TheCable

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the political class has found the will to fight corruption.

Osinbajo said this on Monday, while speaking at the opening of a two-day conference on the role of the legislature in the fight against corruption organised by the senate and house of representatives committees on anti-corruption.

He lamented that funds meant to equip soldiers in a war that was consuming thousands was stolen by a few individuals, and also enumerated the disadvantages of having a corrupt executive, legislature or judiciary.

“Despite the widespread cynicism about the ability of the political class to fight corruption, we have indeed found the will to go after it with all that is within our resources as enabled by existing laws of our land,” he said.

“How do you explain a situation where funds meant to equip soldiers in a war that was consuming thousands and probably looking for all of us but was stolen by a few individuals, and then people still find the justification for such behaviour.

“We don’t set out fighting corruption believing and acting as if we are the best there are by virtue of our positions as chief executives and thinking that we will do it alone without employing the other available human resources.

“That’s not what we need to win the war that’s threatening everybody. What we need is a coalition of reasonable men and women who would form the army of the willing in this fight.

“We need to know that a corrupt executive will destroy all that’s meant for development, that a corrupt legislature will frustrate all effort to strengthen institutions via relevant legislation, and that a corrupt judiciary will frustrate all attempts at punishing corrupt crimes and those involved in them.”

He added that the conference was not a “finger-pointing” exercise but an avenue to put in place plans to fight against corruption.