Kanyi Okeke
Against the backdrop of the bribery allegation between a member of the
House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan and business mogul, Femi
Otedola, over the fuel subsidy report, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said both the giver and taker of bribe must be punished.
Speaking to the The Guardian of London, Obasanjo said fighting corruption in Nigeria was not a one-night affair….continue to see his exacts words.
His words: “Fighting corruption is not a one-night affair. The givers
of most of the corruption in Africa are from outside Africa. They do in
Africa (things) they would not do in their own countries. In my part of
the world, we have a saying that the man who carries a pot of palm oil
from the ceiling is not the only thief. He has an accomplice in the man
who helps him to bring it down. The giver and the taker are criminals,
and they should be treated as such.”
Obasanjo told the newspaper that instead of saying Nigerian leaders lack accountability, the paper should say they are corrupt.
“You are being euphemistic when you say lack of accountability. Call it
corruption. There is no part of the world where corruption is
absolutely eliminated. But (in other countries) corruption has not been a
way of life. When you are found, you are dealt with. And that’s what we
need.”
Obasanjo was in the UK to promote investment in Nigeria.
The former president who is working as a roving ambassador,
facilitating firms’ entry into Nigeria and the rest of Africa said he
believed that positive examples of business success would encourage
avaricious minds to look for more legitimate routes to wealth.
He said: “I still believe in the opportunities that Africa affords to
make legitimate money. Africa is one place I believe that if you are
courageous enough, you get the money, you can invest and get 25 per cent
return on your investment annually. There aren’t many places in the
world where you can get that return.”
