The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said Tuesday that it was practically impossible to completely wipe out corruption from any society, but said the Buhari government will ensure that corruption is degraded to the extent where it will no longer have impact on the nation’s economy.
Chief Oyegun who spoke when he received the management of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida who came to inform him of the decision to confer on him the Polytechnic Fellow also said that uncharitable Nigerians will not give the government credit for degrading the Boko Haram insurgency which no longer has the capacity to hoist its flag anywhere in the country.
Oyegun will be honoured alongside Governors Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state, Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state and the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar at the institution’s combined convocation ceremony scheduled for March 28, 2018.
Oyegun said even though there still challenges facing the nation, the Buhari government has taken drastic measure to address some of the ills facing the country, pointing out that while corruption is fighting back, it is no longer business as usual in the country.
He said the country was in such a situation that it needed a man of courage to establish stability in the country and create an enabling environment for the economy to thrive, stressing that inspire of the challenges, the APC government headed by President Muhammadu Buhari has delivered in its promises.
Chief Oyegun said the current government has been able to tame the Boko Haram insurgency to the extent that they no longer has the capacity to occupy any part of the country, but only attack soft targets.
Oyegun said: “It is the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, a leadership that has been impossible for the opponents to distract or to derail that has made some of the things done so far possible. Yes, there are still challenges. As you rightly said, we took over in very difficult circumstances and one fundamental problem was the collapse of the price of oil in the international oil market.
“The condition was such that we needed an extra ordinary man of courage to be able to lead the country out of the crisis that we inherited, to the increasing stability of economy and the progress that this nation is clearly beginning to attain. So, I consider that I am receiving this award on behalf of the President and government of this nation who has performed such tremendous miracle in reviving the Nigerian economy in a situation of declining resources.
“We know how the fight against corruption is going on and that corruption is fighting back. It is not a problem you solve with the flip of a switch because corruption is very rich, it is very wealth and elitist and it is fighting back. But the President has a single mind about taming that scourge and tame it we will.
“We know now that corruption today is not as it was before. You can no longer take money from the government coffer and distribute to politicians and the rest of them. That alone is already a benefit and all the leakages have all been blocked.
“Nobody is saying that corruption has been wiped out because there is no country in the world where corruption has been wiped out, but it is being tackled in Nigeria and will degraded to the extent that it will no longer be a threat to the national economy or become an acceptable way of lodging business.
“Boko Haram is tamed, but uncharitable people will go and say there are still explosions and killings. As at yesterday, there was still explosion in tenUnited States of America.
“Those crazy isolated incidents are aimed at soft targets. When a person is crazy and aiming at soft target, it is only God and inspiration that can stop such people. But what is clear is that Boko Haram has been totally degraded to the extent that it does not occupy any inch of Nigerian territory where it can raise its flag.
“A lot of facilities are being out on ground especially the modern railway system that is going to be the bedrock of development in this country. You cannot carry meaningful development on trucks on the High way.
“It has to be carried on a modern railway system and the President has made that a priority and today we can say that on the implementation plan it now, is 5000 kilometer of modern standard gauge of railway line cutting across the entire length and breadth of this country.”
Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Dr. Abubakar Dzukogi said the Polytechnic decided to honour the APC National Chairman because of his achievement in leading the party to a major victory in the 2015 election, and putting in place a government that achieved a lot in repositioning the country.
Describing Oyegun as a master strategist and a silent achiever, the Rector said the achievement of the Buhari government in repositioning the country, especially in the area of security and agriculture among others was worth commending.