Buhari to Kerry: No U-turn in Nigerian corruption fight

By Rafiu Ajakaye

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari told a top U.S. official that the country’s anticorruption campaign will proceed with sustained vigor in line with the rule of law, insisting that no one found betraying the public trust will go unpunished.

"We will insist on the standards we're establishing. We are laying down administrative and financial instructions in the public service that must be obeyed. Any breach will no longer be acceptable,” a statement by presidential spokesman Femi Adesina quoted Buhari as telling visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a closed-door meeting late Tuesday.

Neither Kerry nor his host took questions after the meeting.

The spokesman said Buhari restated his belief that corruption poses an existential threat to Nigeria and so must be crushed by all means, including getting everyone in the government bureaucracy on board the crusade.

“We will retrain our staff so that they understand the new orientation. And those who run afoul of these rules will be prosecuted, no matter who is involved,” Buhari said, according to the statement.

“But we will be fair, just, and act according to the rule of law. Anyone perceived corrupt is innocent till we can prove it. We will work very hard to establish documentation for successful prosecution, and those in positions of trust will sit up,” he added.

He also reportedly praised Washington’s support for Nigeria and its neighbors in the fight against Boko Haram, as well as its insistence on a credible process in the runup to the country's presidential poll last year.

“President Buhari said though the militancy in the Niger Delta has impacted negatively on the economy and affected the positive intentions of international and local investors, the government was showing restraint not to use real force, ‘except when constrained to do so’,” the statement added.

Kerry, for his part, was quoted as praising Buhari for his anti-corruption crusade while offering U.S. assistance in a myriad of areas, including the economy and the fight against Boko Haram.

“We applaud what you are doing. Corruption creates a ready-made playing field for recruiting extremists,” the statement quoted Kerry as saying, echoing statements he made in a public address earlier Tuesday.

“You inherited a big problem, and we will support you in any way we can. We will work with you very closely. We don't want to interfere, but will offer opportunities as you require," he added.

Kerry also reportedly pledged to help tackle the humanitarian challenges in Nigeria’s North East, where victims of Boko Haram violence are suffering from deprivation and disease, adding that Washington will get the U.K., France, and others “to augment the support.”

"Nigeria is priority for us. We won't miss the opportunity to work together, because you are making significant progress," Kerry was quoted as saying.