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OSINBAJO: Corruption under Jonathan destroyed Nigeria’s economy

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OSINBAJO: Corruption under Jonathan destroyed Nigeria’s economy

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday claimed that corruption in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan was what destroyed Nigeria’s economy.

He added that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will never stop talking about it.

Osinbajo made the assertion at the 10th edition of the annual colloquium for former Lagos State governor and APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, held in Lagos.

His speech read in detail, “Let me say that when we began this journey in 2014, and when I say ‘this journey’ I refer to our government, our party, the APC, was determined to change the dominant narrative about our country. We were determined to ensure that the notion of a country rich in all natural resources, but even richer in human capital, but being destroyed daily by grand corruption, and the impunity in the looting of public resources; we had to change that narrative.

“As for our fight against corruption, we realized, as Mr. President said, that if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill us. Corruption is an existential problem for Nigeria. Let me pause here to reiterate that from all I have seen in government in the past three years, the corruption of the previous five years is what destroyed the Nigerian economy.

“And the reason why we will talk about it is, first, we must let our people know that we cannot afford to go this way again. And this is the point we are making, that there is no country in the world, and we must know this; there is no country in the world that would allow its resources to be plundered in the way our own resources were plundered and expect to be economically viable; it is not possible. Nigeria is unlike any other country because of the level of corruption that was perpetrated. We must stop that corruption and that is why we are so committed.

“When you fight corruption the way we are fighting it, corruption is going to fight back. But we are determined. When you listen to the stories of these young people, when you listen to the stories of the vulnerable, the disabled, and all of these people, these are the people for whom we are responsible; these are the people who voted for us. We must ensure that we defend their rights, it is in the defence of the rights of these people that we will put everything out to make sure that those who have been taking the resources of this country are made to pay for it.

READ ALSO: APC will never stop blaming Jonathan —Osinbajo, Tinubu

“I will just give you one last example. Three billion US dollars was lost to something called the Strategic alliance contracts in NNPC, 3 Billion US Dollars, and never paid back. Now, the same 3 Billion dollars, the Minister of Finance sat with us at a meeting of the Economic Management Team, and we are proposing; in fact 3 billion dollars is about a trillion naira.

“We are now proposing foreign loans for the same 3 billion dollars: (to build the following roads): Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt road, East-West road, Sagamu-Ore-Benin road, Kano-Maiduguri road, Abuja-Lafia-Akwanga-Keffi road, and Lagos-Abeokuta: the old road, all for the same 3 billion.

“That is why the criminal looting of this country cannot be allowed to continue and those who did it must be held to account.

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“Today we earn almost 50 per cent less than five years ago and we are investing several times more. In 2017 we spent 1:3 Trillion on capital, the largest in the history of this country, despite earning 50 per cent less. The majority of our people depend on the integrity of those who govern them because they don’t have the odds. They are far too poor, in many cases, far too vulnerable to be able to say anything for themselves.

“ It is our historic duty as a party, as a government, to provide for all of them, to be a voice for them, to make the sacrifices that are necessary, even when the sacrifices are costly; we must make those sacrifices for them. That is why I am so pleased that the government of President Buhari has chosen the path of the people, to stand with the people. In this government, we have chosen to take the side, and we will remain taking the side of the people of this country,” Osinbajo said.

 

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