Buhari Accused Of Pampering Corrupt Officials, Asked To 'Recover Stolen Funds, Reveal The Thieves And Prosecute Them'

Elder statesman, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, says President Muhammadu
Buhari is pampering corrupt government officials in the immediate past
government by recovering looted funds from them without prosecuting
them.

President Buhari had, during his recent visit to Iran, said that many
of those who stole public funds in the past government had started
returning the funds. He, however, did not mention the names of the
looters.

But Braithwaite said that allowing the corrupt government officials to
return stolen funds without being tried was a bigger crime than the
act of stealing the funds.

The human rights lawyer, who spoke with our correspondent in an
interview on Thursday, said the President was promoting impunity by
recovering looted funds through plea bargaining rather than keeping to
his promise of ensuring total justice.

He said, "It is a crime against the state for anybody to steal public
funds. Returning stolen funds quietly without being sanctioned is even
worse than the crime of stealing the money. This is morally
reprehensible and it can never serve as a deterrent to other corrupt
politicians who might want to steal public resources.

"Buhari is pampering those corrupt leaders by just obtaining looted
funds and not jailing them. With all the bragging and the promises he
made during the campaign, we expected that his war against corruption
will be rootless. These public thieves carted away our national assets
and in the process, impoverished many Nigerians. Corruption is also
responsible for the infrastructural decay we are experiencing. The
roads are bad and many Nigerian youths cannot find jobs."

While advising the President to be more determined in wiping out
corruption, Braithwaite said it was possible to recover stolen funds
and still prosecute the corrupt public officials.

He, therefore, advised the President to name those returning the
looted funds and prosecute them accordingly.

He added, "I think it is morally reprehensible for any government to
let those returning stolen funds to go scot-free. Buhari must mention
their names and stop pampering them. Corruption has robbed us of
valuable infrastructure and the opportunity to develop as a country.

"I once had a similar case and the criminals were convicted while the
stolen funds were traced and recovered. So it is possible to recover
stolen funds and prosecute those involved. He should prosecute the
thieves, trace the stolen funds and enforce restitution of the public
resources. Not mentioning their names is tantamount to pampering
them."

-PUNCH