Stop celebrating ill-gotten wealth – Jonathan urges Nigerians

To reduce the incidence of corruption in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan has advocated that Nigerians must stop celebrating ill-gotten wealth. 

The President spoke at the 54th annual conference of the Nigeria Economic Society in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said, “For us to bring corruption down in the country, we should not just blame the government or the police but all individual must frown at people who have what they are not supposed to have, who live in houses they are not supposed to live in; who drives cars they are not supposed to drive and who wear suits that are more expensive.

“Until we stop that, I don’t think we will get to where we want to go.

“If a young man who just started a job and within six months or a year comes up with a car of N7million to N15million and you clap for him, then you are rewarding corruption.”

“However, if all Nigerians collectively refuse to reward corruption and frown at it people would not be attracted to corrupt practices. But when we all reward corruption, then of course we will be tempted to go in that direction.”

The President said he desires a Nigerian society where all of us will frown against people who come up with what they are not supposed to have.

His administration’s approach to fighting corruption, according to him, has also been to focus on building institutions that have the capacity to overcome corrupt influences.

“This approach uses the rule of law as a framework to fight corruption,” he said.