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Dr. Goodluck Jonathan

Jonathan said most of those involved in the practice would eventually not spend up to 10 per cent of the loot, adding that their children might not be able to trace the accounts in the event of the death of the errant officials.

He, therefore, admonished Nigerians to shun corruption and “all the vain things that charm us most as a nation.”

The vice-president spoke while delivering his Easter message to the nation at the Aso Villa Chapel in the Presidential Villa.

He said, “Nigeria has so much money stashed outside this country and most of these monies were stolen from public treasury.

“It is regrettable that people involved will not even need 10 per cent of the money they steal from government until they die.

“Some of them hide these monies in Switzerland and their children will not even see it or be able to retrieve it. “These are all vain things.”

The vice-president noted that if 50 per cent of the monies were kept in Nigerian banks, there would be enough funds to give out long-term loans at affordable lending rates to the citizenry for agriculture and other industrial purposes.

He further noted that if all Nigerians should see corrupt practices as vanity, the country would be a better place.

He said, “Having worked at top levels of government for almost 10 years now — both at the state and federal levels — I know that most of the problems we have are vain things that charm us most, things that are trivial.

“I believe that as a nation, if we sacrifice most of these mundane things that are not critical to us to the blood of Christ, this country will be a better place.”

Advising Nigerians to use the Easter season for deep reflections, Jonathan prayed “that the entire Nigerian nation will sacrifice these vain things that charm us most to the blood of Christ.”

The vice-president worshiped at the chapel alongside his wife, Patience, and other family members, his aides and top government functionaries.

The Punch