"Corruption will never allow Nigeria grow like U.S., UK "– Governor Sule

Governor Sule stated this Thursday while delivering a speech at a rally jointly organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Coalition of Unions Against Corruption, marking this year's African Union Convention on Preventing and Fighting Corruption in Africa.

The Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule has said that only corruption is stagnating Nigeria from competing with other developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.

The governor noted that if all the assets of this country were judiciously used and for purposes meant, Nigeria will even be better than the UK or US.

Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, the governor traced Nigeria's major problem to the inability to adequately manage the country's resources.

"Nigeria by all intent and purposes is not a poor country, we are not a poor country. I refused to believe that we are a poor country. If the assets of this country were judiciously used, for the purposes that are meant for, honestly Nigeria will be better than the UK, US we are talking about," the governor said.

Governor Sule called on the citizens to hold their leaders accountable even as he disclosed that since his assumption of office, his administration is working towards cutting down on the cost of governance so that the excess can be channelled towards developing the state.

He pointed out that those who loot the resources of this country with the intension of keeping the proceeds for their children are only denying such children the right to use their God given potentials.

"For those of us who want to amass for our children's children, God gave each one of us brains and these brains are supposed to be used. You used your brain and achieved something, why don't you allow your children to use theirs?

"Why must you deny them the right to use theirs by amassing wealth so that they can come and enjoy your wealth without working for that?" Governor Sule stated.

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He, therefore, urged the coalition to take its campaign to all the nooks and crannies of the state with a view to sensitizing the people on the ills of corruption.

Speaking at the event, Chairperson of the Coalition of Unions Against Corruption, a synergy of like minds from across several associations and pressure groups, Hajiya Maryam Ibrahim, said corruption has assumed the status of a cankerworm which has eaten deep into the fabric of the society, doing lots of damage to the country and people.

While commending the effort of the EFCC under Ibrahim Magu, on its resolve to mitigate the anomaly, the coalition said the rally is crucial to engaging the citizenry as well as governments to not only prevent, prosecute but also recover all stolen assets.

On his part, chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, highlighted the significance of the citizenry keying into the fight against corruption, as according to him, the EFCC alone cannot win the anti graft war.

While noting that asset recovery is a major issue in the fight against corruption, the EFCC Chairman, represented by Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media and Publicity, said that explained the decision of the AU to set July 11 every year as a day to sensitize the people on asset recovery.