LOOTERS LIST: CACOL CALLS ON THE FG TO BREAK SILENCE AND BE MORE RESOLUTE WITH ALLEGED MALEFACTORS
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has expressed its concerns on the silence of the FG in releasing the comprehensive list of alleged looters it promised earlier. The Centre, in a statement on Friday divulged its worries on the unstated reasons for the FG’s delay in carrying out expected actions against these alleged economic ravagers as well as the sudden but loud silence on the release of the elaborately advertised and much awaited third looters’ list. While the FG revealed that the awaited list promised to be more comprehensive and holistic, containing more names than the two lists previously released, it is yet to carry out any feasible action whatsoever in respect of curtailing the issue of treasury looting with reckless abandon, which sends a vivid messages that encourage intending looters to intensify the evil acts.
As much as we recognize and commend the efforts of the Government in exposing the alleged engineers of socio-political rot that has irredeemably handicapped the economy of Nigeria and put posterity in a web of endless debts, CACOL does not subscribe to the apparent showcase of negligence by the Federal Government in taking required steps towards due-diligence investigating, prosecuting and convicting these alleged corrupt lots with maximum deterrent punishments.
In the groups’ opinion as espoused by its Executive Chairman, the Centre draws replicable examples from the court appearance of the former South African president, Jacob Zuma over charges of corruption. Mr. Adeniran stated, “That in just one month from the resignation of the Ex-President Jacob Zuma, trials have been instituted against him and one can see clearly, by the sheer weight of the charges preferred, that his prosecutors meant serious business. This is a graphic index of a system truly committed to fighting corruption hands down”. The CACOL boss further stated that “Releasing names will not fight corruption, diligent trials and deterrent convictions will”.
The CACOL Chairman, Debo Adeniran also suggested that, “just as NEMA suspended its board of directors on allegations of corruption; all those who are currently serving in public offices and are on the list, be put on suspension pending when they are tried and convicted if found guilty”.
Furthermore, CACOL stated through its Chairman that, “If we are ever going to take more than tottering steps on our desire for holistic anti-corruption struggles then all those who have their names on any of the lists as alleged looters should take required steps in proving that they are not guilty as perceived as this would go a long way in encouraging transparency and efficiency in Governance while also improving the trust citizens have for our elected leaders, the justice system, the Government, and the country at large”.
In concluding, Mr Adeniran stated that “the Organization advisedly calls that the Federal Government and all Anti-Corruption outfits to take a cue from other African Countries who are making major conquest against the corruption confrontation and surge past the phase of just listing names as this is beginning to nettle the tenacity of making the list. These crimes are severe and should not be handled with laxity”.
Aghagbobi Ikenna
Ag. Media and Publications Officer, CACOL
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