President Bola Tinubu has been criticised in some quarters for his seeming noncommittal attitude to fight corruption and make those whose criminal activities brought the economy to its knees pay a price.

Since the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo who took over power from the military in 1999, anti-corruption has always featured as a major item of regime agendas. Obasanjo’s commitment to this programme led him to sponsor the anti-graft bills that established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, in the earliest stages of his regime.

His successor, President Umaru Yar’Adua, demonstrated his commitment to the anti-graft war by being the first and only Nigerian leader to publicly declare his assets and those of his wife, Turai. President Goodluck Jonathan contributed to the anti-graft effort by introducing technology such as the Single Treasury Account, TSA, and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, which are meant to monitor government revenue inflow and tame the ghost workers syndrome.

The Buhari regime also made the fight against corruption one of his three-point agenda. His body and spoken languages at least had initial impacts as “the new sheriff in town”, and the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu’s pursuit of the anti-graft agenda was felt in the system. Buhari, despite badmouthing “previous governments”, assiduously implemented the TSA and IPPIS.

We are aware that despite the avowals of the past regimes to the anti-graft war, corruption was still rife, especially during the Jonathan and Buhari regimes. Since corruption is a major monster threatening the progress of this nation, we strongly believe that every administration must be openly committed to, and strongly deployed against, it.

Those who put their dirty fingers in the public till must nurse the fear of dire consequences.

President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged the fact that the super elite are the forces responsible for national economic sabotages, especially oil theft and petrol subsidy scams. Contrary to the tacit admission by Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, that they are “more powerful” than our agencies of law enforcement, we believe that nobody is too “powerful” to be visited with the full weight of the law.

Oil theft and petrol subsidy scams have taken away over N10 trillion that should have been used to develop this country in the past couple of years alone.

Nigerians will feel better in bearing the brunt of their criminality if Tinubu’s government goes after these people to recover our stolen wealth and serve them justice.

We expect the Federal Government to be more proactive in its commitment to the anti-graft agenda. It is not enough to stop the subsidy scam or fight oil theft. Those behind them must not walk free.

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