President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, in Daura, says he is leaving behind a proud legacy of fighting corruption as he concludes his tenure next year. He also notes that he will continue his anti-corruption quest long after he leaves office. Buhari, who is “African Anti-corruption Champion,” also called for the establishment of an International Anti-corruption Court to serve cold justice to money launderers. According to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said these in his recorded remark to celebrate the African Day of Anti-Corruption. The statement was titled ‘On Africa anti-corruption day, president Buhari calls for international anti-corruption court to try offenders.’ President Buhari, who noted that the fight against corruption must be sustained for the benefit of present and future generations, said, “Our youths have no place to go and live with dignity but in Africa. “As I am leaving office next year, I am proud to leave behind a legacy of fighting corruption among others. “Personally, I abhor corruption and I will render my best in or outside office to get rid of corruption in Nigeria and Africa in general. I urge our youths to join me in this noble cause.” He noted that Anti-Corruption Agencies must be empowered and allowed to deliver on their mandates. “In Nigeria, I am very proud of our Anti-Corruption Agencies, our law enforcement agencies and our regulatory bodies, for their efforts at checking criminality including corruption. I very deeply appreciate them for their sacrifices,” he said. Describing corruption as “evil,” Buhari called for the creation of a special court to intensify efforts towards prosecuting offenders and retrieving resources that had been stolen and stored in other countries. “Distinguished participants and fellow African leaders, corruption is evil and all efforts at tackling it are desirable. I have monitored the fight against corruption in Africa and I can see both successes and drawbacks. “The battle must continue for the sake of the continent and its people no matter the difficulties. In Nigeria, the fight against corruption has been vigorous since 2015. A lot has been achieved in the areas of arrest, prosecution, conviction, asset recovery and anti-corruption laws. “I must admit that the fight has not been a bed of roses. Truly, a lot of more work in many fronts is required. For example, civil and public servants must be ethical and professional at all times. The private sector must contribute in curving corruption. The international community needs to close safe havens. The judiciary requires more impetus. Perhaps, an International Anti-corruption Criminal Court is needed,” he said. The President then urged his African counterparts to ensure that scarce national resources were not carted away to safe havens where chances of retrieving them was slim. For those that had been stolen, he said states must work together to retrieve them and “show looters that crime does not pay.” “I have come to realise that nations in Africa have to ensure that national resources are not taken to safe havens around the world and we must curtail illicit financial flows in all its ramifications. Also, we must work collectively to recover all resources taken abroad. “We must show looters that crime does not pay by depriving them of the proceeds of their crime,” said the President. To curb elite greed and irresponsibility, Buhari proposed that ethics, decency, decorum and respect for the rule of law must be promoted in Africa. According to him, it is important to develop strategies for behavioral change in Africa if corruption is to be tamed. This will ensure that national resources are allowed to serve the population and not a tiny few.”

  Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to clear the Nigerian Augean stable rather than lamenting on vital national issues. Its General Secretary, Chief Olusola Ebiseni, said this in a statement in Akure, the Ondo state capital. Ebiseni said that the President’s “assertion of the toughness of the assignment is rather amusing for a man that has seen it all both as a military ruler and democratically-elected leader of his people. Its General Secretary, Chief Olusola Ebiseni, said this in a statement in Akure, the Ondo state capital. Ebiseni said that the President’s “assertion of the toughness of the assignment is rather amusing for a man that has seen it all both as a military ruler and democratically-elected leader of his people. Read Also: I didn’t write memo seeking to leave APC — Osinbajo “Like he has done in the last seven years on vital national issues, the President merely lamented the six months strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) without proffering any solution or giving any assurance on how soon the youths of this country would return to school. “It is his stock-in-trade to merely lament mass killings of the people by terrorists, who have become most emboldened and unruly in his seven years so far. “The call, only two months back, for a Government of National Unity, or for the resignation of the President would have no doubt found justification in this admission. “Yet the situation today is quite different from the factors that made such suggestions then plausible. “For what it is worth, the nation is frenzied by the electoral activities, which in itself suggest that Nigerians are more eager than Muhammadu Buhari himself to see the end of his most uninspiring if not disastrous tenure. “Besides, this government is virtually now a ghost of itself with the players so deflated of the air of legitimacy that even the most vibrant Deputy has lost steam, having been tricked into a disastrous popularity contest within the ruling party constituted only by a few Nigerians. “In other words, there is no one better hand than the President left in this government to be invested with the destiny of Nigerians. “Yet, in spite of the obvious darkness which heralds the twilight, the sun in the horizon is still hot enough to get the clothes dry. “Rather than chicken out, Buhari could still, within the remaining months, rally his government, including the distraught National Assembly members, many of whom have been rejected even by their parties and of whom will certainly not eventually return, to leave last minute legacies that will temper the harsh verdict of history. “The greatest problem confronting the nation, the dimension under Buhari of which is unprecedented, is insecurity. “Well meaning Nigerians and drawing from experiences particularly in other federations have recommended federalisation of its solution through multi level security architecture typified in the instrumentality of State Police.”

  Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has called on the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu as part of the peace building effort in the country. The Governor noted that Kanu’s issue was a socio-political challenge that should be dealt with politically. According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Affairs, Peter Ichull, the Governor made the call yesterday when a group under the aegis of American Veterans of Igbo origin paid him a courtesy visit in Washington DC, USA. The Governor argued that the IPOB leader ought to be released pointing out that even members of Boko Haram who posed greater threat to the country’s unity had often been freed, resettled and some integrated into the armed forces. Governor Ortom was quoted as saying that “for the country to be truly united the South East of Nigeria should be given a sense of belonging to erase the impression of persecution of a section of the country.” He tasked the Igbo veterans to believe in one Nigeria, stressing that “no country on earth is without its challenges. “Governor Ortom also told the group that power shift to the South East is possible, if the people of the region put their differences aside to pursue the objective in unity.” He explained that his earlier call for freedom of worship was not only to protect the rights of Christians, but so that all Nigerians would be free to practice their faith without intimidation or molestation in any part of the country. He thanked the group for appreciating his modest contributions to national discourses and reminded South-Eastern Nigerians living abroad that charity begins at home, saying “there is nowhere better than home but only peace and security can guarantee the success of your investments back home”. The governor then called on the veterans to support the peace efforts in the Sout East region so that both their communities and investments would experience sustainable growth and prosperity. Earlier, the President of the group, Dr. Sylvester Onyia who praised Governor Ortom for his fearless position on Nigeria’s ills, insisting that only such a stand from leaders could build bridges of understanding and give hope to despairing Nigerians living abroad that one Nigeria was possible. The group however expressed fears for the upcoming general elections owing to the spate of insecurity in the country and called on Governor Ortom not to relent on pursuing the best security options. The group assured the Governor of its support in amplifying his voice in peace-building to their representatives in the American Congress saying, “you are not alone; we are with you. Continue speaking the truth; truth is the manifestation of God.” On the delegation according to the statement were the Vice President of the group, Dr. Prince Nduka, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to South Africa, Dr. Ajulu and Dr. Ofo, the group’s PRO.