Transparency International did not tally with the efforts made by the Buhari administration in the war against corruption.

Anthony Sani, the Spokesperson of the forum, said despite shortcomings by the Buhari administration, its efforts in the fight against corruption had been commendable.

“The former president used the reports of Transparency International for 2017 as basis for his assertions, but the government has called into question the basis of that reports which the government believes did not reflect the reality, considering the various efforts made by the government in the fight against corruption by way of recoveries, whistle-blowing, and enlightenment which have inched corruption into popular consciousness to wit, that it is number one practice which has stolen our empowerment, our opportunity, and our future.

“As a result, the practice of cash-for-peerage among our universities and traditional institutions are beginning to give way. Today, Nigerians are beginning to frown at vote buying in both party primaries and during elections.

“But Nigerians can still wait for the report by TI for this year in order to have a fair and realistic appreciation of the situation. This is because we think the TI reports of 2017 do not seem to tally with what we see of government’s actions against corruption.

“To some of us, despite some of her shortcomings in the fight against corruption, some of us still believe the efforts by the government in the campaigns are commendable and should be applauded,” he said.

https://www.independent.ng/mixed-reactions-trail-jonathans-comment-on-anti-graft-war/

Effort is nothing without results.

Buhari administration Anti corruption war is just a media trial..

Even if TI release another one zombies will still fault it once it is not supporting their lifeless party view

Sagay, I really don't know how you can leave with yourself with the kind of statements you make most times, Why has your office yet to recommend that the for SFG be persecuted? The former Finance Minister and a whole lot of them, you now come and do wash wash for us, it is not fair at your age you should be able the truth and stand by it, tomorrow will now come and write a book how people stopped your from doing your work.

Didn't expect less from Sa-GAY

I agree with Jonathan. He only quoted what TI said about corruption under Buhari. Except if zombies wants to say he bribed TI to do so