Yemisi Izuora
The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) said it is fully in support of President Buhari’s renewed crack down on politicians who were alleged to have either defrauded the country or has information to give about the shameless plundering of Nigeria’s wealth.
CLO said that the recent invitation by the anti-graft agencies and security organisations and on going trial of certain players in government by the courts since the assumption of office by President Muhammadu Buahri is commendable.
But the organisation cautioned that it will not condone any abuse of the rule of law and human rights in the exercise.
In a statement by its national secretary, Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi, “In the last sixteen years, politicians across the country and political divides have willfully looted both the national and state treasuries leading to non payment of workers’ salaries for months and, in some cases, years.
The so-called democracy dividends being touted by politicians are more visible in media than in physical reality. The politicians are, thus, replaying the ugly experiences of the dark days of military dictatorship during which time Nigeria was mercilessly murdered, looted and run like private estates.
By these dastardly acts, they have shown that they have learnt nothing from what happened to them in the past when the military took over in 1983. Funds meant for providing democracy dividends for the citizens and for building and sustaining strong institutions have been diverted by politicians and their allies to private pockets to serve primitive and not popular interests.
Recent alleged reports by CNN on how both past and serving politicians some of who claim to be saints plundered our country are indicative of the facts that our politicians are wicked, shameless and have learnt no lessons”.
The CLO noted that the worst and most worrisome aspect of this notorious act is that the looted monies were invested in faraway societies to improve, develop and promote their economies at the expense of our own society and people who die in abject penury, neglect, hunger and joblessness in a society that has been lavishly blessed by God.
It said. “Whereas we maintain, and will continue to insist, that Nigeria is one of the richest nations of the world in all ramifications but has the hungriest and poorest citizens occasioned by the wicked acts of our thieving rulers; politicians and military alike, we urge President Buhari to extend his campaign against corruption and hunt for the thieves in power to the states and local governments where money meant for development, provision of social amenities and industries that would give jobs to our youth have been cornered by the devious politicians to serve their parochial interests”.
The CLO however, advised that the arrest, detention and trial of the suspects connected, thereto, be extended to all those who have hands in the plundering of our country, including military rulers, who, according to alleged reports on them, looted our treasuries in strong foreign currencies and not limited to the politicians or Jonathan government alone.
This it said is necessary and must be done to dissuade the minds of both local and international communities from seeing the crusade against corruption and executive lawlessness in Nigeria as one motivated by hatred for anybody or group or a source of witch hunting or selective punishment as some Nigerians are beginning to sing.
“CLO maintains that corruption does not only limit to stealing of money but extends to abuse of due process and the rule of law, diversion of projects or genuine shares meant for certain areas or people to others because of access to power, arbitrary appointments that negate the principles of Federal Character and questionable creation of states and local governments in manners that violate social justice, equity and national interest.
These issues dominated the debate at the 2014 National Conference convened by the Jonathan administration in which he CLO actively participated. The angers, crises and cries in the land, today, have a lot to do with these injustices that are perpetrated on our people and different ethnic nations that make up Nigeria,” the statement noted.