President Umaru Yar�Adua on Tuesday accused multinational firms of being the biggest contributors to corruption in Nigeria, then braced himself for a bigger battle against it.
He solicited the assistance of the World Bank to check such companies when he responded to remarks made in Abuja by World Bank Vice President, Oby Ezekwesili, that the global perception of Nigeria�s anti-corruption war is ebbing.
Ezekwesili disclosed that Nigeria received over $2 billion from the World Bank as part of partnership activities and support in the eight years of Olusegun Obasanjo as President.
Yar�Adua acknowledged the media perception that the battle against graft is slowing down, but said he is ready to wage a “serious and sustainable war against corruption,” and would live by example, subjecting his own conduct to scrutiny.
Bemoaning the role of the multinationals and the insincerity of Nigeria�s past leaders at all levels, which contributed to the corruption that is destroying the country, Yar�Adua said he has opted to give all anti-graft institutions “a free hand,” and “I have told them I won�t interfere, because I am strongly in support of the fight against corruption.
“No hurdle has been put on their paths. The only thing I have made very clear is that they must follow the rule of law and due process.”
He tasked holders of public trust to lead by example, and appealed to the World Bank to help out in the anti-graft war, especially in the case of multinationals.
“Corruption is a manifestation of disrespect for the rule of law and due process, especially among those who have leadership responsibilities. You must tackle the system and leave no room for people to be tempted. That way, anybody who engages in corrupt activities knows he is putting himself on the line.”
The government will continue the battle at “multiple levels,” Yar�Adua announced, and will appoint �corruption monitors� to check public officials, and expose underhand dealings.
Those appointed will study the United States� and China�s anti-corruption models whereby officials monitor the flow of suspicious assets and corruption activities by establishing information sharing systems among prosecutors, the courts, the police, and banks.
Corruption monitors would end the practice “where public officials use proxy companies to award contracts to themselves and, in the process, amass ill-gotten wealth whose sources they cannot explain.”
He expressed concern that one of the factors of corruption is the absence of planning; since, without planning, “you cannot set targets, objectives and time lines. This gives room for corruption, because nobody is ever held accountable for uncompleted or abandoned projects for which additional resources must be provided for completion.”
Ezekwesili expressed the readiness of the World Bank to provide technical assistance to Nigeria in the areas of power supply and other infrastructure.
She expressed delight that the Yar�Adua administration has continued with the reforms for which Nigeria has received $2 billion from the World Bank since 1999.
She sought the sustenance of macro-economic stability, and improvement of infrastructure, stressing that the World Bank is keen on checking both “the givers and the takers” of bribe.