The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has decried wealth hoarding by public officials, calling for a comprehensive measures to curb corruption and promote fairness in the country.
The royal father stated this in Abuja on Thursday during the 2024 first quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) with the theme, “The Role Of Religious Leaders In Combating Corruption And Cybercrime.”
The foremost monarch also lamented reason corruption has refused to leave Nigeria, saying that there is a need to commission a study to find out why the nation is being beleaguered with corruption.
“Many who come into office get rich overnight and when they leave office, they become multi-billionaires with private jets. Nobody is bothering to find out how these people (past public office holders) made their money. He becomes a big man.
“This will continue as we keep having office holders that come and become lords, doing what they want; give whom they want to give, deny whom they want to deny and the issues continue like that.
“I think it is important for us to look at how our leaders do whatever they want to do – nobody checks you. Nobody to tell you that you’re wrong. After your tenure, you leave for you to know that nothing is permanent.
“We will all leave this wretched world whether we like it or not, and we will all go into the beyond with nothing. So, why are we amassing so much to the detriment of our fellow human beings that can’t even afford one meal a day?
“We see people everyday along the street begging for food to eat and now they commit crimes. If you want half a battalion or 1,000 boys to form a unit to go and commit criminal activities, you will do so. Just distribute N500 notes to each of them. That’s the situation we have. We must take action before this corruption thing consumes all of us,” he added.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Gorge Akume implored the meeting to come up with strategies to fight corruption and other vices, taking the messages back to the grassroots and their various congregations.
He said, “This administration, since inception, has remained focused on saving the economy of our nation through the implementation of programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Difficult decisions have been taken to prevent a total collapse of the system and government has never relented in expressing its deepest sympathy with the people over the resultant hardships Nigerians are passing through. At the same time, government has left no stone unturned to positively change the trajectory of our economy and to take sustainability measures.
“I must quickly add that to enjoy the gains of all these efforts, all hands must remain on deck to fight corruption, cybercrime and associated criminal tendencies, for the purpose of restoring our values and national integrity.”
On his part, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua said the world is constantly developing new technologies, and there are benefits and also risks in cyber technology.
The benefits, he said would accrue if the political system and governance at all levels could provide job opportunities where the young graduates could apply this technology in their various areas of work.
“If a good thing is not well managed, it could be abused or used negatively, hence the risk is the rise in the number of cybercrimes committed in the attempt for the unemployed to put food on their table or meet up with the basic necessities of life.”
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