Ribadu says President has fought corruption extremely well

The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, has backed President Muhammadu Buharis fight against corruption, saying his administration has done "extremely well".

While speaking on the sideline of an anti-corruption townhall meeting tagged "A spanner in the wheel of corruption", organised by the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Foundation in Abuja, Ribadu said the noise around the president's efforts in fighting corruption means that he's doing something to talk about.

The former EFCC boss also dismissed a recent report by Transparency International that ranked Nigeria low in its index of countries fighting corruption.

He said, "Buhari is doing extremely well. Fighting corruption is not easy; the more you see people are complaining, the more it means you are doing well. So it is a sort of badge of honour for those who are doing it.

"There are a lot of people saying so many things, but it is natural when you are fighting corruption. When it is silent, then things are not happening. So I am very okay with what is going on.

"Let Transparency International come and tell me a country that has 4,000 criminal cases of ongoing trial in their own courts that is not doing well in fighting corruption.

"The perception is so because people are complaining, every single person you ask in Nigeria will say, 'Why me? Why not others?', so that sent a message as if things are not going on properly.

"The moment you see these type of things happening, put your head up because you are doing very well."

Nigeria still corrupt under Buhari

In a report by Transparency International (TI) released on February 21, Nigeria still ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

While the country is jointly ranked 148/180 alongside Guinea and Comoros, African countries ranked higher than Nigeria include Botswana (34th), Rwanda (48th), Namibia (53rd), and Kenya (143rd).

According to the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), which is Transparency International's national contact, the new index is worrying as it reflects the inability of President Buhari's administration to combat corruption like he promised.

Its assessment read, "This fresh setback in the fight against corruption confirms that grand corruption, political corruption, nepotism, favoritism and bribery persist in Nigeria at all levels.

"It is CISLAC's view that the negative perception is mainly a consequence of the inability to combat grand corruption and astronomical plundering of public coffers costing the Nigerian taxpayers around 25% of annual GDP.

"Since the current administration has come to power on the anti-corruption ticket, no significant politically exposed person has been duly sentenced on anti-corruption charges."