THE Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has said it was alarmed by the 2021 Corruption Perception Index released by global anti-corruption coalition, Transparency International, which rated Nigeria the second most corrupt country in West Africa, after Guinea and 154 out of 180 countries ranked globally.
According to the caucus, the TI report is “a direct validation” of the position of the opposition lawmakers that “the All Progressives Congress and its government are hopelessly corrupt and lacking in ideas and programmes that would positively impact on our people.”
The caucus also said the report also validates its stance that “the APC is a sanctuary of corruption, which provides cover for its corrupt members to continue in looting our national treasury; a development that has brought about infrastructural stagnation and economic hardship in the country.”
The Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu, made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday titled, ‘2021 TI Report Validates Our Stand that APC is Hopelessly Corrupt.’
The statement partly read, “Moreover, the minority caucus notes Nigeria’s continued decline in corruption rating since the APC took over in 2015. This points to the fact that the situation and its attendant woes to Nigerians will continue to worsen as long as the APC remains in power.
“Such proclivity for corruption is complemented by fake promises and false performance claims, which have been the stock-in-trade of the APC and its government.
“As representatives of the people, the minority caucus has intensified its checks mechanisms particularly in our strict monitoring of all provisions in the 2022 budget to ensure the delivery of all approved items.
“Furthermore, the minority caucus assures that it will never relent in fighting for the wellbeing of the people and urges Nigerians to remain focused in their determination to vote out the APC in 2023 and usher in a government that truly cares about their interest.”
In the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index released by the TI on Tuesday, Nigeria dropped five places, scoring 24 out of 100 points in the index.
This is coming against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s avowed fight against graft.
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