Buhari didn't pamper corrupt people, says Fed Govt

• Published date: 09 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

President Muhammadu Buhari administration put pampered corrupt Nigerians under trial, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.

The minister also noted there was no doubt that President Buhari administration would leave a legacy of probity for the country.

Mohammed stated this on Monday in his opening remarks at the 16th Edition of the 'PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023)' in Abuja.

He noted that between the last edition of the PMB Administration Scorecard Series on December 22nd, 2022, and today's (yesterday's) opening edition for 2023, a lot of things have happened in the

polity.

He said the most significant have been naysayers and the opposition trying to distort the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari for their own selfish ends.

'While some of the Administration's fiercest critics said we have achieved nothing, others have admitted, though seemingly tongue in cheek, that it's only in the area of infrastructure that the Administration has performed.'

He faulted both groups saying: 'Well, I want to say that both groups are wrong, very wrong.

'Yes, infrastructure development under the Buhari Administration is unprecedented since the nation's return to democratic rule in 1999, and it has set the country on the path of development. But no, our legacy is more than infrastructure.'

The minister noted that among others the Buhari Administration is leaving a legacy of probity.

He said: 'Some critics say 'oh, they say they are fighting corruption and some public officials have stolen money under their nose'.

'We say the fact that they were caught and are being tried is a reflection of our zero tolerance for corruption.

'Where others covered and pampered corrupt people, we exposed and put them on trial.

'Whereas the immediate past administration came up with such programmes as TSA (Treasury Single Account) and IPPIS (Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System), they were implemented largely on paper until we came on board and ensured total implementation.

'The EFCC, the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies have gone beyond merely arresting and prosecuting alleged corrupt officials to institutionalizing the fight against corruption through various programmes.'

Apart from the culture of probity, the minister said the Buhari Administration is leaving a legacy of a social investment programme that is unprecedented in the whole of Africa, a programme that has enhanced the quality of life of the beneficiaries.

'Our pace-setting...