Nigeria president forms anti-corruption committee

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has, for the first time, set up a committee of advisors to assist him in his efforts to uproot corruption in the African country.

The seven-member Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-corruption was formally inaugurated by Buhari at the Presidential Villa in the capital, Abuja, on Monday.

Buhari’s move comes in line with his pre-election campaign promise to tackle corruption and improve transparency before he took office in May.

Earlier this week, the Nigerian vice president’s office said that all the state ministries were only allowed to use approved government bank accounts to make payments.

Buhari “has ordered each and every federal government ministry, department or agency to start paying into a Treasury Single Account (TSA) for all government revenues, incomes and other receipts,” said Laolu Akande, a spokesman for Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

“This measure is specifically to promote transparency,” he added.

Buhari believes officials have stolen around $150 billion from the public purse over the past decade.

The Nigerian president also criticizes the diversion of large loans meant to promote government projects.

Corruption and mismanagement of public funds have been entrenched in Nigeria’s political system for decades.