President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said his administration’s strategy against corruption was to strengthen the capability of institutions to nip the menace in the bud.

He said his idea of anti-corruption war was not about arresting suspects and parading them on the television.

Jonathan spoke during a special New Year service at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Area 1, Garki, Abuja.

He admitted that the two main problems currently confronting the country were insecurity and corruption.

The President said his administration was making efforts to tackle the challenges.

He said, “There are two main problems confronting us as a nation: The issue of insecurity in the North where we have the Boko Haram terrorists and in the South where we have commercial kidnapping. The next thing that people worry about after security is the issue of corruption.

“We are coming out with programmes and plans to clean up. These are things that you don’t just use a magical wand to wave off, otherwise even before I became the President, there wouldn’t have been corruption in Nigeria.

“It is not just about shouting corruption. It is not about looking at one person, arrest the person and show him on television.

“It is about strengthening institutions and coming up with credible plans to make sure that anybody who gets involved with corruption, the system must have a way of detecting him and punishing him.

“Until you put such a system on ground, you cannot talk about eradicating corruption, you will just be celebrating corruption.”

On security challenges, Jonathan said the Federal Government was working hard to restore peace to the country.

He noted that the festive period had been relatively peaceful due to prayers and government’s efforts.

The President said, “You would have noticed that from Christmas to New Year, at least, it has been calm. It did not happen by accident.

“It happened because you have been praying for this country and the government has also been doing something. We do not need to announce what we are doing.

“With your prayers, we will surely get there. We will continue to come up with programmes that will help the ordinary people.

“The same way we won the war against Ebola, we shall win the terror war.”

Again, Jonathan described 2015 as a turning point in the history of the country because of the forthcoming general elections.

He said, “2015 is a turning point because of the elections. Some people will not mind if half of the country get burnt because of their ambition.

“I always say that we must have a country first, we must have a people first before talking about ambition.

“We must pray that God should give us the wisdom to do things with some decorum and we should not compromise the lives of the people for ambition.

“I always say that my ambition and the ambition of any politician for that matter, is not worth the blood of the smallest Nigerian.”

Jonathan argued that no nation could move forward without proper vision.

According to the President, before now the country had, at different times, been administered based on 25-year and five-year plans before the annual budget system was adopted.

He said after sometime, things collapsed and the government was being run on emergency basis.

The President said the old days when the government was run with vision would be revisited.

“For you to achieve anything, you must have a clear vision. Even if you look at what we have been doing as a nation, you will really see that before this time when the country used to have this 25 years plan, the budget was based on 25 years clear plan for the country. So you know where you are going for 25 years.

“Then it was broken down into five years plan and annual budget and we knew where we were going.

“But after some time, things collapsed and we run government on emergency basis and you see government start wobbling.

“We are going back to those good days when we had vision. We have plan for agriculture, we have plan for industry, we have plan for automobile and many other areas.

“If you have a vision, any proposal that comes in, no matter how good they are, must fall into your vision for it to go through. With your prayers, surely as a nation, we will get to where our vision will take us to.

“Having passed through school and being in government for quite some time, I have realised that for you to achieve anything, you must have a clear vision.

“If you have a clear vision, even if you don’t get the exact target, you will get something close to the target,” he added.

The church’s Senior Pastor, Dr. Paul Enenche, had in his sermon titled, “The life of vision,” pointed out to the congregation that how they began the New Year would determine how they would end it.

While saying that the quality of a foundation would determine the integrity of a building, Enenche said the quality of the year would be determined by the foundation laid by individuals.

He stated that a clear definition of a destination was a major requirement for a successful journey.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you may not like where you will end up. Vision is a clear picture of a preferred future. To live by chance is to end by chance,” the clergyman declared.

The pastor, however, said it was important for the people to follow the right principle if they must get the right result.

“God is not a respecter of persons. Either you know Him or not, if you follow the right principle, you will get the right result.

“Pastors go on holiday in Dubai without considering religion in as much as they get excellence. Nobody cares about your religion, sex or ethnic group, once you do it well,” Enenche said.

