President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday vowed to strengthen his anti-corruption campaign in the country just as he insisted that his administration would not spare anyone found guilty of corrupt practices.
The president also vowed to step up his anti-corruption drive by reinvigorating all anti-graft agencies in the country such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission.
Buhari stated these while speaking at the opening session of the 45th Annual Accountants Conference and 50th Anniversary celebration of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
The conference with the theme “ICAN: Building on a legacy of service”, is the single largest gathering of chartered accountants in the country.
His address was delivered by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs Anastasia Nwaobia.
According to President Buhari, the lack of prudence, transparency and honesty in the management of public resources had left Nigerians in a state of suffering and deprivation.
He, therefore, called on the ICAN to assist his administration in reversing the trend by ensuring that the resources of government are duly accounted for with all sense of transparency.
He said, “We are at the threshold of history where we must collectively take the destiny of the nation in our hands.
“As Nigerians, no one can love Nigeria like you and me. On our part, we will continue to lead by example, making efforts to live above board.
“As we strive to walk our talk, we will carry our initiative to overhaul the bureaucracy in the public sector to logical conclusions in an effort to engender transparency and improve productivity in public governance.
“In addition, we will reinvigorate the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission, such that the processes of accountability in public governance are reinforced.
“I assure you that persons found wanting will not be spared”.
The president noted that with the huge number of resources at the country’s disposal, its citizens have no business of being classified poor among comity of nations.
He, however, said his administration has begun the process of rebuilding a better country for all through the enthronement of honesty in the management of public resources.
“As blessed as we are as a nation, Nigerians have no business being classified as poor.
“Yet, through the greed of some unpatriotic few, our commonwealth has been badly pillaged in the name of public service.
“Our ability as a nation to create wealth has increasingly been hampered by lack of prudence, transparency and honesty in the management of public resources by some of those entrusted with the duty of governance at all levels in the past, so much so that, in the midst of plenty, Nigerians are now suffering great deprivation”, Buhari said.
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