The Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of
Nigeria(CAN), through its secretary, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, had in August,
2015, called on the state Government to ensure the prosecution of any
public or civil servant found wanting ; in its quest to rid the state
civil and public service of corrupt practices.
According to Rev. Ibrahim, prosecuting corrupt officials is necessary
to rid the state of those who enriched themselves at the expense of the
government and people of Kaduna state.
”I believe that there are people that may not be working in this
state and are still collecting money from the government coffers. Just
like we have been hearing that one person is collecting the salaries of
10, 15 or 20 and above. People that are not working with the government
but they are collecting salaries from the Kaduna state government, or
people that are ghost workers but they collect money. We have heard
cases whereby somebody died for a long time and then someone else is
collecting the money and the families are not getting the money”.
”I plead with the government, whosoever is party to it, the
government should bring the person to book, irrespective of his
religion, his family background and who that person is”, the CAN
secretary had stated.
Interestingly, this represents the situation of things in the three
tiers of government in Nigeria. ”Cosmetic ”wars” and ”fights” are the
order of the day, closely trailed by sponsored roadshows and rallies,
to distract attention from issues of ”urgent national attention”.
Of note, is that fact that about $460 million was allegedly looted by
the former military ruler, late General Sani Abacha, and was with held
in foreign accounts, while part of it was released to the country.
In 2000, Mohammed Abacha and Abubakar were charged to court for
allegedly acquiring N21, 705,000 billion and $315,649.500 million all
totalling about N50 billion state funds, between 1995 and 1998.
The Federal Government and the Abacha family had to enter into a deal
before the family returned to the government, the sum of N1.2 billion
out of an estimated $1.5 billion allegedly looted by the late Head of
State. Mohammed, the scion of the Abacha family in early 2005, prayed
an Abuja high court to uphold that no civil or criminal proceedings be
commenced against him, in respect of stolen funds which he had
forfeited to the state. He said that under the forfeiture of assets
Decree No. 53 of 1999, his family had returned 625,
263187,19,75,305,886.93 pounds sterling, N100,000,000 and N250,000,000
to the government and therefore entitled to the provisions of the said
decree.
Curiosly, Justice Amina Adamu Augie stated that the property ordered
forfeited was acquired corruptly and illegally, which means that they
were supposedly forfeited as proceeds of crime, the forfeited property
became vested in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, free from all
encumbrances, according to Decree No. 53 of 1999.
In 2005, a news magazine reported that ”the regime of Abdulsalam
Abubakar also allegedly pillaged the nation’s treasury during his 11
months rule as the Head of state. He allegedly siphoned several
billions in both local and foreign currencies, including $40 million
that was contributed by multi national companies.
For the late Sani Abacha’s self succession bid, members of the
military high command were to be given $500,000 as parting gift, but
Abubakar was said to have given out $50,000. The eight year military
dictatorship of Ibrahim Babangida, saw the nation losing over $24
million oil windfall, which has remained unaccounted for. The regime
also took Nigeria through several ”laboratory powered” political
programmes, which ended up as ‘experiments”, but with billions of Naira
down the drain. Nigeria’s brief Democratic experience between 1979 and
1983 under President Sheu Shagari also took the country through a cycle
of huge financial losses, in fraudulent rice importation and unexpected
”white elephant” projects. During former President Oulsegun Obasanjo’s
tenure, , form 1999 to 20007, the government’s anti-corruption war,
sought several political office holders and appointees, as many of them
were forced to return millions of Naira acquired through corrupt
enrichment.
In the present time, the current travail of the nation and unending
economic hardship may tarry for as long as the nation’s resources, which
have been looted remains between players in the immediate past and
present administrations.
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