The National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Arc Kabir Ibrahim, Friday, called for deliberate purging of the Nigerian polity of endemic corruption to make it work as expected, especially during the post-COVID-19 period.
Ibrahim made the assertion in a chat with Vanguard while assessing corrupt practices pervading various sectors including the agricultural sector with the recent development of corruption allegations and counter-allegations making the rounds in the media allegedly perpetrated by some top public officeholders.
According to him, in Nigeria, there is too many religious people and activities, yet there is high level corruption and inequity, hence to make the nation work properly there must be deliberate purging of all kinds of rot including sodden nepotism as well as myopia.
He said: “To make our nation work properly we must deliberately purge it of the ills of endemic corruption, inequity and sodden nepotism as well as myopia.
“I am looking for that Nigerian no matter from any part of the country, religion or gender that has the qualities enumerated in the header of this prose to lead this nation for five years to further reinforce the foundation laid by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Many people may not agree that President Buhari has done creditably well until and unless they reflect on the manner of the philandering our sovereign wealth suffered by a select few over the last 30 years.
“Now the corruption that remains is perpetrated by a few people using President Buhari’s name and who will soon disappear, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed them further in the sense that whatever they amass will be rendered useless unless it is invested here.”
The farmers’ boss also pointed out that there is no more fancy holiday trips, air crafts, fleet of cars, mansions here or abroad as well as medical tourism that are useful as far as COVID-19 is concerned, hence it is vanity for being criminal to loot the country at this time of humanitarian crisis, which the nation’s economy has been adversely affected.
However, he challenged Nigerians who are qualified to come out and help the nation in order to bring rebirth and total overhauling of the system for positive growth and development that will also give citizens sense of belonging.
“I challenge any eminently qualified Nigerian who has never taken a bribe and has all the qualities enumerated above to come forward for the leadership. “No matter their tribe, gender or geographical roots I guarantee them my vote and my total dedication to actualize their emergence as the desired leader.
“We need a departure from doing business as usual and a mindset-overhaul to attain prosperity for the vast majority of our compatriots to avert the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic which has ravaged the globe”, he stated.