Babangida’s regime encouraged bribery, corruption –Ciroma

From David Molomo, Yola
FORMER president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ali Ciroma, has at­tributed the high level of bribery and corruption in the country to former military president General Ibrahim Babangida’s overthrow of Buhari/Idiagbon regime.
Ciroma made the claim when he was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Phi­losophy degree by Modibbo Adama University of Tech­nology , Yola.
When President Muham­madu Buhari ruled the na­tion between 1984 and 1985, he said, there was discipline and a sense of direction.
He, however, insisted that with the emergence of Ba­bangida through a military coup, NLC and Nigerians opposed different policies introduced by the new re­gime.
Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), one of the economic projects of the Babangida era, Ciroma said, was not friendly to Nigeri­ans.
Ciroma, who received the award along with three other prominent Nigerians, including former Chairman of the Independent Na­tional Electoral Commis­sion (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, lauded the institution for recognizing people with credibility and integrity.
He said he would have turned down the award had the institution decided to honour him alongside wealthy but corrupt Nigeri­ans.
He praised the choice of Prof. Jega, saying the latter deserved the honour in view of his contribution to insti­tuting a credible electoral system in the country.
Ciroma also urged Nige­rians to support President Buhari to achieve the pro­grammes he had planned to execute, saying the presi­dent was a man of integrity.