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Stakeholders Accuse FG For Booming Corruption In MDAs
.••Call For Probe In Agric, Health Ministries
The Federal Government’s attitude to reports and allegations of corruption against government officials have been described as lackluster, uninspiring and the main reason for the booming corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.
The assertion was made on Wednesday by the Communication and Advocacy Director at Make A Difference Initiative, Lemmy Ughegbe during a radio program, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE produced by the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development, PRIMORG.
Ughegbe who was reacting to separate Premium Times investigations exposing payment of a whooping N3.08 billion into the private accounts of 42 staffers of the ministry of Agriculture, and N2.4 billion into the private accounts of 25 staff members of the Health ministry, said he was not astonished by the revelations given antecedents of the current administration.
According to him, corruption has always been a problem in Nigeria; however, the report lends credence to beliefs that corruption is heightened under President Muhammadu Buhari administration due to his actions and inactions.
“In a government that rode on the mantra of incorruptibility and to fight corruption, any semblance or device of corruption you deal with decisively so as to discourage others.
“Now we have seen a government that looks at faces, deodorizes corrupt people who are in their own circle and put others who are not to trial,” Ughegbe said.
He added that the disbursement of such huge amount of public fund into private pockets of government officials was the reason for the decay in Nigeria’s Health system and Agric system which is caused by failure of the leadership, lamenting that President Buhari has not shown enough intolerance for corruption.
Ughegbe called on citizens to realize the powers they have and unite against lack of accountability by leaders, amongst other forms of corruption.
“Citizens must know that the biggest office in the land is that of the citizens, therefore, we must know our strength. We must de-emphasize ethnicity and religion. One of the first ways of getting it right is if we can unite and insist on reform of our Electoral Act,” He said.
On his part, Premium Times reporter, Yusuf Akinpelu said the government’s lack of political will was the reason perpetrators of corruption in government offices are not always punished.
Akinpelu noted that the financial infractions by Health and Agric Ministries contravenes the Civil service rules, lamenting that the disbursement of funds should have gone through corporate accounts instead of private accounts which gives room for corruption in the sector.
He decried anti-graft agencies lack of action against the ministries and the government officials involved in the fraud despite publishing the report and vowed to continue reminding them of the investigations until concrete action is taken.
“What is emboldening corruption in government ministries is the fact that people are not punished. After the investigation, Premium Times reached out to ICPC, EFCC and NFIU to take action. We will continue reminding and pressurizing them until something is done,” Akinpelu assured.
Several participants who called into radio program through the phone called on government to fight corruption decisively and punish officials in the MDAs who contravene the extant regulations and laws.
The syndicated radio program is produced by PRIMORG with the support from the MACARTHUR FOUNDATION.
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From U.S. Alarm to Tinubu’s Validation
U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent decision to list Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” triggered a wave of reactions across diplomatic and political circles.
While many Nigerians viewed the designation as a national embarrassment and critics seized it as evidence of deepening instability, the development has taken on a surprising twist: it has become an unintended validation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ongoing reforms.
For global observers, Trump’s warning underscored the security and governance challenges facing Africa’s largest democracy. But within Nigeria, it cast renewed attention on Tinubu’s attempts to tackle the very issues that led to the U.S. designation from terror attacks and mass kidnappings to deep rooted economic distortions.
Political analysts note that long before Trump’s statement, Tinubu had already begun overhauling Nigeria’s security and economic systems, taking steps more far-reaching than those implemented by his predecessors. Trump may have amplified global concern, but Tinubu had already moved into the repair phase.
Upon assuming office, Tinubu inherited a nation strained by years of structural decline a costly fuel subsidy regime, an opaque multi-tiered foreign exchange system, rising insecurity, and widening regional imbalances. Instead of opting for gradualism, he pursued sweeping measures aimed at resetting Nigeria’s foundations.
One of his earliest actions was an overhaul of the security architecture. Tinubu dismissed and replaced the previous service chiefs, appointed field tested commanders, strengthened joint operations, and demanded measurable results. The armed forces intensified land and air offensives, resulting in major arrests, rescue operations, and the neutralisation of terror cells. Security improvements were coupled with community-level interventions to break cycles of violence and restore economic activity in long neglected regions.
Economically, Tinubu took two of the most contentious decisions in decades: removal of petrol subsidy and unification of the exchange rate. His administration framed the decisions as necessary to end fiscal leakages and curb entrenched rent-seeking. Though the reforms generated short-term hardships, they also freed revenue for federal and state governments and signaled to investors that Nigeria was ready for structural cleanup.
In governance, Tinubu implemented what analysts describe as an equity-driven restructuring of the federation. Every geopolitical zone now has a dedicated regional development commission a move designed to institutionalise fairness and ensure balanced growth. This expansion is widely regarded as one of the administration’s most strategic long-term decisions.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is witnessing what officials describe as a new wave of infrastructure expansion. Work is underway on the multi-state Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, major rail upgrades, power sector reforms, and the rehabilitation of key federal roads. Port modernization projects are also accelerating to position Nigeria as a competitive maritime hub.
International confidence appears to be responding to these reforms. Tinubu has pursued aggressive economic diplomacy, securing investment commitments from the UAE, Germany, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and leading multinationals. Government officials report that more than $30 billion in investment pledges were recorded during the administration’s first year.
The government has also launched a comprehensive tax reform effort aimed at curbing multiple taxation, expanding the tax net, and strengthening transparency a shift intended to help raise Nigeria’s historically low tax-to-GDP ratio.
As global reactions to Trump’s warning continue, Nigerian officials argue that the designation inadvertently highlights a turning point rather than a downward spiral. While the U.S. warning spotlighted Nigeria’s challenges, Tinubu’s defenders say the administration is already confronting those challenges with bold, long-term reforms.
In this framing, Trump’s alarm has become a backdrop that underscores the urgency of Tinubu’s agenda and, paradoxically, the evidence of its relevance.
Supporters of the president say the label “country of concern” is being transformed into a story of a country in recovery, driven by a leader intent on reversing years of stagnation. According to them, Tinubu’s approach prioritising difficult reforms over popular short-term fixes is precisely what positions Nigeria for renewed global confidence.
In a twist of geopolitical irony, what was meant to warn the world about Nigeria may now be drawing attention to an unfolding attempt at national renewal.
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