Many Nigerians have frowned out the list of looters released by President Muhammadu Buhari's government, asking him to fulfil his promise of naming those who stole from the country’s treasury.
They 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.
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 stated 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.
He said, “As far as we are concerned, there is nothing new on the list shown to Nigerians. Anybody can just put figures together. Where are the particulars of the recovery? From who were they (the loot) recovered?
“In the last one year, different rumours have been flying about with regard to those who refunded billions of naira and dollars. The figure they have released now is too opaque; it is not transparent and does not lend credence to their claims. Anybody can just write anything and throw it out (to the public).
“We need the particulars; from who were the monies recovered? If they don’t do that, then, they are just wasting our time; they are just making a mockery of the whole process. They talked about naming and shaming, let them release the names. As it is now, there is no revelation yet before Nigerians.”
Also, the Ijaw National Congress on Saturday said the inability of Buhari to mention the names of the country’s treasury looters was an indication that the President had succumbed to pressure from the looters.
The spokesman for the INC, Mr. Victor Burubo, who described the development as an anti-climax, stated that it was not the first time the President would be doing so to Nigerians.
He said, “This is not the first time they are doing this to Nigerians. In the appointment of ministers, the President said he wanted to appoint spectacular people and this took him six months. But he ended up appointing run-of-the-mill ministers.
“On the amount recovered as loot, many figures were mentioned but we have virtually nothing. If the President promised to name the looters and at the end, he could not do so, it means he has succumbed to the pressure from the looters.”
Also, the Ohanaeze Youth Council, the youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, faulted the government’s failure to disclose the identity of those that the sums were recovered from.
The President of the OYC, Mr. Okechukwu Isiguzoro, demanded full disclosure of the names of looters.
He said, “Nigerians have been anticipating the release of the looters’ list for a while now; it is disappointing that the government only came out with figures. Inasmuch as the people need to know the amount that was recovered, they should also know the identity of persons that stole the money.
“In fact, if the Federal Government is sincerely fighting corruption, it should disclose the identity of those that stole and returned money. It appears that there is a deliberate attempt to shield looters and that is totally unacceptable. Nigerian youths are not impressed.”
In the same vein, a member of the Federal Parliament in the Second Republic and Convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, stated that he had a “conflicted attitude towards the funds.”
He said, “I don’t believe what is being said to have been recovered was what was actually recovered. What was stolen was more than what was recovered. If the government is sincere about recovering the remaining money, they have to redouble their efforts in recovering, as much as possible, all that was stolen and is returned to the national treasury.
“I am not a lawyer, so I wouldn’t want to venture into a legal opinion of the status of those who have stolen the money. But if the law makes it difficult to disclose the names of those who stole the money, their identities and their names will be endangering the case itself. But, please, let the names be disclosed.”
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, dismissed the amount the government said it had recovered as far less than the true amount.
He said, “Let me tell you this: That list is not correct. I know that the EFCC has recovered about $3.1bn. I think this is just the report from a department; it is not a comprehensive one.
“The figure announced has not taken cognizance of the totality of the fund that has been recovered by all the anti-graft agencies. From the information at my disposal, the figure announced by the information minister is a fraction of what the EFCC has recovered and deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted that in order not to discourage more looters from returning stolen funds, the Federal Government might not want to name the looters yet.
“In fact, some of the looters who have stolen the bulk of the missing money, who are on the run, are being pursued in different jurisdictions in the world,” Falana added.
In his submission, the Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, stated that those who had returned stolen money or from whom assets were recovered should be named, shamed and prosecuted.
Adeniran asked, “Is there any attempt to cover up their atrocities? If we fight these looters and do not name them, we are allowing them to go away with the dignity they falsely acquired. They can still carry on with their lives as if nothing has ever happened to indicate that they are corrupt. People will still accord them respect. That is not fair; it does not augur well for honest, hard-working Nigerians.
“Anybody trying to cover up on this matter should be brought to book. Confessing to a crime is a first step in anti-corruption crusade; those involved should be named, shamed and prosecuted. Failure to do this will mean the government is conspiring against the society.”
The presidential candidate of the KOWA Party in the 2015 election, Prof. Remi Sonaiya, also asked why the Federal Government should protect the identities of those who returned stolen funds and assets.
