Nigerian politicians not corrupt –Anenih

Category: News Published on Friday, 01 February 2013 00:25 Written by Boco Edet

Former Minister of Works and PDP chieftain Tony Anenih yesterday in Abuja rose in defense of Nigerian politicians saying not all politicians in the country were corrupt.

Anenih who was the chief launcher at the book presentation said it was wrong to label all politicians as “corrupt.”

“In every society you have saints, angels, murderers, you have kidnappers and it would be wrong to make a general statement to say everybody in that society is a murderer. They say people go into politics because they want to make money. I don’t say there are no corrupt politicians but not every politician is corrupt,” Anenih said.

The book, “Nigeria Yesterday Today” was published by Professor Godwin Sogolo, a onetime columnist at the Guardian newspaper.

Anenih’s statement was in reaction to comments by the publisher of the book and Chairman, Safari Books Limited, Joop Berkhout, who said Nigeria’s major problem was corruption and that politicians who loot public treasury should be severely dealt with.

Berkhout said even though the articles that formed the book were compiled more than 20 years ago, the same issues are still been debated today.

He said politicians should realize that public funds “belong to the people and it should be spent in their interest.”

Vice-chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada in Edo State, Professor Eghosa Osaghae, who was the book reviewer, said the articles were contemporary and timeless as the issues discussed were still major problems in Nigeria.

Vice-chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Professor Vincent Tenebe, said the university decided to support the book project as part of its contribution to the growth of intellectual discourse in the country.