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Aregbesola, Magu condemn endemic corruption in Nigeria

By Tunji Omofoye, Osogbo
16 January 2018   |   4:20 am
The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, ‎have decried the pace of endemic corruption in the country.

Rauf Aregbesola, Governor State of Osun.

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, ‎have decried the pace of endemic corruption in the country.

The duo expressed concern on the danger the scourge is posing on the corporate existence and socio-economic and political lives of Nigerians in their separate speeches delivered during the 7th convocation and 10th anniversary of Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State.

Aregbesola identified lack of productivity, creativity, innovation and critical thinking as bane of national growth and development and noted that the entire system in the country is corrupt just as more than average Nigerian lives on unearned income.

The governor added that the country remains underdeveloped because the society has lost the fundamental basis of existence of hard work and productivity and attributed corruption to poor orientation and negative notion that a better life could be lived without work, thus exposing the country to serious economic dislocation.

His words, “I wonder if it is because of level of corruption that we are largely unproductive because if not, the pace of corruption in the country wouldn’t have reared its ugly head as we are currently experiencing.

“We all forget the fundamentals that emphasized productivity as the basis of existence in the civilized society. A country that is based on unearned income can never fight corruption just as lack of productivity and absence of innovation ‎bring about socioeconomic backwardness.”

Also, in his convocation lecture titled “The Damaging Effects of Corruption in a Growing Econ‎omy,” Magu disclosed that his agency has in the last two years, retrieved more than 738 billion naira that were illegally acquired by corrupt individuals.

Magu, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, revealed that ‎the money stolen by just 55 people between 2006 and 2013 is well over N1.3 trillion, decrying that one third of the monies, using World Bank rates and cost, could have comfortably been used to construct 635.15 Km of roads; built 183 schools; educate 3974 children from primary to tertiary level at N25.24 million per child; built 20, 062 units of 2 bedroom houses across the country and do even more.

‎He decried the pace of corruption in the country, reiterating that Nigeria would have become a haven if not being bastardized by corrupt and unscrupulous individuals that have siphoned and still embezzling public and private funds.

According to him, corruption has so permeated the nation; it looked like there were no honest and decent individuals. Within the public service a culture of impunity had taken roots, massive looting of public resources and wholesale graft was the order of the day.

“Those entrusted with the commonwealth saw that as an opportunity to enrich themselves to the detriment of the poor and impoverished masses. Public institutions were worse off arising from the corruption that was endemic in the public service. Our public-owned educational institutions, hospitals, water boards, roads, mass transportation systems, etc. are in a sorry state because monies voted for their construction, repairs, upgrade, or supplies are criminally misappropriated and diverted by dishonest government officials.”

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