The Conference of Northern States Civil Society Network,has advised President Muhammudu Buhari to stop manipulating the nation’s anti-corruption agencies .
The President should rather focus his attention on finding lasting solutions to the present economic issues bedeviling the country,its Chairman, Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Katsina on Thursday.
He described as “unfortunate and shocking” the pardon granted by President Muhammadu Buhari to former Governors Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame of Plateau and Taraba States.
He advised Buhari to reverse his decision on state pardon granted to the corruption convicts in the interest of Nigerians.
He added:”Failure of the president to reverse his decision, the conference would be left with no option but to canvas for the support of other CSOs within and outside the country to pass a vote of no confidence on the federal government.And this measure we believe may lead to a total loss of public trust, and by implication the government may lose its integrity and support of the Nigerian”, he maintained.
According to him,the decision taken by President Buhari, through the Council of State, has demoralized the anti-corruption agencies’ resolve to continue the fight against corruption in the country.
“It has come to our notice that, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, has through the council of states pardoned two former state governors who were jailed for stealing public funds in 2018 and were yet to serve half the length of their jail terms in prison”.
“This is rather unfortunate, shocking and at best, paradoxical coming from a man who rode to the corridor of power under the guise of anti- corruption. Corruption over the years in Nigeria had gradually succeeded in causing a loss of trust and a breakdown of social capital in governance”.
“High inflation has also taken a toll on household’s welfare and high prices of essential commodities. The Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics said in 2020 that 40 percent or 83 million Nigerians now live in abject poverty”.
“Although Nigeria’s poverty profile for 2021 has not yet been released, it is estimated that the number of poor people will increase to 90 million or 45 percent of the population in 2022”, he added.