According to her, if the identities of suspected beneficiaries of slush funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) were not shielded, those whose loot has been recovered should not be shielded.
She said, “Just releasing a list is not sufficient, considering the suffering the entire nation has gone through. We demand more from the government. Making a list of recovered loot and stolen assets is not sufficient as a deterrent for criminals.”
On the list published by the Federal Government on Saturday, the administration said it had recovered a total of N115.7bn cash, while assets worth over N1.9tn had been frozen in one year.
In a statement by the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Lai Mohammed, the government said the recoveries were made between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.
The government gave the breakdown of the loot as N78,325,354,631.82; $185,119,584.61; £3,508,355.46 and €11, 250.
A conversion of the funds using the official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria, showed that the amount adds up to N115,792,760,499.
The statement read in part, “The Federal Government made cash recoveries totalling N78,325,354,631.82; $185,119,584.61; £3,508,355.46 and €11,250 from May 29, 2015 to May 25, 2016.”
The monies were said to have been recovered by the EFCC, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the DSS.
The Muhammadu Buhari-led government added that a separate amount of cash and assets worth over N1.9tn had also been seized. However, the properties and cash are under legal contention.
The assets and cash seized under interim forfeiture totalled $9bn; N126bn; £2.4m and €303,399.
A conversion of the worth of assets and cash seized based on the official CBN exchange rate totalled: N1,918,113,864,063.
It added, “Recoveries under Interim Forfeiture (cash and assets) during the period totalled N126,563,481,095.43; $9,090,243,920.15; £2,484,447.55 and €303,399.17.”
The government added that funds awaiting return from foreign jurisdictions totalled $321,316,726.1; £6,900,000 and €11,826.11.
The statement added that 239 non-cash recoveries such as farmlands, plots of land, uncompleted buildings, completed buildings, vehicles and maritime vessels were also seized during the period. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
Will the publishing of names turn the economy of the country around for better. It is like we don't even know what we want from the government. People are suffering, been retrenched every week from work and yet we feel in is names that is important. Will those names bring food to my grand mother in the village?
ReplyDeleteWithout names or the circumstance of recovery, it is a mere political game. secondly, you can only claim to have recovered money when you have secured a court judgments. Nigerians knows that the only judgment of corruption related case was the case started by the past Administration that has to do with the Jailed NIMASA DG Omasheye. lastly, you will discover from the list that there are some they called anticipated recovery. that on its own is fraud. This government should stop taking Nigerians for a ride.
ReplyDeleteIf this is all that has been recovered after a whole year and no names attached, then we could as well forget this matter. It is obvious some people are being protected.l have always thought the Govt could go about this matter more quietly and face the reconstruction of this nation squarely. IF FROM ONSET AMNESTY METHOD WAS USED TO MAKE PEOPLE RETURN WHAT THEY STOLE WITH THE PROMISE OF NON PROSECUTION, MORE FUNDS WOULD HAVE BEEN RECOVERED BY NOW WHILE THE GOVT FOCUSED MORE ON REBUILDING THE NATION.
ReplyDeleteThey will not want to paste/post the names because their own people are directly glaringly involved. This government is just full of insincerity,equipped with Lies and blessed with promise and fail syndrome. Shameless elders.
ReplyDelete#GodWillFight4Us#
A national registry should be created for the names of looters. It may not turn the economy around but it will surely provide the impetus for a rethink by public officials who are tempted to mindlessly steal from the public till.
ReplyDeleteA national registry should be created for the names of looters. It may not turn the economy around but it will surely provide the impetus for a rethink by public officials who are tempted to mindlessly steal from the public till.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your uncles doing better than this Government in the last regime. U specialise only in insult.
ReplyDeleteShut up,
DeleteWhat is insult there in saying Buhari shld publish the name of the looters.
Is anything worth doing not worth doing well?
Another strategy to divert people's attention from the current economic and security issues all over the country.
ReplyDeleteAnother attempt by APC to divert people's attention from the current economic and security issues all over the country. Nice try.
ReplyDeletePMB is a man of Wisdom.Names of looters are irreleant.Just quietly collect our money from them and use to rebuild the nation.That is all.
ReplyDelete