On Monday, May 9, 2016, the British ruling class got gossiping about Nigeria over the recent international anti-corruption summit in London. They were all there in that little circle at  Buckingham Palace, wining and dining in the afterglow of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday: the Queen herself, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron; the Speaker of House of Commons, John Bercow and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

Cameron talking to Queen of England and others.

Cameron said that Nigeria and Afghanistan, two “fantastically corrupt” countries, were coming for the summit, and this sparked a huge media trending round the world. The news came just when President Muhammadu Buhari was packing his bag for the summit. Most Nigerians wondered how he would reply Cameron.

They did not have long to wait. President Buhari made many Nigerians proud with the cool, matured and pithy answer he gave: I will not ask for an apology from Cameron; all I want is for our looted money in UK banks to be returned.

Cameron’s use of snide terms to paint Nigeria as a corrupt nation told volumes about the things the leaders of other countries – especially the West – say about us when they think we are not listening.

Unfortunately, it is the bitter truth, though we as Nigerians cannot be flattered by the cavalier manner in which it was told. Our consistently high rating in the annual corruption index says it all. Every Nigerian knows that corruption is endemic in Nigeria, and that many who are said to be men/women of integrity in our country still have question marks trailing some of their activities.

To make matters worse, President Muhammadu Buhari has been shouting it at the rooftops of the world’s capitals where he has visited in the past one year, about the level of corruption in the country, which informs the singular emphasis he has paid to it to the neglect of other issues begging for his attention.

It imposes a great burden on us to do something about corruption. This will certainly imply ensuring we fight corruption, rather than limiting it to big men in the Jonathan regime identified to have stolen public funds. Buhari must set up the comprehensive institutional platforms that will not only make the war on corruption an assignment for all Nigerians; it should also be able to outlive his regime.

Buhari’s reply was also a reminder to Cameron that his country and its institutions have been very cosy with the looters of the Nigerian commonwealth, and a pot cannot call a kettle black. Once it comes to the issue of corruption, it is very easy to point fingers at other people.

We fully back our President: let all those holding our looted funds return them.