Ensure recovered loots are not re-looted, Group tells Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari

The Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Debo Adeniran has called on the Federal government to ensure that loots recovered as the battle against corruption goes on are not re-looted and that all recovered loots are channelled back to the original projects or purposes for which they were meant for, in cases where the original projects have been fixed, such funds should be put in Treasury Single Account (TSA) and used for other important needs of the nation.

Mr. Adeniran said, ‘’it would a double tragedy if recovered funds/loots end-up getting re-looted by the incurably corrupt elements that are clearly still lurking around in very powerful positions in the present government. The processes involved in the recovery must be transparent and accountable.’’

To avoid this double tragedy, the CACOL Chairman said, “we call on all Nigerians to monitor the processes of loot recovery to forestall any attempt for corruption to get back what it lost ‘at the roundabouts on the swings’; on our part as a Coalition, we shall vigilantly monitor these processes to ensure that the excruciating conditions of existence of the majority of Nigerians stemming largely from corrupt practices perpetrated by some elements in government are alleviated and the people are not made to suffer the elevations of their pains. If the funds get re-looted, then, all the anti-corruption efforts of the government and the people may just add up to plunging energy into a process that ends futility.’’

Adeniran added that “beyond the recovery of loots, the Federal government and the anti-corruption agencies should ensure that convicted corruption criminals are dealt with punitively within the rule of the law. The anti-corruption drive must yield impactful results in terms of utilisation of recovered loots and in the achievement of convictions of corrupt elements; these will draw more popular support, credibility and confidence for the anti-corruption drive.’’

CACOL is suggesting life imprisonment for convicts that stole any amount above 1 billion naira, and they should be made to work diligently for their own upkeep via whatever skills they possess previously or has been able to learn behind the bars.

“They should be used as objects to educate the young, the youth and all when they go on excursion to the prisons, seeing former corrupt leaders in such situation will certainly serve to deter the potentially corrupt. Furthermore, whatever assets traced to such convicts should be deemed to be proceeds of corruption and confiscated by the Nigerian state.’’ The Executive Chairman of the Coalition concluded.