Corruption is undoubtely a major problem in Nigeria. Among the several pre-2011 election promises made by President Jonathan is the promise to fight corruption. This is expected considering the fact that corruption is such a big problem in Nigeria, to the extent that some persons say corruption is systemic in Nigeria.

President Jonathan was not alone in the promise to fight corruption, state governors across the federation also promised to fight corruption. Whether or not the respective state governors have kept their promise is an issue for another day.

Almost 2yrs down the line, divergent opinions has been expressed as to whether President Jonathan is keeping to his promise of fighting corruption. Some say corruption has increased astronomically in the last few years, some say its status quo and others say it decreased a little.

The Transparency International in its 2012 report, rated Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt country in the world, out of 176 countries surveyed for the year. Some Nigerians, especially those in the opposition, disagreed with the report, claiming Nigeria should be the most corrupt country in the world.

In my opinion, so far, President Jonathan has not have done all things right in terms of fighting corruption but he has CERTAINLY done some things right.

For the purpose of those who feign selective forgetfulness and some fair minded Nigerians, permit me to highlight what the president has done RIGHT so far in this respect:

1) Reduction in political corruption: The GREATEST corruption anywhere in the world is the shameless stealing of peoples votes through rigging of elections. Besides the corruption associated with the process of vote stealing, a leader that does not emerge by popular vote, will most likely by SENSELESSLY corrupt, since he does not need the people for anything. But a leader that was truely elected by his people, humbled by the process that brought him to power, will be less corrupt.

President Jonathan has since coming to power, ensured that political corruption is reduced to the barest minimum by insisting on credible elections at all times.

2) Free press: free press is one of the most potent weapons in the fight against corruption. Those who doubt its potency should enlighten themselves with books &several articles on free press, including " A free press is bad news for corruption" written by Beatrice Weder et al and "Only a free Press can root out corruption"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2100724/Only-free-Press-root-corruption.html

It is an undeniable fact that under the govt of GEJ, the Nigerian press has enjoyed the HIGHEST degree of freedom. In the past, we used to hear of media houses being closed down or programme presenters removed due to govt pressure but those are now things of the PAST.

3) Passage of the Freedom of Information Act: to further strengthen the press in Nigeria and to show that it has nothing to hide, the govt signed into law the Freedom of Information Act. This law empowers the press to demand for whatever information that will aid their work &was signed into law after decades of rejection by past govts.

4) Weeding Out Of Ghost Workers: for several years, public officials have defrauded the nation billions of naira using names of non-existing workers (aka ghost workers). The present govt is putting a stop to it by capturing the bio-data of all federal civil servants and implementing an integrated pay roll system.

Though the reforms have not been completed, but so far a total of 45,000 ghost workers who earned over N100billion had been uncovered from about 251 ministries, directorates and agencies. This singular reform has saved this country about N100billion (more than the annual budget of some states)
http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/thread-830385-1-1.html

5) Change in EFCC leadership: the govt inherited an EFCC headed by Madam Waziri. Most Nigerians and the international community were uncomfortable with her credibility. The govt swung to action, removed her and brought back Lamorde, who is said to be the engine room of the then Nuhu Ribadu led EFCC.

6) Elimination of Fertilizer distribution scam: through a new system of fertilizer distribution, termed Growth Enhancement Scheme, which basically involves giving the fertilizers DIRECTLY to the farmers through the use of mobile phones, the govt saved a whopping N25billion in 2012.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/adesina-fg-saved-n25bn-in-2012-under-new-fertilizer-scheme/136515/

7) Signing into law of the The Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 : This law canceled the Money Laundering Act, 2004 and makes comprehensive provisions to ban the financing of terrorism, and the laundering of the proceeds of crime or illegal acts.

This law accounts for the recent increase in the number of people caught at Airports trying to launder money abroad ( including the son of Jigawa state governor)
http://www.amlcftblog.com/2011/06/nigeria-signs-terrorism-prevention-and.html

http://saharareporters.com/press-release/money-laundering-efcc-arrests-two-238-858
http://saharareporters.com/press-release/efcc-press-release-money-laundering-court-jails-cash-courier-over-286400
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/money-laundering-efcc-docks-two-for-240000-illegal-cash/

POINT 8. Reforms in disbursement of Petroleum Equalisation Fund: in the past, the petroleum equalisation fund for bridging of the prices of petroleum products across the country was disbursed manually. This gave room for massive fraud and manipulations. To block the leakages in the system, the govt this year migrated the disbursement of the fund fully to an electronic platform.

9) Reduction of the scam in the fuel subsidy scheme: the govt saw the corruption in the fuel subsidy scheme and decided to end it once and for all in January 2012. But unfortunately, ethnic champions and failed politicians ceased the opportunity to engineer protests in some parts of the country. Consequently, the govt partially reversed the decision but the massive corruption in the system, as revealed by the several probes that followed, is now obvious to all.

