Virtually every Nigerian is corrupt, says Ajimobi

Abiola Ajimobi, governor of Oyo state, says there is hardly any Nigerian who will not be seen as corrupt if the concept of corruption is critically analysed.

Speaking at the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) shortly after he was named the head of the committee to screen the party’s candidate for Ondo governorship election, Ajimobi said people have become used to looking at corruption from a narrow perspective.

“We are looking at corruption in a global per­spective as against just tak­ing money. If you look at it generally, you will see that virtually every Nigerian is corrupt, virtually everybody is corrupt in one way or the other either attitudinally, financially or socially, and this, we believe should be looked into,” he said.

“We believe corruption is more than just taking money, I think it is attitudinal. Anytime you do what you are not supposed to do, it is corruption. Even not doing your job is corruption; taking salaries monthly and not coming to work and being idle is corruption.”

He commended the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for its anti-graft war, saying it has achieved a lot in that regard.

On the Ondo election, Ajimobi expressed confidence that the APC will emerge victorious. He assured the aspirants that all of them would be treated fairly and justly during the screening.

”It is indeed our pleasure, honour and privilege to be given this opportunity to serve our party particularly on this onerous task of screening some of our members who are interested in becoming the governor of Ondo state,” he said.

”We are expected to be fair, just and ensure that those that we choose will definitely become the next governor of Ondo state. I believe once we are fair, once we look for quality, there is no doubt that we will win in Ondo state.

”As some of us are known as jinx breakers, anything we touch wins; this will not be an exception. Whoever we choose, I can guarantee, we will win.

“The assignment we have is one that can make or mar the party as far as the Ondo state governorship election is concerned.

”I assure the party’s leadership that we are going to do our very best to ensure that whoever is qualified to contest the election is allowed to contest the election so that at the end, the people of Ondo state will have that right to choose who their flag-bearer will be.”

A seven-member screening committee and a three-member appeals committee ‎were inaugurated.

The members of Ajimobi’s committee are: Joe Igbokwe, Fatsuma Talba, Felix Nwachukwu, Aminu Jacob Momoh, Alhaji Mustapha Abubakar and Alhaji Umar Duhu.

The appeal Committee chaired by Agunwa Anaekwe, a former Speaker of the house of representatives, has Sadiq Abdullahi and Bashiru Ajibola, as secretary and member.

The aspirants are expected to pick up the nomination form with N5million and N500,000 for the expression of interest form.