Corruption Ranking: Garba Shehu, TI Head Trade Tackles

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

The Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu and the head of Transparency International, TI, Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani have traded tackles over Nigeria’s rating in the corruption perception index published by TI.

The duo of Shehu and Rafsanjani expressed divergent views when they appeared on Channels TV.

The Presidential aide took the side of the Federal Government, arguing that the corruption perception index rating of Nigeria is not what is obtainable in reality.

While the head of TI, Nigeria argued that the perpetual denial of FG on the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria is laughable, stressing that the intention of the corruption index published by TI was to enable the government to correct the negative perception of the country in the country.

Recall that TI ranked Nigeria at 146 out of 180 countries considered for the 2019 annual corruption perception index,  a development that had generated divided opinions.

Speaking on the programme, Rafsanjani faulted the dismissal of TI ranking of Nigeria on the corruption perception index by the supporters of President Buhari, noting that it is the responsibility of the government to correct negative perception of its activities and take necessary steps to address the issues raised in order to correct the anomaly, instead of seeing the rating as an act of witch-hunting.

“if there are problems in how people perceive things, let us do things differently but to come and deny the prevalence of corruption, Nigerians will just be laughing and the whole international community will be laughing,” Rafsanjani said.

“The report is being presented is not a way to put down the government. The idea is to engage and see a way to address the issues raised. These are things you have fallen short of a need to correct.

Addressing the issues raised by Rafsanjani and the anchor on why he objected to the 2019 report while he praised the 2017 report that showed some positive movements in the ranking of the country, Shehu said that:

 “The report of two years ago, it is not the same with this one. What I’m telling you is that, this report ignored the fact that EFCC mad ICPC have corruption.

“Several recoveries of funds and convictions have been made, which has been on the increase in recent times, unlike before 2015. TI report ignored that.”

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