Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, says President Muhammadu Buhari is the best man to lead the anti-corruption campaign, as nobody can contest his integrity.

“You may not like him, but nobody can say Mr President is corrupt. His impeccable integrity puts him in a good stead to lead the war against corruption,” Mohammed said  at the 68th General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja on Monday.

Mohammed urged the media to stop mocking the efforts of the Federal Government, adding that more could have been achieved if all stakeholders joined hands with the government in the fight against corruption.

“This fight must not be seen as Buhari’s fight alone; it must not be seen as the federal government’s fight. It is our fight,” Mohammed said.

“If we fail to defeat corruption, it will simply overwhelm us as a nation.

“This appeal to the media to join us in the fight against corruption is borne out of  the fact that the fourth estate of the realm cannot afford to sit on the fence as far as this fight is concerned.

“We are not saying that the media should not criticise us over our strategies, but they should stop mocking us.

“In recent times, it is not unusual to read such headlines as ‘Buhari’s Government losing anti-corruption war’, ‘Buhari’s anti-corruption war is failing’, ‘Arewa youth knocks Buhari over failing anti-corruption war’.

“This is sheer mockery, nothing but mockery. And this war is not Buhari’s war, it is our war.”

Mohammed said that of all the three major pillars of the Buhari administration, namely fighting corruption, tackling insecurity and revamping the economy, “the toughest is fighting corruption”.

“Why? Because fighting corruption anywhere in the world is like walking a lone road. While many will join hands with you to tackle insecurity or to revamp the economy, you are on your own when you take on corruption,” he said.

“Most Nigerians were direct beneficiaries of corruption, hence the resistance. Many were subsidised by corruption.

“That is the origin of the bring-back-corruption campaign being carried out by certain elements in the society.”

Mohammed urged the media not to fall for the “distraction tactics” of those who are mortally afraid of the anti-corruption war.

“How many newspapers, for instance, have written strong editorials in support of this war? How many BON members have donated airtime or news reports in support of this war?” he asked.