Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday for an official two day visit, which he begun by gracing an anti-corruption conference alongside President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Rwandan leader called for a new approach in the fight against graft, urging for more participation from the public in the process.
“Corruption needs to be tackled from the top down. This is not only the fairest approach, it is also the most effective, because it empowers the public to join the fight and hold leaders accountable, through elections and other means,” Kagame said in his speech at the National Democracy Day Anti-Corruption Summit in Abuja.
“Overcoming corruption is really about four key principles: Culture, responsibility, accountability, and effectiveness. We must discard the myth that corruption is endemic to particular cultures,” he added.
President Kagame also took the opportunity to congratulate his host for winning a second term in office, and lauded his role in the African union’s campaign against graft.
“Warm congratulations for President @Mbuhari on his re-election and best wishes for the entire Nigerian people on the road ahead. I also want to mention that President Buhari is African Union champion in the fight against corruption,” he said.
In 2018, President Buhari championed the AU’s anti-corruption war under the theme “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”.
He has also made anti- corruption one of his key pledges during his campaigns for a second term.
Prior to his Nigeria visit, President Kagame was in Gabon where he paid a courtesy call to President Ali Bongo Ondimba in Libreville.
While in Gabon, he expressed gladness that his host had recovered well from a stroke that kept him out of his country for over four months.
President Kagame has arrived in Abuja, Nigeria where he will begin his two day visit with a Keynote address alongside President Muhammadu Buhari @MBuhari at the National Democracy Day Anti-Corruption Summit @officialEFCC pic.twitter.com/DtW9iQocpN
— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) June 11, 2019