Jonathan was accompanied to the service, held under tight security, by his mother, Eunice; his children and top government officials.

The special service featured special prayers for the country, testimonies and special choir rendition among others.


http://www.punchng.com/news/im-coming-up-with-anti-corruption-plan-jonathan/

After six years in office our president is still "coming up" with an anti corruption plan. What a big shame.

he is saying this because Buhari's main agenda is to fight corruption... so he needs to copy that!

GEJ has been fighting corruption using systems and technology that are corruption proof. In virtually all the federal govt ministries, agencies and department, the menace of ghost workers is being eradicated with Biometrics capturing. I was involved in one recently and they capture all your ten finger prints and this has saved the federal govt over #100 billion previously lost to ghost workers.

Likewise, Fertilizer scam has ended with e-wallet system.

Likewise, corruption (at least public sector corruption) in PHCN ended with privatization. The power distribution companies are run like any other private companies such as banks. In a rating of the federal government agencies according to their rate of propensity to bribery done in 2013 by an NGO, the PHCN came 5th overall.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/police-efcc-immigration-service-icpc-top-corruption-ranking/162337/

And you will agree with me that these are very effective ways of fighting corruption in a country where corruption has been endemic for decades. Prevention they say is better than cure. This is in addition to whatever the law enforcement agencies are able to do.

Other systematic measures that will help in the long term include independent judiciary, honest police, vibrant civil society groups, free press, true federalism and credible elections.

I believe if we continue on this systematic approach, in addition to rewarding good behaviour, over time corruption will reduce drastically in Nigeria.

The Buhari approach didn't work in the early 80s, otherwise we wouldn't still be talking about corruption today. And if it didn't work in a military rule, then it is even more useless in a democracy.

Corruption in Nigeria is systemic, therefore, the solution that will endure must also be systematic.

egift:
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said his administration’s strategy against corruption was to strengthen the capability of institutions to nip the menace in the bud.

He said his idea of anti-corruption war was not about arresting suspects and parading them on the television.

Jonathan spoke during a special New Year service at the Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Area 1, Garki, Abuja.

He admitted that the two main problems currently confronting the country were insecurity and corruption.

You STILL don't get it, Mr Clueless!

1. In a country where corruption is so endemic, so widespread and so ingrained in almost every institution, there is NO WAY you can clean the menace without arresting and EXECUTING JAILING the corrupt and criminal elements, especially those who loot hundreds of millions.

2. If you cannot catch and PUNISH THE BIG CULPRITS who steal billions of the public money, then you can as well tell our police and the courts to STOP arresting and jailing THE PETTY CRIMINALS who steal PEANUTS compared to what your friends, associates and mentors loot DAILY from our common treasury!

3. You have just proved, ONCE AGAIN, that you have NOT got the amount of MORAL COURAGE that is needed to confront THE BIG THIEVING ELITE of this country.

4. And since you have NOT confronted them before, nobody should expect you to even try to confront them now, when MANY of them are either using the looted money to fund your re-election or are mouthing their support for your campaign, which they know is the surest way of getting away with all what they have looted, and are looting!

5. If not for your cluelessness and HALF-HEARTED commitment to fighting corruption, how on earth would you dismiss and even mock the age-long, tested and trusted way of deterring criminals (i.e. arresting them and jailing them), only for you to come up with A VAGUE and RIDICULOUS idea of 'strengthening the institutions' as an alternative?

6. Since you have recanted your earlier comments and now, like the rest of us, admit that corruption is one of the two major problems in this country, HOW do you think the corrupt operators of the corrupt system would allow you to 'strengthen the institutions', without first getting rid of them?

7. By this your comment, Mr President, you have just added URGENCY to the determination of Nigerian masses to see that you GIVE WAY to someone who can do a BETTER JOB of looking the thieving elite in the face, on our behalf, and telling them that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Rubbish we are waiting

Mr. Jonathan you tried, 2015 We need to change our style and pattern. Lets see what the general have to offer. Jst pack your load jejely and the looted money enjoy your life with madueke and okonjo+stella. God bless you.

egift:
After six years in office our president is still "coming up" with an anti corruption plan. What a big shame.

