Presidential Research & Communications Unit

President Umaru Musa Yar’adua has reassured the international community of his commitment to combat corruption.

The President gave the reassurance when he received three new envoys that presented him with their letters of credence. They were the British High Commissioner, Mr. Robert Dewar, the Japanease Anbassador, Mr. Toshipsugu Uesaw and that of the Kingdom of Belgium, Mr. Micheal Dewez.

The President who was responding to fears expressed by Dewar about the need to restore international confidence in the government’s anti corruption campaign, said government was putting in place new measures to strengthen the campaign against corruption.

He noted that corruption monitors who would be trained abroad are to be used to monitor the activities of public officials, stressing that the fight against corruption remains one of the challenges of government adding that anti corruption agencies have been given absolute freedom of action within the confines of the law.

He emphasised that he insist that they must not act outside the law because it will undermine the system, noting that the federal government was forging ahead with economic and political reforms adding that the current budgetary reform were intended to block past loopholes for corruption.

President Yar’Adua assured the ambassadors of Nigeria’s commitment to deepening relationship with their countries.

Earlier, the Mr. Dewar had suggested that the momentum of the campaign be sustained given the recent change of leadership in the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and expressed the willingness of Britain to encourage and support the reforms especially the fight against corruption.

The Japanese Ambassador in his remarks stressed his country’s commitment to Africa’s development and called for Nigeria’s support, while Mr. Dewez of Belgium noted that Nigeria remained the second most important trading partner with his country

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