A former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Tuesday, called on Nigerians to support the current effort of the Federal Government to fight corruption in public service.
He also challenged professional bodies in Nigeria to sanction their members who aided and abetted corrupt tendencies.
Abubakar, who was represented by the President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ahmed Yakasai, said this in Abuja at the opening summit of professionals organised by the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria.
The APBN is the umbrella body of recognised professional bodies, which aims to promote a new era of cooperation among professionals in Nigeria and advise government on national policy issues.
At the event, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs and the senator representing Niger North, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi, absolved the Senate of allegations of padding of the 2016 budget, alleging that the executive was culpable.
The ex-Head of State also called on professional bodies to eliminate quackery in their professions, noting that Nigeria had continued to lose several lives and property as a result of the activities of quacks.
Abdulsalami stated, “Nigerians should assist the current administration to fight corruption in the public service and should not believe that the anti-graft crusade is political. The war against graft is not for government alone, but the responsibility of every citizen.
“Professionals are expected to be above board and bring solutions to the corruption in the country; they should not to be part of it because corruption will kill everything.
“Whatever you are going to do, you have to look at the openness, accountability and transparency and sincerity of purpose.
“Any professional, who is going to do something in his area of calling, must show diligence, patriotism and efficiency that would stand him out as a professional because if you are found wanting, you are no longer a professional and definitely, all professional bodies should have means of sanctioning such people.”
The President of the APBN, Foluso Fasoto, in his remarks, said recommendations from the two-day summit would disclose a series of policy options to effectively strengthen the role and relevance of professionals in Nigeria.
The keynote speaker at the event, Len Deacon, urged Nigeria to leverage on its human capital, which he said, was the most important resource in the country.
He said, “If you look at your 170 million human capital and solve the health challenges of the population, therein lies the real diversification. The challenges you face are the opportunities waiting to be unlocked.”
Abdullahi, the Senate spokesman, who said he was speaking in his personal capacity at the APBN summit, said the power of the National Assembly to make appropriations implied that lawmakers could make what he described as “inputs” or “insertions” into the budget.
He said, “I took an oath as a veterinary doctor and I never forget that oath. As a senator, I took an oath and I never forget that oath. What is padding? Simply, it is when you put something in the budget without clearly defining what it is meant for in terms of implementation.
“The executive was the one who padded the budget. When you look at the original document that came, they had something like, ‘new item requesting’. Is that a project head? We do not even understand it. And it is in health. That is padding and it was from the executive.”
Abdullahi also berated the Federal Ministry of Health for doing nothing to halt medical tourism in the country.
According to him, while President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had promised to reverse the trend, the health ministry, in its 2016 budget proposal, had no sub-head to address the menace.
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