NAN-H-82
Loots
By Angela Atabo
Abuja, April 27, 2017 (NAN) The Partner for Electoral Reform (PER), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), has advised Nigerians who plundered the nation’s treasury to return them before the law catches up with them.
Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, the Chairman of the organisation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that rather than doing the blame game, Nigerians should be happy with the administration’s fight against corruption.
“Ibrahim Magu did not appoint himself and so he has a responsibility to do what he is doing.
“It does not justify anything; the fact of the matter is that the past administration at the risk of being immodest plundered the country.
“The consequence of that plunder is what we face today in terms of worsening economic conditions for majority of the citizens.
“So any responsible institutions weather it is Magu or any other body that is saddled with the responsibility to track financial crimes should be able to do what Magu is doing.
“So I think that rather than begin to distract him it is to begin to say look, people should voluntarily submit what they have stolen or stashed away.
“You don’t need a Magu to come after you; if you know you have taken what does not belong to you why don’t you bring it out?,’’ he said.
Nwagwu said that the phenomenon of money recovery was not new, adding that “if you cast your mind as far back as 1984 we have had some cases of recovered loot”.
He said Nigeria has been chasing after most of the resources of the country that have been stashed away in foreign banks by the late Gen. Sani Abacha regime.
He said the problem of looting was not only as a result of some forms of character defect in those perpetrating the act, but the nature of the Nigerian economy promoted by the IMF and the World Bank.
He said the nature of the economy promoted privatisation at the expense of the welfare of citizens, stating that this forced people to steal as a way to fend for themselves.
Nwagwu said that the ruling elite who are in charge of public institutions transfer resources meant for the running of these organisations for their personal use.
He said the looting of the treasury had been there and the recent incessant discovery was because there was somebody now who is interested in throwing a searchlight on it. (NAN)
ATAB/JPE/IS
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Edited by Joseph Edeh/Ismail Abdulaziz