- Title: Nigeria's Buhari silent on Cameron's corruption comment
- Date: 11th May 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 11, 2016) (AGENCY POOL) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF NIGERIAN PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI WALKING UP STAIRS WITH COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY GENERAL PATRICIA SCOTLAND VARIOUS BUHARI, SCOTLAND SEATED / SHAKING HANDS
- Embargoed: 26th May 2016 10:04
- Keywords: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland UK David Cameron
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA0014HD5MX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari was in London on Wednesday (May 11) and due to attend the international anti-corruption summit hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron.
The summit, opening on Thursday (May 12), is aimed at stepping up global action to combat corruption in all walks of life.
Cameron was caught on camera telling Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday (May 10) that leaders of some "fantastically corrupt" countries, including Nigeria and Afghanistan, were due to attend the summit, a comment Buhari chose not to respond to when a reporter prodded him over it on Wednesday.
In a pooled video feed made available to the ITN broadcaster, Cameron said: "We had a very successful cabinet meeting this morning, talking about our anti-corruption summit," Cameron said when the queen approached. "We have got the Nigerians - actually we have got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain."
Cameron went on: "Nigeria and Afghanistan - possibly two of the most corrupt countries in the world."
It was not clear whether Cameron realised he was being filmed and recorded at the event, held to mark the queen's 90th birthday last month.
The queen, who steers clear of political comment, did not respond to Cameron's comment. But the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: "But this particular president is actually not corrupt."
Buhari and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani acknowledge corruption in their countries and have pledged to clean it up.
And Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said Cameron's remarks were not "reflective of the good work that the president is doing".
Afghanistan is at number 166, second-from-bottom, in campaign group Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index, an annual ranking of countries.
Only North Korea and Somalia, jointly ranked at number 167, are perceived to be more corrupt. Nigeria is at number 136 in the index. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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