By Levinus Nwabughiogu

ABUJA—President Muhammadu Buhari has said his government would surely win the war against corruption, even as he noted that the vice was vigorously fighting back.

Buhari gave the assurance during a meeting with the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, on the sidelines of the conference on climate change, COP22, in Marrakech, Morocco, Wednesday.

A statement from the presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, quoted the President as saying that corrupt people had accumulated a formidable arsenal of illicit wealth, which they were now deploying against the government on diverse fronts.

He said:   “But it is a war we are determined to win, and which we will win. People of goodwill are behind us, countries like America and many others are with us, and we will surely win.”

Speaking on the war against insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria, the President also said efforts were being made to tackle humanitarian problems caused by insurgency, informing that a presidential committee had been launched “under Gen T.Y Danjuma, a man of high integrity.”

On the unrest in the Niger Delta, which manifests in the sabotage of critical oil and power installations, President Buhari said the engagement process was proceeding apace, adding that it was rather difficult bringing the main protagonists of the insurgency under one umbrella.

The President said Nigeria was happy with America’s support on different fronts, assuring that the economic challenges facing the country were being “frontally tackled, and we will overcome them soon.”

Secretary Kerry expressed delight at the many successes of Buhari’s administration, pledging continued U.S support in the bid to overcome security, humanitarian, political, and economic challenges.

As the Barrack Obama administration exits next January, Kerry said he would love to continue engaging with Nigeria, even in a private capacity.

He described President Buhari as a strong international partner in the battle against violent extremism.