A legal luminary, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali, at the weekend faulted the approach adopted in the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government saying it would make the battle an exercise in futility.
He said the war against graft in the last three years has not attained any appreciable level because Nigeria has been dancing round the circle as done in the previous administrations.
Ali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), spoke in Ilorin on the sidelines of his annual endurance walk against corruption in the country.
Ali explained that the method employed in prosecuting the war has not deterred Nigerians to see the danger inherent in corruption, saying that the perception among the citizens was that corruption fight was more of religious and tribal affiliations.
He alleged that the prevailing tribal sentiment in the country has remained a clog in the wheel of progress on war against corrupt practices as those believed to have helped themselves with proceeds of crime are usually being shielded by their own kinsmen.
Ali said the mindset of Nigerians about corruption has not changed in the last three years because of the way it was being fought.
To stem the tide, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria observed that Nigeria needs mass movement of all citizens who would tackle the menace collectively.
The Chairman of Ilorin branch of NBA, Mr Issa Manzuma, who also corroborated Ola-Olu Ali, said approach adopted to fight corruption in the country was wrong, ading that "you cannot fight corruption without fighting indiscipline among security agencies".
The walk, which took off from Kwara Hotels, touched Ahmadu Bello Way, Fate, Maraba, Post-Office, Challenge before it terminated at the take-off point, all in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Ali was in company of founder of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Chief Abdulraheem Oladimeji; Chief Executive Officer of Kamwire Industry, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ibitoye Yusuf and other eminent lawyers during the walk including Mallam Kehinde Kolawole Eleja (SAN), Chairman, Ilorin branch of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr Issa Manzuma and two of his predecessors, Chief Rafiu Balogun and Mr Mobolaji Ojibara among others.