I am sure you were not there but here is a true life account

since the Buhari administration came to power, its policy on public sector spending has resulted in all round misery: retrenchment of public sector workers, roll back in social services, particularly in the area of health care, the re-introduction of school fees, the closure of educational institutions, the re-imposition of certain obnoxious taxes and levies and the suspension of new capital projects.
All these have negative implications for the country’s long range development….with such deflationary policies as has been put in place by the Buhari regime, shows that we are headed for unmitigated disaster. As for the planned privatization, this is no more than a camouflage for concentrating the nation’s wealth in ever fewer hands……still, it cannot be said that its attempt at streamlining import licensing and foreign exchange disbursement procedure has been a roaring success. Racketeering persists and those who have no business having import licenses still do so.

The government’s performance in the area of debt management is even poorer. Apart from the questionable wisdom of using over 40 per cent of the country’s export earnings to service debts, it is open to question whether the government has fully investigated and verified all the outstanding debt obligations it is now attempting to settle……In the area of inflation and distribution, the government successes, if any, have been limited. Officially estimated at about 40 percent the rate of inflation is still debilitating to the generality of Nigerians whose incomes, under the income policy guidelines, are not expected to increase substantially (especially for those in paid employment).

You people are trying your best, but no matter how you clean a pig and dress it up it still go be pigooo

Sincere9gerian:
GEJ has been fighting corruption using systems and technology that are corruption proof.

A system that is:
- Blind to the N21 billion illegal donations to Jonathan's campaign
- A budget of 4 billion naira to the none existing "Office of the First Lady".
- GEJ system of fighting corruption that try to hide the NNPC missing funds.
- Has this system not aware that Stella went beyond her bounds in buying the BMW cars?
- Jonathan war on corruption cannot dictate that Immigration exam fee extorted from the applicants should be refunded since no single job was provided in the scheme.
- And many other series of finance crimes that Jonathan is presiding over.

Keep defending Corruption.

Sincere9gerian:
GEJ has been fighting corruption using systems and technology that are corruption proof. In virtually all the federal govt ministries, agencies and department, the menace of ghost workers is being eradicated with Biometrics capturing. I was involved in one recently and they capture all your ten finger prints and this has saved the federal govt over #100 billion previously lost to ghost workers.

Likewise, Fertilizer scam has ended with e-wallet system.

Likewise, corruption (at least public sector corruption) in PHCN ended with privatization. The power distribution companies are run like any other private companies such as banks. In a rating of the federal government agencies according to their rate of propensity to bribery done in 2013 by an NGO, the PHCN came 5th overall.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/police-efcc-immigration-service-icpc-top-corruption-ranking/162337/

And you will agree with me that these are very effective ways of fighting corruption in a country where corruption has been endemic for decades. Prevention they say is better than cure. This is in addition to whatever the law enforcement agencies are able to do. I believe if we continue on this systematic approach, in addition to rewarding good behaviour, over time corruption will reduce drastically in Nigeria.

The Buhari approach didn't work in the early 80s, otherwise we wouldn't still be talking about corruption today. And if it didn't work in a military rule, then it is even more useless in a democracy.

Corruption in Nigeria is systemic, therefore, the solution that will endure must also be systematic.

I disagree with you on this. Corruption in Nigeria is only endemic because of permissiveness from the top. The Buhari approach didn't work in the early 80s because his military government was overthrown after only 20 months and it was the new military government under IBB that institutionalized corruption in Nigeria. IBB made it normal to be corrupt and subsequent governments since then have normalized corruption further under their rule.
Under Jonathan the issue has reached a crisis point. Corruption has become more centralized than ever before. All of those systemic changes you're talking about are still subject to corruption at the center. At least OBJ and Yar Adua made a show of prosecuting corruption a little bit. Under Jonathan it has been open season on the Nigerian treasury, nobody has been successfully prosecuted talk less of going to jail. It's been one major scandal after another; from kerosene scam to oil subsidy scam to CBN versus NNPC $20 billion controversy to massive depletion of the country's foreign reserves.
Committees are set up, then paid off. Reports are written then buried. Haba! Aren't you tired of all this nonsense? It's time to put someone in government who has a track record of not condoning such things.

