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Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, leading
rights crusader and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association
(NBA), advised President Goodluck Jonathan to focus on eliminating
corrupt practices rather than to take Tambuwal's statement "in bad
taste".
The statement, although not verified, Dr. Agbakoba noted, comes from "the fourth man in government"."If I was the President, I think I will be concerned whether the anti-corruption strategy or policy is working," the lawmaker said, adding, "For a long time, I have always advised that the anti-corruption strategies are weak.
"What I took from the Speaker's statement, whether it is true or not, is that the Government has to completely overhaul the EFCC, including considering whether to unbundle it, because what Nigerians want to see is that people who steal our money go to jail.
"The Jonathan Government needs to take the anti corruption programme a lot more seriously," the lawmaker concluded.
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Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Afenifere chieftain, declined to fault or endorse Tambuwal's statement, saying, "That is his [Tambuwal's] own view, and I have my own views."
And, although he said, "I will not say he [President Jonathan] encourages corruption," Chief Adebanjo was quick to add, "but the President has not done enough to discourage corruption." READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/54064.html
Chief Cliff Mbagwu, chieftain
of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and management consultant,
indicated that the House of Representatives itself is corrupt as well,
and the executive arm is not the only one with problems.
"The
Speaker is part of the Government even though he belongs to the
legislative arm. If the executive arm cannot fight corruption, then the
Speaker also has some blames."Part of his duty is to fashion the legal framework to fight corruption. He is in-charge of lawmaking. Besides, the House of Representatives itself is corrupt.
"Oversight function is now a source of income for the lawmakers as they intimidate ministers and agencies of government for money. If he is not acting the script of the opposition, let him start the anti-corruption war from the House
"I agree with him that we are not fighting corruption, but the problem is not with the executive alone. Let's have the legal framework," Chief Mbagwu said.
Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the ex-Minister of Transport and PDP chieftain, criticized the "inexperienced" Speaker for his comments.
"He [Tambuwal] is
a young man and he could learn from experience. He is not supposed to
have made that kind of statement. Does he not know that some House of
Representatives members were picked up for corruption? What did he do?
The young man lacks experience. He is a party man and what he has done
is wrong. As a party man, he must learn from experience, he must be
calm."What evidence does he have to say that the president is not fighting corruption? Or does he want the president to go jail his cabinet members to show that he is fighting corruption? He should not play into the hands of those that want to destroy him. He is a young man who should build his party squarely and allow his party to dictate what is going to be his own political future," Mr. Babatope said.
Mr Yinka Odumakin, Afenifere's National Publicity Secretary, alleged the Speaker was only interested in scoring political points.
"It
is an indictment on the Government that he is standing as the number
four man. If he really means what he is saying, he should not have
waited for the time of decampment before making such statement. If he
had done it that way, we would have taken him more seriously." READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/54064.html
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