Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has demanded action from David Cameron rather than an apology after the Prime Minister branded his country ‘fantastically corrupt’.
Muhammadu Buhari made his frustration clear as he addressed a Commonwealth conference in London this morning in the wake of Mr Cameron’s toe-curling gaffe.
Clutching a glass as he made small talk with the Queen at a Buckingham Palace reception, the PM was caught on camera being indiscreet about the countries he had invited to a key anti-corruption summit tomorrow.
Aides to Mr Buhari, who has mounted a high-profile battle against corruption, expressed ‘shock’ at the unguarded comment.
Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari told a Commonwealth conference in London that he would be demanding action rather than an apology from David Cameron
The president himself refused to criticise Mr Cameron directly when he was asked about the blunder at the conference today.
Instead he said he expected the UK to help him reclaim Nigerian assets that had been fraudulently stripped from the country.
‘I am not going to demand an apology from anybody,’ he said. ‘What I am demanding is a return of assets.
‘I have already mentioned how Britain really led and how disgraceful one of the Nigerian executives was. He had to dress like a woman to leave Britain and leave behind him his bank account and fixed assets, which Britain is prepared to hand over to us. This is what I am asking for.
‘This is what I am asking for. What would I do with an apology? I need something tangible.’
Earlier, Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland said Mr Cameron’s remarks had been ‘unfortunate’ and countries like Nigeria needed support rather than criticism.
The former Labour minister told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme: “I think it was unfortunate that it was purveyed in that way.
“I think the whole point of us having this conference is that president Buhari, and many other leaders … everyone knows that corruption is a global problem, and the fight is on against it.
“And what president Buhari did is set out an agenda that got him elected, that he was going to tackle corruption, and tackle it head-on.’
As he chatted with the Queen, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Commons Speaker John Bercow at the Palace yesterday, Mr Cameron said: ‘We had a very successful cabinet meeting this morning, talking about our anti-corruption summit.
‘We have got the Nigerians – actually we have got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain.’
He went on: ‘Nigeria and Afghanistan – possibly two of the most corrupt countries in the world.’
However, Mr Welby shook his head and said: ‘But this particular president is actually not corrupt… he is trying his best.’
Mr Cameron’s candid comments risked causing diplomatic ructions ahead of the major international anti-corruption summit in London.
As well as Mr Buhari, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is due to attend. He has also acknowledged corruption in his country and pledged to clean it up.
The gathering of the world’s political and business leaders in London will aim to ‘galvanise a global response to tackle corruption’ and is being staged in the wake of the Panama Papers leak, which revealed widespread tax avoidance among the world’s elite earlier this year.
Afghanistan is at number 166 in campaign group Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index – second from bottom.
Only North Korea and Somalia, jointly ranked at number 167, are perceived to be more corrupt. Nigeria is at number 136.
Despite this, latest figures show that Britain gives £237million a year in aid to Nigeria and £198million to Afghanistan. The total aid spending on the two countries is 30 per cent up on when Mr Cameron came to power in 2010.
Two years ago, a report from an aid watchdog actually found that UK aid fuels corruption in Nigeria – with one scheme actually increasing the likelihood that locals would have to pay backhanders to the police.
After Mr Cameron’s remark, Mr Bercow – who has been repeatedly criticised over his own expenses – jokes to laughter: ‘They are coming at their own expense one assumes?’
Mr Cameron went on: ‘Yes … Because it is an anti-corruption summit everything has to be open. There are no sort of closed-door sessions. Everything has to be in front of the press… It could be quite interesting.’
From left to right, Commons Speaker John Bercow, the Queen, the Archbishop of Canterbury, David Cameron and Leader of the House Chris Grayling chat at Buckingham Palace yesterday. MailOnline.uk