U didn't fight corruption since it wen it lik 39 days to d electn dat u knw u are gonna fight corruption.

Gej otuoke is waitin 4 u for d last 6yrs am sure u hav earn(illegally) a lot of money dat can get u millions of gucci versace and Louis Vuitton shoes u can wear for d remainder of ur life.

biafranqueen:
I am sure you were not therre but here is a true life account
You people are trying your best, but no matter how you clean a pig and dress it up it still go be pigooo

After the fall in oil price in the early 70s, Nigeria's earns was heavy affected. To make matters worst, the successive governments mismanaged affairs especially that of Shagari where people in government looting like no tomorrow. The Buhari administration cut down on spending in order to sustain the economy. You may have to look up the meaning of "Austerity".

As Jonathan has squandered Nigeria's resources in the days of plenty. With falling Oil price and value of Naira - the same incident is kicking in again.

Why Buhari is needed is that moving forward, we need to stop the money falling through the cracks holes of Corruption, invest in short and long term plans to diversify the economy, invest in building infrastructural development to create short and long term jobs, empower Nigerians with economic package to be able to start and expand their business/enterprise, support business that will in turn employ Nigerians, Invest in the future through through Education, Health, etc, Create opportunities for Nigerians in Technology, Science, Agriculture, Mining, research, ect. Buhari will also invest in Rural development to reduce migration and even depopulate the congestion in cities.

There are many other things that will be done. Nigeria needs Buhari because we don't want a man who plays to the gallery like Jonathan. Six years as President he is still promising to articulate a plan for the major problem facing Nigeria.

No be corruption you don dey fight since?

If Jonathan spends 6yrs to lay the foundation of his madness, when would he hit the street

If it takes 6yrs to be "coming up with" an anti-corruption plan when would you now prosecute his friends, wife and himself who are the most corrupt people ever

egift:


After the fall in oil price in the early 70s, Nigeria's earns was heavy affected. To make matters worst, the successive governments mismanaged affairs especially that of Shagari where people in government looting like no tomorrow. The Buhari administration cut down on spending in order to sustain the economy. You may have to look up the meaning of "Austerity".

As Jonathan has squandered Nigeria's resources in the days of plenty. With falling Oil price and value of Naira - the same incident is kicking in again.

Why Buhari is needed is that moving forward, we need to stop the money falling through the cracks holes of Corruption, invest in short and long term plans to diversify the economy,

invest in building infrastructural development to create short and long term jobs, empower Nigerians with economic package to be able to start and expand their business/enterprise, support business that will in turn employ Nigerians, Invest in the future through through Education, Health, etc, Create opportunities for Nigerians in Technology, Science, Agriculture, Mining, research

, ect. Buhari will also invest in Rural development to reduce migration and even depopulate the congestion in cities.

There are many other things that will be done. Nigeria needs Buhari because we don't want a man who plays to the gallery like Jonathan. Six years as President he is still promising to articulate a plan for the major problem facing Nigeria.

Really so are you saying that GEJ did not do that?
truth of the matter is its not left for Buhari or GEJ alone. Its for us as citizens to decide what we want and when we want it. How many of you can challenge your LG chairperson for non-performance? How many of you have written to the House to tell them your representative is not representing your people well? How many have complain that the money allocated for the road to your village is being allocated every year and yet nothing is done but going into private pockets? GEJ told you how much Senators are making with the information bill what did you do with that info. Stop blaming GEJ for a 50 year old broken system, he is working on it strategically. Just cutting off the toe does not stop the spread of cancer to the rest of the body. Agriculture and business has thrived in Nigeria like never before. Under Buhari it failed!

