By Gloria Drealomalicha
Former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.), has said the level of corruption in Nigeria today is so alarming that it makes the military administrations of his era appear “saintly” by comparison.
Babangida made the remark in an old interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), which has resurfaced online.
Reflecting on how corruption was handled during his time in government, the former military ruler pointed to the dismissal of a military governor over N300,000 as an example of the standards that existed under his administration.
According to Babangida, the amount was considered serious enough at the time to cost the governor his position, contrasting it with the billions of naira involved in corruption allegations in the country today.
“We are not corrupt. I will proudly say it because what I read in the papers, if it is true, then I think I used to say we are saints,” Babangida said.
“I keep on giving an example. I sacked a governor for N300,000. Today, there are N300 billion, still not issued, not solved.”
His comments have resurfaced amid continuing public concerns over corruption, accountability and the management of public resources in Nigeria.
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