Nonetheless, the govt did not relent. It went after the fuel subsidy thieves, through a painstaking investigation by the Aig lmoukhuede-led Presidential Committee. Many of the subsidy thieves are now having their days in court.

In addition, the number of fuel marketers involved in product importation in the fuel subsidy scheme have been reduced to a manageable level. The PPPRA first reduced the number of fuel importing firms from about 125 to 42 and then later to 39.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/pppra-reduces-fuel-import-list-to-39-firms/117947/

Also, payment for fuel subsidy now passes through additional layers of checks to ensure that scams are reduced to the barest minimum.

10) Reduction of scam in the pension scheme: the rottened system of corruption the govt inherited did not spare the pension scheme. Through the activities of the Pension reform task force and bio-metrics registration of eligible pensioneers, billions of public funds have been saved. The funds saved by the task force was confirmed by Okonjo-Iweala, who stated that "through the various biometric screening conducted between June 2010 and 2012, the Maina Task Force was able to save N74 billion that would have been embezzled through the fraudulent activities of those in charge of paying out pensions". Not satisfied with that, the govt invited an international audit firm of great repute, the KPMG, to audit the federal pension system.

Notwithstanding the recent suspicious attack of the senate on the Maina led task force, courtesy of the activities of the task force, some pension thieves are currently undergoing prosecution.
http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/03/05/the-pension-mess/

Don't know the duty of his special advicer. Sick leaders ruling a sick country

Clerverly: Oga Insincere9igerian, I dont envy your Job at this period. You must be working overtime to clean this mess your boss is drenched with. My advice is simple, collect whatever is left of your contract ( I mean the remaining cash) and jet out of the country, cos when the hurricane comes, you will be targeted. Dont say I did not tell you. And i am sure, you are aware with this latest misadventure, your clueless master has squandered the stipends of trust from Nigerians.

You have just spoken for yourself again. However, your opinions has always been the same and irrelevant. So nothing has changed.

Sincere 9gerian:
You have just spoken for yourself again. However, your opinions has always been the same and irrelevant. So nothing has changed.

Take my humble advice, Nwannem onye oso ahia

11. Engaging d “service“ of a jobless Nigerian, always glued to the screen, fooling himself thinking he‘s fooling others.

Sincere-Nigerian, don't mind the 'haters'. Gej is really fighting corruption. May God fight for you, your family, your children and generations yet unborn with the same amount of effort Gej is using to fight corruption.

Mr McJay: Sincere-Nigerian, don't mind the 'haters'. Gej is really fighting corruption. May God fight for you, your family, your children and generations yet unborn with the same amount of effort Gej is using to fight corruption.

ROTFLMAO. GOSH! Big curse

Fifty-Fifty:
11. Engaging d “service“ of a jobless Nigerian, always glued to the screen, fooling himself thinking he‘s fooling others.

Resorting to their usual antics again. Can you attack the message and not the messenger for ONCE in your life? Challenge the FACTS above with your own facts, if you have any. Or are you mentally INCAPACITATED?

Mr McJay: Sincere-Nigerian, don't mind the 'haters'. Gej is really fighting corruption. May God fight for you, your family, your children and generations yet unborn with the same amount of effort Gej is using to fight corruption.

This usual antics of fleeing from the message to take cover in attacking the messenger has NEVER worked and can NEVER work.

Can you attack the message and not the messenger for ONCE in your life? Challenge the FACTS above with your own facts, if you have any. Or are you mentally INCAPACITATED? My advice, seek medical help if you'r finding it difficult to express yourself or articulate what others have written.

Which attack? he is praying for you that God would handle your life the same way GEJ is handling Nigeria

You suppose shout Amen

dayokanu: Which attack? he is praying for you that God would handle your life the same way GEJ is handling Nigeria

You suppose shout Amen

Even he cannot do that. He knows it is instant death of all immediate and extended members.

Sincere 9gerian:
This usual antics of fleeing from the message to take cover in attacking the messenger has NEVER worked and can NEVER work.

Can you attack the message and not the messenger for ONCE in your life? Challenge the FACTS above with your own facts, if you have any. Or are you mentally INCAPACITATED? My advice, seek medical help if you'r finding it difficult to express yourself or articulate what others have written.

what is the matter?

You do believe that Gej is doing right by Nigerians, don't you? If so, then may the prayer said on your behalf stick on your lineage.

Desola:

what is the matter?

You do believe that Gej is doing right by Nigerians, don't you? If so, then may the prayer said on your behalf stick on your lineage.

I say AMEN for Sincere9gerian!

