22 February 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA – Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has admitted the existence of massive corruption in the nation’s oil sector.
The president, who cited the the banking sector as another area rife with corruption, said though his government was tackling the problem.
Using the case of fertiliser to explain the corruption in the two sectors, he said: “Corruption is not just one group of people. Look at fertiliser. When government used to distribute it, there was a lot of corruption.
“Today the farmer buys fertiliser directly from the manufacturers and dealers. The government subsidies the fertiliser. We give farmers tokens so they can buy it and cut out the middleman. So corruption is reduced.
“That’s exactly what I want to do with the oil sector and also in the banking sector. There are massive corrupt practices.”
President Jonathan disclosed this in an exclusive chat with Jonathan Power, a Swedish journalist and commentator.
He stated that corruption was, however, not the problem slowing Nigeria’s development as according to him, many states of the federation, with focused leadership were witnessing positive transformation.
He cited Akwa Ibom and Rivers States as examples of states that were doing well despite corruption.
