Lai Mohammed
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari would still be able to run the country efficiently even if oil price falls as low as $5 per barrel and if all financial leakages can be blocked successfully, reports the Nigerian Tribune.
He noted that there would be more money for infrastructural projects if only the administration will be able to fight corruption successfully.
The minister spoke when he visited two Hausa language-based newspapers in Abuja in continuation of his ongoing consultation with key stakeholders.
He cautioned that operating the 2016 budget will be difficult except corruption was taken care of.
“If we don’t really take care of corruption, even the 2016 budget, we will not be able to operate it because what we have found out is that it is these leakages that are making the country to bleed,” he said.
The Minister went further to note that although annual budget has increased since 1999, poverty rate has remained on the increase because of corruption. Alhaji Mohammed solicited the support of the media in general and the newspapers particularly in the Federal Government’s fight against corruption.
He said that he chose to enlist the support of the indigenous language newspapers for the sensitisation campaign against corruption because of their influence and large followership.
According to him, it was necessary to galvanise the public against corruption in order to guarantee the availability of funds for social and infrastructural development.
He said, “In 1999, the entire budget was N947 billion. In 2016, it is N6 trillion. Has poverty gone down? It has increased almost by that margin.
“The issue of corruption must not be taken lightly. We must fight it as we fought Boko Haram, like we fought Ebola. We must fight it to a standstill.”
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