The Federal Government has restated its commitment to tackle corruption in Nigeria through systemic reforms both in public service and other sectors of the economy.
The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said this at a briefing to chronicle the activities of the Federal Government in 2013 in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said that though corruption was deep-rooted in the country, the Jonathan administration was tackling it through reforms aimed at making the system less prone to abuses by office holders.
``I cannot deny that there is corruption in Nigeria. I believe that there is corruption in Nigeria; our system needs a lot of reforms.
“The problem is that our attitudes over time have been so ingrained and I keep making the point that laws alone can’t stop corruption; it’s a matter of conscience.
``As we reform this economy, as we deploy technology to deal with certain things that human beings were doing with their hands, to detect fraud in different places, the arena for fraud will reduce,’’ he said.
Maku said that it had been the belief of the present administration that corruption in public sector could only be tackled by reducing government’s involvement in business.
On the recent allegations of corruption in the present administration, the minister said that some of the allegations were political stunts to discredit the government.
He said that some of the comments were baseless and could be linked to the 2015 elections, noting that opposition politicians were desperate for power and would stop at nothing to unseat the ruling party.
The minister urged Nigerians not to listen to the antics of the opposition parties and urged them to keep faith with the present administration as the country prepares to celebrate its centenary in 2014.
``A lot of the allegations on corruption are political. As we approach 2015 you will notice, everyday somebody will sit and say they have stolen N100 billion.
“It is aimed at making headlines to make the government look bad; when you ask them to bring the facts they don’t have it.
``The slander of corruption has become cheap political thing to make us look bad because they want to win the presidential election,’’ he said.
On the insurgency in parts of the country, the minister called on other states in the north to emulate the example of Kano State and be united against insurgents.
He attributed the success recorded in the campaign against insurgency in Kano to the cooperation of community and religious leaders in the state.
Maku said that the insurgency could be totally wiped out of the country if community leaders and their subjects cooperate with security agents and government to stem the menace.
He said that the present administration would continue to do all it could to defend the nation’s territory especially in areas plagued by insurgency.
Maku urged Nigerians to appreciate the efforts of the nation’s armed forces by praying for their safety as they fight to protect its territory at all times.
The minister assured Nigerians that more of the administration’s results from the past years of planning would manifest in the coming year.
He said that the government would in 2014 consolidate on the gains recorded in key sectors such as agriculture, power and general infrastructure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by heads of parastatals in the ministry of information as well as directors in the ministry.
-NAN
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