Former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, 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 stated this when he was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola.
As stated by Ciroma, when President Muhammadu Buhari ruled the nation between 1984 and 1985, 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 stated 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 Muhammadu Buhari to achieve the programmes he had planned to execute, saying the president was a man of integrity.