SAN FRANCISCO, November 17, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari has noted that the anti-corruption war waged by his administration is tough and grueling, but assured that the battle would be won although corruption is vigorously fighting back.
Meeting with the United States, U.S, Secretary of State, John Kerry, Wednesday, on the sidelines of conference on climate change, COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco, Buhari stated that corrupt persons had accumulated a formidable arsenal of illicit wealth, which they were now deploying against the government on diverse fronts.
“But it is a war we are determined to win, and which we will win,” he said in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
“People of goodwill are behind us, countries like America and many others are with us, and we will surely win,” the President added.
He also updated Secretary Kerry on the war against insurgency in the North-east of Nigeria, efforts being made to tackle humanitarian problems caused by the insurgency, informing that a presidential committee had been launched “under Gen T.Y Danjuma, a man of high integrity.”
On the unrest in the Niger Delta region, which manifests in the sabotage of critical oil and power installations, he said the engagement process was proceeding apace, adding that it was rather difficult bringing the main protagonists of the insurgency under one umbrella.
Buhari said Nigeria was happy with American support on different fronts, assuring that the economic challenges facing the country were being “frontally tackled, and we will overcome them soon.”
Secretary Kerry expressed delight at the many successes of the Buhari administration, pledging continued U.S support in the bid to overcome security, humanitarian, political, and economic challenges.
As the Barrack Obama administration exits next January, Kerry said he would love to continue engaging with Nigeria, even in a private capacity. He described Buhari as a strong international partner in the battle against violent extremism.
