Former Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi (rtd) and chairman, anti-corruption committee of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) have urged the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), to take the war against corruption a serious agenda so as to return the nation back to economic glory.

They said: "The regime of President Goodluck Jonathan did not appear to appreciate the enormity of the level of corruption we have in this country. Now it is up to him (Buhari) to let everybody realise that his government will not condone corruption.

The duo spoke with journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital yesterday while commenting on the electoral victory of Buhari in the last Saturday's presidential election held in the country.

Justice Akanbi said: "Today he (Buhari) is the president of Nigeria, although he got it through the instrumentality of his political party, but he is the leader for all of us. Like he himself has confirmed so much has gone wrong. Corruption has escalated and he said he will fight it.

Akanbi said: "He has little time on his hands and he must commit himself to the fight against corruption, because I have always said that corruption is the mother of all crimes.

Secondly, there is the issue of abject poverty and unemployment in the land. Many graduates have resort to doing menial jobs in the land. There is no reason why that should be the case in Nigeria because we have the wherewithal to economically buoyant and strong. And because of that he should start initiating measures that will ensure employment for the youths and graduates so that like can be better for the ordinary people.

"There is no reason why we should wallow in poverty because they say we are the largest economy in Africa. Yet people are not feeling the impact of the being the largest economy.

"He must surround himself with people of proven integrity, honesty and dedication to improve the level of wealth in this country. I have always asked myself 'is it possible to make money without being fraudulent?' I know from what God has done for me that you can make money without being fraudulent. Therefore, I urge him to institute processes where people can become rich without necessarily being fraudulent."

In his own comment, the chairman of anti-corruption committee of NBA, Mallam Ali, said, the president-elect must work harder to ensure that corruption is reduced in all facets of the nation's economy.

He said such development would usher-in new democratic values to the people of the country and improve the socio economic growth of the populace.

Ali, who said corruption has become endemic in the country, urged Buhari to rise to the ugly situation so as to move the nation forward.

The legal luminary also appealed to the president-elect to see the country as his constituency and look for the good hands that would assist him to add values to the socio economic development of the country.