President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday tactically counselled the president-elect Muhammadu Buhari on anti- corruption war.
Jonathan, in his remarks at the State House in Abuja while presenting handover notes to Buhari, flaunted his records of achievements in the anti-graft fight.
The president-elect had, during the electioneering campaign period, promised to fight corruption.
Jonathan told his successor that the nation’s anti-corruption bodies must be encouraged to abide by the rule of law and due process.
The president said this would help in the fight against corruption rather than resort to “dramatic or illegal actions orchestrated for cheap applause.”
He said his administration had emphasised giving a free hand to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).
He said he preferred that the anti-corruption agencies mature into strong institutions “instead of being images, the hammer and the anvil of a strong man. We must encourage them (EFCC and ICPC) to abide by the rule of law and due process instead of resorting to dramatic or illegal actions orchestrated for cheap applause.”
Jonathan said beyond “the very impressive” records of enhanced convictions by the anti-corruption agencies, his administration’s other strategy had been to fashion economic policies that deliver higher deterrence and frustrate concealment.
The president said in that regard, the Bureau of Public Procurement has played a central role and impacted strongly on the fight against corruption.
Jonathan, who stated that his administration’s financial system reform of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) had unified the structure of government accounts for all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and brought order to cash flow management.
He added that his government’s financial sector reforms addressed the issues of inefficiencies in the coordination and monitoring of the financial system
-Daily Trust.
