NAN-H-59
Corruption
By Bukola Adewumi/ Fummi Adeyemi
Abuja, Dec.20, 2016 (NAN) Mr Issa Aremu, the General-Secretary, National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), has advised
Federal Government to set deadline to end the fight against corruption.
He made the call when he featured on News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, it is important to fix a deadline to the fight so that government can face other issues as corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation’s development.
He said Federal Government must work within a stipulated time to end the hydra-headed monster that had plagued the country, adding that “it is the only way to win the fight against corruption’’.
The labour leader said “some state governments took advantage of the anti-corruption fight to establish commissions, agencies and departments to fight corruption.
“People in those state governments will not want an end to the fight against corruption because they are gaining from it.”
Aremu said that regardless of party affiliation, Nigerians had become victims of corruption.
He added that “as a country, we are all diminished when public money meant for roads, rails education etc were diverted.
“We are all losers in this corruption menace because it is not a value added venture but value subtracting venture; hence we must all stand to fight it.”
The labour leader, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the efforts made so far toward anti-corruption, explained that Nigerians needed to work out strategies to fight the menace in a way that would ensure that nobody was deemed persecuted in the process.
He said since the Federal Government had made the fight against corruption its cardinal agenda, it must take holistic approach to the fight so that the country could be rescued.
“This government has made anti-corruption its top agenda and we have seen a lot of activism and revelations around it.
“We have seen arrests and prosecutions, including judges, so you cannot doubt the government’s commitment to the fight.”
He then urged labour unions to join the President in the fight against corruption, saying agencies that were meant to fight corruption should, however, be streamlined. (NAN) BOL/FAK/AOS/HA
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Edited by Bayo Sekoni/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu