Corruption is the greatest evil of our time – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday in Addis Ababa described corruption as one of the greatest evils of our time.

The President said this while formally launching the African Anti-Corruption Year 2018 at the opening ceremony of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in the Ethiopian capital.

“Corruption is indeed one of the greatest evils of our time,” he declared in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant to on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.

“Corruption rewards those who do not play by the rules and also creates a system of distortion and diversion, thereby destroying all efforts at constructive, just and fair governance.”

Being the champion of the theme of the 30th AU Summit, namely, “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation,” President Buhari thanked the African leaders for entrusting him with such a noble responsibility.

He also pledged to do his best “to ensure that the anti-corruption agenda will receive the attention it deserves and make the impact we all hope for, during 2018 and beyond.”

The President, who noted that Africa has made some significant strides in enacting legal and policy frameworks such as the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) to address the vice, however, said the desired impact had been lacking.

“15 years after the adoption of the African Union Convention, 2018 provides a good starting point to take stock of progress made so far, assess what still needs to be done, and devise new strategies to address new corruption challenges,” he said.

According to President Buhari, in spite of sustained economic growth on the continent for the past two decades, “public confidence has been eroded by a focus on short-term priorities and payoffs, propelled by corruption, which too often leaves projects uncompleted and promises unfulfilled.”