Several groups and individuals across Nigeria have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfil his promise of naming those who stole from the country’s treasury.
Those who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH in reaction to the list of recovered funds and assets published by the Federal Government on Saturday insisted that the names of those who returned their loot must be published to make the loot recovery process more transparent.
President Buhari had on May 13, 2016, in an interview he granted some journalists before he departed from London where he attended an Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, promised to disclose to Nigerians the amount his government had so far recovered from those who looted the nation’s treasury and their names on May 29.
The date, being Democracy Day, was when his administration clocked one.
Buhari said, “So far, what has come out; what has been recovered in whatever currency from each ministry, department and individual; I intend on the 29th to speak on these. This is because of all what Nigerians are getting from the mass media; because of the number of people arrested either by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or Department of State Services. But we want to make a comprehensive report on the 29th.”
When asked whether he would also publish the names of the looters, Buhari replied, “Yes, eventually, it has to be done because we want to successfully prosecute them. But you know you cannot go to the courts unless you have documents for prosecution. People signed for these monies into their personal accounts.”
When the Federal Government released the list on Saturday, it had only the details of funds and assets recovered and those pending locally and internationally. No name of any of those from whom the funds and assets were recovered was mentioned.
The failure to name the looters had generated widespread reactions from members of the public on Saturday.
The Nigerian Bar Association urged the President to keep his promise by releasing the names of looters.
According to the President of the NBA, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), the revelation is important for citizens to gain closure.
He said, “For us, it is always important that the promises our leaders make to the people are kept. I believe that if there is any legal impediment that prevents the President, who is a forthright person, from keeping a promise he has made to the Nigerian people, he should let Nigerians know.
“It is also important that we know the quantum of recoveries made from various persons so that it will be something that is known to every Nigerian and there would be no challenge. How did you arrive at the figures that are out there if you don’t put not just names but reasons (to the recovered loots)?
“Tomorrow, you could hear that (after) all the amounts that Mr. ‘A’ or Mr. ‘B’ looted, nothing was done. You could also start to hear that the loot recovery was only targeted at those who weren’t supporting the president.”
Alegeh noted that the only instance where the President could withhold the names was if there was a legal obstacle.
According to him, there are certain transactions with confidentiality clauses, which make it impossible for government to release the names. He said, should the government find itself in such an instance, it should say so clearly.
The Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Saturday also told SUNDAY PUNCH that there was nothing revealing in the information the government published.
The Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, told one of our correspondents that the amount released as recovered loot was less than the total amount of figures bandied about by the Federal Government and its agencies since the anti-corruption campaign began.
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