Juliana Taiwo Obalonye, Abuja
A permanent secretary in the State House, Mr Jalal Arabi, has charged professional bodies in the country to contribute their quota towards fighting corruption.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption is not for his benefits but for those coming after him because the system has done everything for him.
Arabi gave the advice on Friday, while speaking to State House correspondents, soon after his investiture as a fellow and patron of the Association of Professional Bodies in Nigeria.
He called on members of the association to work hard toward bequeathing a safe and better society to the upcoming generations, in line with Buhari’s stance against corruption.
He said the goals of the body, which has to do with forensic investigation by professionals in various fields of endeavor, endeared him to the association.
“Quite interestingly, their intension is to have a congregation of all well-meaning professionals in the country that care about the sustainable development of the nation; of course, from the name, forensic and investigative professionals, you will agree with me that it is all encompassing when you compare the wider sphere of influence on our development.
“It will be pleasing to any citizen of the country to appreciate that there is a way to be followed, to contribute to the sustainable development of this nation and without any incubation, you will believe that, that is what the president of this nation stands for.
“I often tell people that care to listen that my generation, looking deeply and inwardly, will have nothing to compete for than to ensure that it bestows a legacy on generations to come and the only way we can do that is to appreciate that if there were mistakes in the past, then we must take the lessons from those mistakes and make sure that we now lay a solid foundation for the upcoming generations to know that of course there are good reasons for them to live positive, patriotic and conscientious lives.
“President Buhari has always said that what he is doing is not for him but for those that are coming after him because he has seen it all and he has never hidden the fact that the system has done everything for him, thus making him so lucky and fortunate so what he is struggling for, is for a better and just society,” he said.
Arabi implored all Nigerians not to be selfish but try to see beyond where they are now.
“In the legal profession, in the medical profession, in accounting and other humanities, there are segments of their calling that have to do with forensic and investigative aspects of the profession in order to attain results.
“It is a project that the association feels if all hands are on deck, to make it succeed, our country will be the better for it,” he said.
Arabi while backing the establishment of the proposed Institute of Forensic Professionals, said: “Imagine a situation whereby there is an institute that saddles itself with the responsibility of going against corruption and related vices that retard the development of a nation, you can’t be at fault for it.
“Those were the qualities that I saw from the outset, that made me to listen more and engage, so that we can appreciate where they are heading to,” he said.