By Tinuade Adeshiyan
Lagos – Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), says President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is not a safe haven for people with stolen money or looted assets.
Owasanoye said this in his paper at a one-day conference on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy under President Muhammadu Buhari Administration (2015-2019) held at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the paper was entitled “War Against Corruption and Nigeria’s Foreign Policy’’
“President Muhammadu Buhari administration is not a safe haven for anybody that has stolen money and and anybody fighting corruption cannot have friends,” he said.
According to Owasanoye, President Buhari has demonstrated his commitment to the fight against corruption such that no one is in doubt of his administration’s stance on corruption.
“His administration exposed many Illicit Financial Flows(IFF) going on in the country and as well exposed some government officials who looted funds and kept it in unknown bank accounts or kept in foreign banks.
“Today, corruption is a major threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria as it undermines public institutions, destroys investment climate, subverts the rule of law, perpetuates human rights abuses, allowed crimes, among others.
“Now, discussion at the international level without reference to War Against Corruption cannot be complete without referencing PMB efforts,” the presidential aide said.
He said that the president was influencing global narrative and changing global orientations about Nigeria.
“His efforts to stop corruption has increased bilateral, regional and international partnership under the African Union (AU), United Nations (UN) and World Bank on issues of asset tracing, recovery and return.
“Also consistent in exploring relevant platforms in international and regional gathering to emphasise the need to fight IFF, encourage asset return and increase punishment for corruption,” Owasanoye said.
Owasanoye said that PMB administration would continue to fight corruption as anything that undermined national security, political stability, and the growth of the country should be fought to a standstill. (NAN)
