Catholic PriestReverend Father Gideon Obasogie, the spokesperson for the Catholic Church in the North-East, has opined that corrupt politicians who diverted the arms funds were worse than Boko Haram insurgents.
Obasogie said the stolen funds were meant for the battle against insurgency and could have helped in prosecuting the war effectively.
He noted that the perpetrators have flagrantly betrayed public trust and were worse than insurgents because their actions have led to several loss of lives.
He made this known in an interview with The Punch on Sunday while commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war, which he described as a new page of development in the country’s history.
Obasogie, however, urged the President to put structures on ground that would keep the war against graft running even after his tenure.
He said, “The anti-corruption war is a new page of development in the history of Nigeria. It is unfortunate that the funds meant for the prosecution of the war against the Boko Haram sect were diverted by corrupt politicians, leading to the loss of innocent lives. These corrupt politicians are worse than the Boko Haram insurgents because they flagrantly betrayed public trust.
“While we pray that God grants the President the sense of direction to move Nigeria to the next level, it is of note that corruption will always fight back. While the war against corruption is commendable, efforts should be made by the President to ensure that this move is sustained.
“Apart from this, the anti-corruption war should not be limited to government officials alone. Nigerians must understand that they have a role to play by shunning corruption as it presents itself in every area of their lives.”
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