We’ll crush corruption –Buhari

     President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed the resolve of his administration to prosecute the anti-corruption war with renewed vigour and resilience, vowing that corruption, which has become a destructive cancer, would be crushed by his administration.

    In what signposts his strongest response to people who had begun to feel that the anti-graft war had lost steam in the face of recent revelations swirling around some of the officials of the government, Buhari said that a primary leg of the tripod that constituted the main agenda of his electioneering campaign should not be written off so easily.
   Reminding Nigerians about his resolute prosecution of the anti-graft war, in his New Year message, Buhari said: “Our determination to wrestle corruption to the ground remains unshaken. This fight, which will be guided by respect for the rule of law and due process, will not spare anybody or organ of government. It is a collective undertaking and resolve that must be seen to its logical conclusion in spite of certain distractions. The fate of our country lies partly in the success of this campaign. It will be unthinkable on my part to allow the boat of this crucial campaign promise capsize mid-stream.” Elaborating on the reference to “distractions,” Buhari acknowledged the unsavoury reports that recently emanated on how the funds provided for the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons were allegedly misappropriated by government officials charged with the responsibility of overseeing the welfare of the IDPs, Buhari expressed displeasure over the said revelations, Buhari said, “Government is aware of some mistakes and wrongdoings in handling the affairs of IDPs. We are taking measures to correct those mistakes and punish the culprits.”
The President, who congratulated Nigerians for making it into the New Year, again saluted the heroic and gallant efforts of the military and other security agencies on their remarkable successes to rid the nation of terrorism especially the‎ troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.
   Buhari urged Nigerians to be on the alert and watch out for strange figures settling in their communities, and report to the nearest security agencies, following the capture of Sambisa Forest and the hot pursuit of fleeing terrorists by the nation’s security personnel.
“When we see our beloved 21 Chibok girls reuniting with their families and community for Christmas, it gives us the hope that those who are still in captivity will one day return to the loving arms of family, friends and well-wishers.
“Misguided elements who took up arms against constituted authorities must be brought to face the full weight of the law,” the president said. President Buhari stressed that the New Year provides an opportunity to build on the aspects of national life that unite us. “We are courageous, hardworking, hospitable, steadfast and resilient people, even in the face of difficulties.
    These are the attributes that define us and have for years confounded the pessimists who do not believe in our continued existence as a united and indivisible nation. We are a remarkable nation that has succeeded in harnessing our multiple diversities for national development. We must continue to support and tolerate one another and live together as one.
“We will continue to pursue peace initiatives in the Niger Delta as I again, call on our brothers in that region who have taken to violent disruptions of economic infrastructure to come to the negotiating table.