BUSINESSDAY (Nigeria) [06/12/12]
The Federal Government on Wednesday said that the recent rating of Nigeria by the Transparency International (TI) as the 35th most corrupt nation was not true.
Reacting to the rating after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja, Mr. Labaran Maku, Minister of Information, said the rating was not a true reflection of the administration’s effort at fighting the menace.
Maku said that both the TI report and a similar report by the Gallup Poll were products of interactions with Nigerians and synopsis of negative media reports.
He said the perception of corruption in the country was a creation of both the people and media practitioners who failed to appreciate the steps taken by the present administration to fight corruption.
The minister, though, admitted that Nigeria had been bogged down by corruption for many years, but said the present administration had taken far reaching steps to fight the menace.
Maku gave instances of the prosecution of suspects of the fuel subsidy scam; investigations into the pension fund scandal; and the geometric auditing of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He said government had also successfully eradicated the fraud in the supply of fertiliser and seeds to farmers through the agricultural transformation policy.
``Government has continued to take decisive measures against defaulters in the fuel subsidy scam’’ he said.
Maku advised Journalists to dwell more on developmental stories rather that sensational reports that would put the nation to disadvantages.
He said government would continue to support all efforts at fighting corruption in every sector of the economy.
(NAN)
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