Tinubu’s statement on bribe-seeking officials unfortunate -Ex-aviation minister

A former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, on Sunday faulted President Bola Tinubu for guiding Qatari trade captains to report Nigerian officials who demand any type of bribe earlier than permitting them to function enterprise within the nation.

Tinubu made the statement whereas assuring the worldwide enterprise group that his administration will deal decisively with any corrupt or sharp apply that undermines investor confidence within the economic system.

According to him, the nation would now not be held again by previous bureaucratic bottlenecks and corruption that stifled the benefit of doing enterprise.

Reacting to his utterances, Chidoka mentioned he was embarrassed that Tinubu selected to toe the trail of his predecessor by de-marketing the nation.

The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party expressed his issues when he featured as a visitor on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He mentioned, “It was an unfortunate statement. I used to be shocked and embarrassed that he was persevering with Buhari’s kind of de-marketing of Nigeria.

“There are many Nigerians who is not going to ask for a bribe or disturb individuals. The individuals who will in all probability ask you for a bribe are within the minority. The job of the President is to promote Nigeria, to be the chief spokesperson and chief salesperson of Nigeria.

“I feel that is the lacuna that comes when there’s a poor briefing from the businesses of presidency. I don’t actually blame the President. I blame the shortcoming of individuals just like the Minister of Information and Foreign Affairs for the theme of the federal government.

“The authorities has to have a theme like we’re pro-investment, we wish to appeal to international change. Our mission is to deodorise Nigeria, to inform story about Nigeria, to inform Africa’s rising narrative and to say that this alteration of presidency is a brand new mandate that tells you the way Nigeria has been capable of maintain democracy for 24 going to 25 years now.

“So the story about Nigeria is not a story of bribery and corruption. And we don’t want a President who people are calling from Qatar to report a bribe. They should report them to the police, EFCC, ICPC or any other office of government that deals with that.”

Continuing, Chidoka urged Tinubu to borrow a leaf from different presidents on the planet, who regardless of understanding concerning the soiled dealings of firms and traders of their nation, hardly come to the media to denigrate their society.

He cited the alleged bribery case of Agip, an Italian automotive gasoline, diesel, LPG, lubricants, gas oil, and bitumen retailer, for example.

According to him, the Pesident will probably be doing the nation a disservice if he continues to offer international traders the improper notion to the Nigerian individuals.

“I don’t assume that his contemporaries and different international locations are busy searching for bribe-takers. Did you hear the president of Italy remark concerning the Agip bribery case in Nigeria? It shouldn’t be the enterprise of the federal government of Italy nor ought to or not it’s the enterprise of Nigeria. The people who find themselves caught doing it ought to be punished. There ought to be processes for punishing individuals.

“No international investor will probably be comfortable to know that he wants to speak to the President to have the ability to reverse a difficulty of corruption or bribery. Nobody on the planet want to try this. Have you heard from any President from the nation of Halliburton popping out to discuss Halliburton or the Enron instances? No, the American individuals have handed a legislation and mentioned these are issues we should always cease firms from doing going ahead.

“Countries and presidents take action to systematically solve the problem, not whistleblowing and catching thieves. It is not good optics for Nigeria. I hope that in the future, he will not say this again. He should just find a way to reverse himself and say ‘I just want to show you that we are on top of the situation.’ Nigerian banks are operating around the world. Nigerian banks are operating in the US and also have banking licences in the UK. Why are you going to make people believe that Nigerians are bribe-takers?” he queried.