US Secretary of State, Senator Hilary Clinton Wednesday urged Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, EFCC to get back to business, become a good partner with the USA, and take bold stance in the fight against corruption.

Mrs Clinton speaking in Abuja at an American style town hall meeting with civil society affirmed that the USA has other options on how the country’s notorious corrupt system and the Niger Delta crisis could be reformed, but she explains that for now the USA prefers to watch and allow the Nigerian Government take the initiative.

Mrs Clinton slammed the EFCC under the President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration which she explains has fallen from its zeal of former days. However she declares that the US government would continue to partner with the Nigerian Government in the anti-corruption fight.

Mrs Clinton told her audience that Nigeria has the potentials not to be just a leading nation in Africa, but in the world. ‘’Nigeria ought to be a member of the G20 nation” she proffers, however before the country can take her right place in the comity of nations, she has to fight her corruption reputation, tackle the concentration of wealth at the top and initiate a process how the country’s wealth would be used for the good of all.

Mrs Clinton who met early today with President Yar’Adua, Ministers and top government functionaries also spoke on the current global economic crisis and global poverty and advocates that the world needs a new economic order in order to tackle the current economic realities.

She argued that the World Bank, IMF and other international financial institutions might not have the answer to assist developing nations exit from the poverty trap.

Overall, Mrs Clinton counseled Nigerian citizenry and the civil society to rise up to the

Challenge of building their country and tackling prevailing issues like the Niger-Delta crisis, and the electoral system. ‘’You all have influence, use it to get parliament pass positive electoral Act that will engender sustainable electoral system” she submitted, adding that the civil society must get involved for things to work.

http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/TON/Article.aspx?id=2093