By George Fominyen
DAKAR (TrustLaw) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says his country needs to build strong institutions that enforce good governance rather than expecting the head of state to lead the charge, the Nigerian Tribune reported on Wednesday.
“We are trying to do things differently, not by the president carrying a big stick and breaking the heads of all corrupt people,” Jonathan said at a lecture to commemorate the country’s 51st independence anniversary.
“But I believe that for us to get to where we want to go, as a nation, we have to build strong institutions and when we build strong institutions, these institutions will drive the process,” he said.
Jonathan, who was elected in April, has promised to fight poor governance, particularly corruption which has been rife in the West African country.
Nigeria is Africa's biggest oil exporter. But years of military dictatorship, corruption, political instability and weak governance have resulted in inadequate investment in infrastructure and basic services, leaving most Nigerians impoverished.
Jonathan said Nigeria’s oil resources have been a source of corruption in the country, according to the paper. In the next 10 years, he hoped attention would shift from the extractive industry and government would be able to block leakages and run without depending on oil, it reported.
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