Posted by By Everest Amaefule and Festus Owete, Abuja on
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday painted a gory picture of how Nigerian leaders cripple the state by stealing money meant for developing the nation.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday painted a gory picture of how Nigerian leaders cripple the state by stealing money meant for developing the nation.
Ribadu who spoke in Abuja at the inauguration of a new public-civil society coalition against corruption alleged that some leaders had stolen £220bn development fund meant for the nation.
At the same ceremony, a legislator representing Owerri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives said he was prepared to testify that some National Assembly members received N50m bribes in the failed bid to extend the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to the EFCC boss, the stolen was much more than what was invested in rebuilding Europe after the Second World War through the Marshal plan.
He said, 'Corruption in Nigeria takes on the complexion and reality of a systematic and endemic nature and as the experiences of other lands have illustrated, when corruption takes a complexion of this hue, it can dissolve and rupture an otherwise thriving state as was the case of Congo Democratic Republic.
'My example is the £220bn pounds (about $500bn) of development assistance fund that has been stolen from this country since independence to date by past leaders of our country.
'Nigerians line the gates of western embassies daily in search of visas to flee the country, but the best way to appreciate this figure is to recall that it represents six times the value in money what went into rebuilding Europe via the Marshal plan at the of the Second world War.
'That is to say that the money that past Nigerian leaders have stolen in a 40 year capsule could have recreated the beauty and glory of Western Europe six times all over in this country."
The monumental corruption in Nigeria, according to Ribadu, could better be appreciated by imagining the number of schools and hospitals that could have been built by monies recovered from two Nigerian leaders recently by EFCC.
He said, 'Megalithic kleptocracy is perhaps the greatest human tragedy that has affected our people and society since slavery and colonialism, yet this act of shameless and unbridled state plunder continues to date.
'By 1998, the Central Bank had computed that N200bn was lost in one of the most spectacular elite capture of citizen's resources via failed banks phenomenon.
'If we would hit a terminal blow at this cankerworm that has ravaged the innards of our nation's life and value system, we have to expand this struggle from the professional prescient of traditional law enforcement systems to an expanded mechanism of popular power of citizens."
On the results of the war against graft being prosecuted by EFCC, Ribadu also reeled out statistics that showed that the agency had so far recovered $5bn in cash and assets.
He said that EFCC had received 8,610 petitions while 2,103 cases were under investigation just as 306 cases were under prosecution. The organisation had made more than 2,000 arrests while over 90 crimes had been committed.
The inauguration was attended by an array of the civil society, including the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, the President of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, Mr. Ledum Mitee and the Chairman of the Centre for Democracy and Development, Dr. Jubril Ibrahim.
Oshimomhole and Ibrahim sharply disagreed on what the proper procedure for prosecuting the war against graft.
Ibrahim urgd EFCC to ensure due process, the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights in its duty.
Oshiomohole who received two standing ovations within the short period of his brief remarks said the niceties of the rule of law should not deter EFCC from doing its job.
He said, 'The argument of selectivity is fine but is there a legal jurisdiction where selectivity does not apply? Unless and until we fight corruption, nothing is going to work.
'In the enlightened self interest of Nigerian workers, if there is a conflict between legal niceties and justice, let it be resolved on the side of justice rather than judgment."
Oshiomhole also faulted the Chief Justice of Nigeria for making a pronouncement on the confusion in Ekiti State since the case was not before his court.
Onyeagocha said that he disagreed with Ribadu on the allegation of bribery of N50m given to some members of the National Assembly to back the third term project.