President Muhammadu Buhari says his government has found corruption more difficult to fight than insecurity.
Mr. Buhari spoke at a town hall meeting in Kano on the final day of his two-day visit to the state.
“The power of the corrupt Nigerians is so enormous but we are determined to deal with the situation headlong. This is as been adjudged by what is happening today on ground,” he said.
Responding to comments made at the town hall meeting, he said the democratic environment has made the fight against corruption even more difficult because of the power of corrupt Nigerians.
“As Head of State I arrested some corrupt politicians. But shortly after I was arrested after my government been truncated, all the houses that I confiscated were returned back to the owners,”
He said that was why in the current fight against corruption, “after confiscating properties from the corrupt Nigerians, we ordered that they should be sold and the money be deposited at the treasury.
“To show our seriousness in this fight today, among those being investigated was a high court judge whose house was searched and several foreign currencies were found and some international passports.”
President Buhari said the fight against corruption requires zeal, courage and full determination to succeed, saying his government has all these attributes to achieve the success.
On the war against insurgency, he said the success so far recorded is a victory for the entire nation, adding that already, the fight was tilting towards final victory.
“Let me say, while linking the war against insurgency vis a vis the issue of smuggling as being raised, we have a duty to keep sound relationship with our neighbours, a reason why I went to Chad and Cameroon immediately after assuming office.”
But in spite of continued smuggling, he said the ban on the importation of rice had been achieved by 90 per cent and that Nigerian farmers are the greatest beneficiaries of the ban.
