By Bashir Mohammed
Kano
After over two years of his administration’s fight against corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday declared that it’s more difficult tackling the menace than insurgency.
Buhari spoke at a town hall meeting in Kano on the final day of his two-day visit to the state.
“The power of the corrupt Nigerians is so enormous, but we are determined to deal with the situation headlong. This is as been adjudged by what is happening today on ground,” he said.
Responding to comments made at the town hall meeting, he said the democratic environment has made the fight against corruption even more difficult.
“As Head of State, I arrested some corrupt politicians. But shortly after I was arrested after my government had been truncated, all the houses that I confiscated were returned back to the owners,” he recalled.
This, according to him, explained the reason the current fight against corruption is pretty difficult.
“After confiscating properties from the corrupt Nigerians, we ordered that they should be sold and the money be deposited at the treasury. To show our seriousness in this fight today, among those being investigated was a high court judge whose house was searched and several foreign currencies were found and some international passports,” he said
Continuing, President Buhari said the fight against corruption requires zeal, courage and full determination to succeed, saying his government has all these attributes to achieve the success.
On the war against insurgency, he said the success so far recorded is a victory for the entire nation, adding that already, the fight was tilting towards final victory.
“Let me say, while linking the war against insurgency vis-a-vis the issue of smuggling as being raised, we have a duty to keep sound relationship with our neighbours, a reason why I went to Chad and Cameroun immediately after assuming office.”
But, in spite of continued smuggling, he said the ban on the importation of rice had recorded 90 percent success, describing Nigerian farmers as the greatest beneficiaries.
