A think-tank, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), has slammed Nigerias president, Muhammadu Buhari for not doing enough to combat the endemic corruption in the public service, despite promising to do so during his campaign.
According to a Premium Times report yesterday, the group said although President Buhari often-repeated promises to fight corruption with zero-tolerance, the promise has remained largely unmet, and such failure fuels Nigerias worsening insecurity and undermines democratic promises.
The CDD,its report, titled: Buharis Anti-Corruption Record at Six Years: An Assessment, said,As the candidate who rode into office in 2015 on a wave of popular anger with entrenched elite corruption, he has made little effort to reform Nigerias patronage-fueled, scandal-prone public sector or hold his top officials accountable for their business-as-usual approach”.
The CDD however said its criticism does not mean that the Buhari administration has done nothing in the area of anti-corruption. It then gave an outline, including improved financial centralisation, referring to TSA and IPPIS; and higher conviction rates by anti-corruption agencies.
The think tank expressed pessimism that the president would have the time or political capital to push through sustainable anti-corruption reforms, and called on other stakeholders to fill the gap.
It also called on Nigerias international partners to prioritise anti-corruption in their engagements and assistance toward the African nation.