Sincere 9gerian:
You have just spoken for yourself again. However, your opinions has always been the same and irrelevant. So nothing has changed.

haaaaa!!!! Beaf, my frnd!!!
How far na. Long time.
U don get a new laptop self. Oh boy!!

Fight against corruption in Nigeria is a tool of the federal government used against former agents and opposition.

Oga Jona erred in Alams case

Desola:

what is the matter?

You do believe that Gej is doing right by Nigerians, don't you? If so, then may the prayer said on your behalf stick on your lineage.

You dont know me and you'll NEVER know me. What you know are the facts above- you can see and feel them. The sensible thing to do is to challenge what you know. Its INSANITY to challenge what you do not know.

Are the haters now all mentally impaired? So none of you can communicate with FACTS? This is serious. I should have known you guys are all LOSERS.

dayokanu: Which attack? he is praying for you that God would handle your life the same way GEJ is handling Nigeria

You suppose shout Amen

Let me digress a bit. Can you share with us 2 or 3 things your oga, Fashola, has done to fight corruption? Or is there no corruption in Lagos? When people talk of corruption being endemic in Nigeria, is Lagos not part of Nigeria? Are there no ghost workers in Lagos? Is there no looting of the state treasury? Does the constitution forbid governors from fighting corruption?
Will the same person that has not been able to lift a finger to fight corruption as state governor suddenly become anti-corruption warrior at Aso Rock?

Sincere 9gerian:
You dont know me and you'll NEVER know me. What you know are the facts above- you can see and feel them. The sensible thing to do is to challenge what you know. Its INSANITY to challenge what you do not know.

Are the haters now all mentally impaired? So none of you can communicate with FACTS? This is serious. I should have known you guys are all LOSERS.

Why are you having a go at me? There is nothing to argue against in your writing. As a matter of fact, I am willing to be convinced by you and somehow, I wish that the dividend of democracy which you claim to see coming from gej would be replicated in your personal life, that's all.

Waiting patiently for correct people that'll challenge me with facts and not the rats that only constitute nuisance. So far, only rats are posting comments. Still waiting patiently.

By the way, Seun should get some rat poisons to reduce the rat load on this forum.

@ Op I salute ur courage in coming up with such a thread as this I think in my own candid opinion I am yet to see a President in the history of this nation that has exposed corruption in high places as Jonathan right from pension to governors (the story of Sylva comes to mind) Jonathan is really giving his best all those noisemakers are just being mischievous Not even obj & ibb fought corruption the way he did...dat is a fact!

Sincere 9gerian:
Let me digress a bit. Can you share with us 2 or 3 things your oga, Fashola, has done to fight corruption? Or is there no corruption in Lagos? When people talk of corruption being endemic in Nigeria, is Lagos not part of Nigeria? Are there no ghost workers in Lagos? Is there no looting of the state treasury? Does the constitution forbid governors from fighting corruption?
Will the same person that has not been able to lift a finger to fight corruption as state governor suddenly become anti-corruption warrior at Aso Rock?

Dem no dey charge money to open thread on nairaland so you can Open thread for Fashola and corruption

Dem just say make you say Amen to that Powerful prayer that god would handle your like the same way Retardeen is handling nigeria

That should be easy given the uncommon transformation you have been regaling us with

Desola:

Why are you having a go at me? There is nothing to argue against in your writing. As a matter of fact, I am willing to be convinced by you and somehow, I wish that the dividend of democracy which you claim to see coming from gej would be replicated in your personal life, that's all.

You dont have to wish anything for me. Spare those wishes for yourself. You dont know me and you'll NEVER know me.

tomakint: @ Op I salute ur courage in coming up with such a thread as this I think in my own candid opinion I am yet to see a President in the history of this nation that has exposed corruption in high places as Jonathan right from pension to governors (the story of Sylva comes to mind) Jonathan is really giving his best all those noisemakers are just being mischievous Not even obj & ibb fought corruption the way he did...dat is a fact!

Thank you ja re. See the haters scampering for safety on this thread. None can challenge any of the points raised. None can even articulate what their 'performing' governor is doing to curb corruption in their respective states.

A disgruntled element. The fact that you refused to say Amen to that very simple prayers says alot! I join the chorus to repeat the prayers in case you claim not to hear: MAY YOUR LIFE AND THOSE OF YOUR UNBORN LINEAGE BE MANAGED THE SAME WAY GEJ HAS MANAGED THE AFFAIRS OF THIS NATION CALLED NIGERIA... say Amen.. will you?

Sincere 9gerian:
You dont have to wish anything for me. Spare those wishes for yourself. You dont know me and you'll NEVER know me.

I don't wish to ever know you but one thing I know for certain is that your life would be led the way Jonathan is leading Nigeria.

Oh my God ...you guys no go kill person with laughter... Rolling on the floor already.

Please this should be moved to the jokes section.