The Vice Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in 2019 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, condemned the high rate of corruption in the country, describing it as the bane of Nigeria’s development.
In a message to mark this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, Mr Obi lamented that Nigeria, and indeed Africa, has continued to stagnate under the heavy burden of corruption which has pervaded every part of continent.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, maintained that if not for corruption, which has continued to bite hard on the nation, Nigeria would be among the comity of highly developed nations, judging by the wealth of human and natural resources the nation is blessed with.
He called on leaders at all levels of government to understand that development will continue to be far from Nigeria if the dangerous virus of corruption is not done away with.
He explained that corruption in the country would be a thing of the past if leaders, and indeed every Nigerian, sanitized their hearts.
The Former Governor of Anambra State, also urged the government to set up the required checks and balances that will ensure accountability in governance, arguing that corruption thrives more in an environment of porosity and lawlessness.
He said that if there were operational systems that could easily expose corrupt practices, then leaders will be forced to discharge their duties without favour.
