NG President: UK expresses support for President’s anti-graft war

The minister urged the federal government to
focus on public sector
reforms aimed at
making corruption unattractive to workers and
the general public.

The United Kingdom is fully behind
President Muhammadu Buhari in the
ongoing efforts by his administration to rid
Nigeria of corruption, Mr Nick Hurd, the UK
Minister for International Development, has
said.
Hurd told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in
Abuja on Sunday that fighting corruption was
critical to transforming Nigeria’s future.
``We have been very active in supporting
President Muhammadu Buhari`s campaign
against corruption in Nigeria and we think it is
fundamental to transform the future of the
country.
``We fully support priorities that the President
has given to tackling corruption in Nigeria.
``We feel that corruption is absolutely the right
priority and we want to support him in that, `` he
said.
The minister urged the federal government to
focus on public sector reforms aimed at making
corruption unattractive to workers and the
general public.
He pointed out that there was so much workers
in the public sector could do to reduce
corruption through effective accounting
systems.
Hurd told NAN that his country was working
with the Federal Government and the Civil
Society Organisations on attitudinal change in
the Nigerian society.
``We think corruption holds Nigeria back and for
every pound that is taken out of the public
system through corruption, is a pound that could
be spent educating children.
``It is a pound that could be spent educating
girls and developing the health system that the
country can be proud of.
``That is the kind of attitude that we would like
to encourage and, therefore, we support the
President in that, `` he said.
Hurd said that the UK Prime Minister David
Cameron, like President Buhari, is also
passionate to rid his country of corruption.
``Which is why next month, he (Cameron) is
holding an anti-corruption summit in London and
we very much hope that Nigeria will be well
represented in that conference.
``The conference will bring together world
leaders to discuss corruption and their plans to
tackle it in their countries; so corruption is a
very big issue for us.