“We Will Fight Corruption To A Standstill” – FG

The Federal Government has reiterated its determination to fight corruption to ensure the success of its transformation programme and restore the good image of the country.

Vice-President Namadi Sambo stated this in Abuja at the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) dinner organised in honour of the 2010 and 2011 NNOM award recipients.

He described corruption in Nigeria as a cancer which had been frustrating government’s efforts at uplifting the quality of life of the people.

Sambo vowed that government would fight “this cancer’’ to a standstill for the general progress of the country.

“I want to also seize this opportunity to assure that we will very seriously fight the issue of corruption. Corruption has been a cancer that has grown into the marrow of this country and Insha Allah we will address it and do away with it in this country.’’

The vice-president stated that the Federal Government had also resolved to promote science and technical education at all levels of the nation’s education system.

According to him, research and development is one of government’s key cardinal points for its transformation agenda.

He said already the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the immediate establishment of five specialised universities to boost science and technical education.

“Human Capital Development is one of the major cardinal points of this administration. You will recall that the Federal Executive Council has already decided that each and every state of the federation must have a specialised university in this country and already five universities have been approved and they have taken off and by 2012 all outstanding states will have a federal university

We have directed for the development of science education, improved science education in this country and education, education, education and education will be the major part of our policies.’’

Sambo noted that some parts of the country had started witnessing stability in power supply and assured that government would soon inject additional power into the national grid.

He announced that government was investing heavily in coal for energy production as part of efforts to boost electricity supply, saying that already Enugu, Benue, Kogi and Gombe states had been selected for the commencement of phase one of the coal power plants.

He said government had embarked on the construction of more than 3,000 Km of dual carriage ways across the country.

The vice-president, who congratulated the recipients, charged them to continue their good works for the general progress of humanity.

In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim Pius, expressed appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for increasing the monetary reward for winners of the NNOM from N5 million to N10 million.

The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian National Merit Award, Professor Ouwafeyisola Adegoke, expressed the resolve of the board to continue to perform its responsibilities diligently.

Those presented with the award were Prof. Andrew Nok, Prof. Isidore Okpewho, Prof. Ebiegberi Alagao, Prof. Francis Idachaba and Dr. Ibok Etukudo.