I gave up on GEJ long time ago. The dunce of a president thinks Nigerian are stu.pid like him and his supporters. He now sees that anti corruption mantra of Buhari is gaining traction, so he has to start telling people that he got a plan to fight corruption.

Sorry GEJ, we are not stu.pid. Your time is up! We are not going to believe you after six years with nothing done about corruption.

Just give up, go home and relax with your loot.

biafranqueen:
Really so are you saying that GEJ did not do that?

Jonathan did some. As long as corruption is draining the purse of the Nation, cloaking the wheel of progress in Nigeria - there is no amount of efforts that will be put into governance that will yield the desired results.

Nigerians are demand that Jonathan be voted out because he and those that surround him in this administration are actually the perpetrators and biggest beneficiaries of the massive corruption going on in government. It is not possible for those committing these crimes to punish themselves except in they are putting together a comedy show and this is No Jokes.

#Change 2015: Support, Vote and Elect Buhari - God bless Nigeria.

FastShipping:
I gave up on GEJ long time ago. The dunce of a president thinks Nigerian are stu.pid like him and his supporters. He now sees that anti corruption mantra of Buhari is gaining traction, so he has to start telling people that he got a plan to fight corruption.

Sorry GEJ, we are not stu.pid. Your time is up! We are not going to believe you after six years with nothing done about corruption.

Just give up, go home and relax with your loot.

Is that not the beauty of democracy? After spending billions and billions in publicity, the APC has to sell 'something', and naturally listeners have to buy some of their wares.
We can fight corruption one of two ways:
1. Make serious, painful, and institutional changes in our society that incubate and grow corruption.
OR
2. Making shows, have a travelling road shows and circus at the markets in the name of fighting corruption while the real thieves find a way to shun the market places where the executions are taking place. We all remember the 49 un-searched suite cases passing through the airport when Buhari was at t he peak of his war against corruption as a military dictator.

naijaking1:


[s]Is that not the beauty of democracy? After spending billions and billions in publicity, the APC has to sell 'something', and naturally listeners have to buy some of their wares.
We can fight corruption one of two ways:
1. Make serious, painful, and institutional changes in our society that incubate and grow corruption.
OR
2. Making shows, have a travelling road shows and circus at the markets in the name of fighting corruption while the real thieves find a way to shun the market places where the executions are taking place. We all remember the 49 un-searched suite cases passing through the airport when Buhari was at t he peak of his war against corruption as a military dictator[/s].

Absolutely rubbish without substance.

FastShipping:


Absolutely rubbish without substance.

Are you the only person who didn't know about Jokolo and the 49 suite cases
Buhari also murdered 3 college students in the name of fighting corruption and drug dealing, one of them I knew in IMT.
The rubbish is when people post silly things in the internet without facts.

naijaking1:


Are you the only person who didn't know about Jokolo and the 49 suite cases
Buhari also murdered 3 college students in the name of fighting corruption and drug dealing, one of them I knew in IMT.
The rubbish is when people post silly things in the internet without facts.

I was aware of the saga. Buhari had nothing to do with 53 suitcases. Atiku was the Comptroller General of Customs at the time and nothing appropriate happened. Go and ask Atiku. As a matter of fact, go and read what Jokolo said in 2010 in the interview he had with This Day Newspaper.

FastShipping:


I was aware of the saga. Buhari had nothing to do with 53 suitcases. Atiku was the Comptroller General of Customs at the time and nothing appropriate happened. Go and ask Atiku. As a matter of fact, go and read what Jokolo said in 2010 in the interview he had with This Day Newspaper.

How can you say Buhari had nothing to do with the suite cases when he was the head of state? The bucks stop there my friend. For him to murder those kids by retroactively writing a law to ensnare them was curel and had nothing to do with fighting corruption. Meanwhile, his friends and the customs director where contravening the same laws openly and recklessly, and even being rewarded. That is why Buhari remains an evil man despite a billion dollar campaign make over!

egift:
After six years in office our president is still "coming up" with an anti corruption plan. What a big shame.

