President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by the Civil
Society Organisations, to jettison the idea of seeking loans to keep the
Nigerian Economy afloat, since money involved in cases that have been swept
under the carpet and could still be recovered is about N1.354 trillion.
This assertion was made by Mr. Emeka Ononamadu of Citizens
Centre for Integrated Development and Social Rights during a two-day stakeholders'
strategy review meeting on lingering corruption cases in Nigeria. The interaction
between media practitioners and CSO was organised by Justice For All, a
nongovernmental organisation, sponsored by the British Government.
Ononamadu, supported by several other CSOs, insisted
that Buhari should tackle the anti-corruption war holistically; taking into
cognisance all alleged corrupt persons. The president was further urged not to
be partisan in his pursuit of justice and recovery of Nigeria money.
They described as ridiculous, the idea of Buhari
seeking for loans, when so much money is still in the hands of many former governors,
ex-ministers and other civil servants.
The CSO members, while applauding the on-going
anti-corruption war, insisted that many cases, involving politicians and civil
servants, which had been pending since 2007, should be revisited.
They wondered why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) have gone silent on these cases.
Quoting Prof. Bolaji Owasonye in the report of Stop
Impunity in Nigeria, Ononamadu said high profile corruption cases were cases pending in different courts of the land
that involve top public officers or high volume of public resources as well as
abuse of power or trust. They include ex-governors, ex-ministers,
ex-legislators, ex-federal and state public servants, private sector managers
and businessmen.
Ononamadu added: “According to the same report,
monies alleged to have been stolen in high profile cases that are in limbo are
more than N1.354 trillion. About 30% of current 2016 budget projections and
over 50% of previous annual budgets.
“Since crime and criminality has no expiration term
period until court pronouncements, why should a nation swipe such corruption
cases of this magnitude and impact under the carpet?”
Ononamadu said that estimated over $200billion had
been stolen from public treasury through fraud, waste and abuse since the
return of democracy in 1999.
Dr. Mary Isabella Ada Ezeh, University of Nigeria,
Nsukka, said several scandalous cases were reported in many national dailies
between 2011 and 2015, but for some reasons, noise over these cases have gone
down, while EFCC keeps mum on them.
Mr. Emma Uche, of Justice for All, said that so many
high profile corruption cases were hibernating.
His words: “We have looters owing Nigeria money, yet
we go cap in hand begging for loan. In this battle, there’s no middle ground. We
shouldn’t keep quiet. If we keep quiet, there wouldn’t be a future for our
kids.”
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