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Yar'Adua 'to fight corruption'
01/10/2007 12:02 - (SA)
Lagos - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua vowed on Monday to fight endemic corruption in a broadcast marking the 47th independence of his oil-rich West African country.
Nigeria, a former British colony, got its political independence on October 01 1960. But despite its vast human and mineral resources, Africa's most populous country of 140 million people had been bedevilled with corruption, losing billions of dollars every year.
Yar'Adua said: "We shall continue with unmediated dedication in our determination to check corruption, reduce poverty, grow our national economy, entrench absolute respect for the rule of law, eradicate abuse of due process and create opportunities for all Nigerians."
The president noted the country's tortuous journey in the last 47 years, and pledged his government would make in a difference in the lives of Nigerians.
Basic infrastructure
He said: "Almost against all odds, we always summoned uncommon resilience and with abiding faith in our common national purpose, we overcame all."
The president said his government had begun the process of rebuilding basic infrastructure in the country.
He assured: "The energy challenge will be met in a holistic manner. We shall be guided by our national consensus for democratic governance and strengthening our democratic institutions.
"We shall in particular ensure that our electoral process is of the highest quality and meets international best practice."
He also promised to tackle the crisis in the oil-rich, but restive Niger Delta, where militant activities had reduced Nigeria's daily exports of 2.14 million barrels by a quarter in the past two years.
More than 200 foreigners, mostly in the oil sector, had been kidnapped but later released in the same period, while dozens of Nigerian security personnel and a few foreigners had been killed.
Yar'Adua said: "In the troubled Niger Delta in particular, we shall secure the region for growth and development while effectively tackling criminal dimension to the problem."
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