Only a fool will take him serious.

naijaking1:


How can you say Buhari had nothing to do with the suite cases when he was the head of state? The bucks stop there my friend. For him to murder those kids by retroactively writing a law to ensnare them was curel and had nothing to do with fighting corruption. Meanwhile, his friends and the customs director where contravening the same laws openly and recklessly, and even being rewarded. That is why Buhari remains an evil man despite a billion dollar campaign make over!

Present any proof you have that Buhari got anything to do with 53 suitcases. Atiku who was the Customs Comptroller general at the time said it wasn't true. Who the hell are you to claim otherwise?

biafranqueen:
Really so are you saying that GEJ did not do that?
truth of the matter is its not left for Buhari or GEJ alone. Its for us as citizens to decide what we want and when we want it. How many of you can challenge your LG chairperson for non-performance? How many of you have written to the House to tell them your representative is not representing your people well? How many have complain that the money allocated for the road to your village is being allocated every year and yet nothing is done but going into private pockets? GEJ told you how much Senators are making with the information bill what did you do with that info. Stop blaming GEJ for a 50 year old broken system, he is working on it strategically. Just cutting off the toe does not stop the spread of cancer to the rest of the body. Agriculture and business has thrived in Nigeria like never before. Under Buhari it failed!

Ndigbo have a saying that when the source of water is dirty, it flows down the stream. For Corruption to stop in Nigeria and for their to be good governance in Nigeria, it must start from the top.

Nigeria needs Buhari develop and Buhari needs Nigerians to vote for him. Lets unite and make it happen - forget naysayers fly different kites of propaganda.

FastShipping:


Present any proof you have that Buhari got anything to do with 53 suitcases. Atiku who was the Customs Comptroller general at the time said it wasn't true. Who the hell are you to claim otherwise?

You need proof to show that Buhari was Head of State when the suite cases happened?
If you agree that he was, then what other evidence do you want?

naijaking1:


You need proof to show that Buhari was Head of State when the suite cases happened?
If you agree that he was, then what other evidence do you want?

So because GEJ was president when Stella Oduah was inflating contracts doesn't mean GEJ was the one stealing.

I have to leave you now to your fate. You are not making sense at all. You are only spinning.

naijaking1:


How can you say Buhari had nothing to do with the suite cases when he was the head of state? The bucks stop there my friend. For him to murder those kids by retroactively writing a law to ensnare them was curel and had nothing to do with fighting corruption. Meanwhile, his friends and the customs director where contravening the same laws openly and recklessly, and even being rewarded. That is why Buhari remains an evil man despite a billion dollar campaign make over!

Simple conjecture.

FastShipping:


So because GEJ was president when Stella Oduah was inflating contracts doesn't mean GEJ was the one stealing.

I have to leave you now to your fate. You are not making sense at all. You are only spinning.

Thanks, you've finally made my point.
GEJ removed Oduah.
What happened to the people involved in the suite case saga under Buhari
Nothing, zip, nada, zilch, zero!!!!
Now you know who fights corruption better.

naijaking1:


Thanks, you've finally made my point.
GEJ removed Oduah.
What happened to the people involved in the suite case saga under Buhari
Nothing, zip, nada, zilch, zero!!!!
Now you know who fights corruption better.

There was nothing like 53 suitcases. Na big big lie! Atiku was Nigerian Customs Comptroller General at the time. My own mother was a Custom officer at the time as well. Nothing like 53 suitcases.

But stealing Is not Corruption naaa...

FastShipping:


There was nothing like 53 suitcases. Na big big lie! Atiku was Nigerian Customs Comptroller General at the time. My own mother was a Custom officer at the time as well. Nothing like 53 suitcases.

This is an official panel investigation or you and Atiku speaking
Of course there no Oduah too, just like that.
Once again, a good president would investigate before lining 3 kids up and shooting in broad day light for youthful indiscretion committed more than 3 months to the actual decree.

after six years is now that u want to fight corruption, Jonathan is a shameless fool from otuoke.