It was the hundredth day, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari took over office, as the fourth democratically elected leader since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, and he seized the opportunity, among many other activities, to call on the Judiciary to step up its anti-corruption drive to compliment his administration’s war against corruption in Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari made history during the March elections by becoming the first candidate to defeat an incumbent President at the polls, after promising to crack down on corruption and crush insurgency by the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.

Since his inauguration on May 29, President Buhari, who was also a former military ruler, has made huge changes.

In the oil sector, he has restructured the state oil company, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, whose board he sacked in June.

The President has also taken a hands-on approach to security challenges by replacing defence chiefs and the national security adviser.

He has strengthened relations with neighbouring countries to set up an 8,700-strong regional task force to fight the Boko Haram sect, which has killed thousands of people in the north-east since 2009 and driven more than 1.5 million others from their homes.

His new service chiefs were given 90 days to end the insurgency, at least in the north eastern part of Nigeria where their presence is felt the most.

Despite his efforts, many have continued to complain that the President’s decision not to appoint a cabinet until later this month has put the country’s economic policy in limbo.

But the President’s supporters say he needs time to analyse the inner workings of ministries that have been run exclusively by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the past 16 years.

On the need for the judiciary to support anti-graft campaign, the president represented by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, advocated an inclusive fight and whistle blower’s campaign against anybody allegedly involved in corrupt practices.

The president made the call in Makurdi, the Benue State capital at the First Memorial Lecture in honour of Late Justice Alhassan Idoko, a former Chief Judge of the state between 1985 and 1999.

Speakers at the lecture urged lawyers to emulate the integrity of Late Justice Alhassan Idoko and his commitment to the Judiciary, as the nation intensifies the war against corruption. (Channels TV)

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