TEXT OF PRESS STATEMENT BY CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS WORKING ON
ANTI-CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA
The Civil Society Groups
working on anti-corruption and good governance in Nigeria received with shock
the statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and
Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), on Wednesday that the
Federal Government withdrew the corruption charges filed against Mohammed Abacha,
son of late General Sani Abacha. This statement was received through the
government’s lawyer who also told the court that he was asked to withdraw the
suit by the government.
The government had accused Mohammed
Abacha of receiving stolen property worth N100.38 billion. The money is
believed to have been stolen by the late Head of State during his tenure from 1993 to 1998. The Office of the Attorney-General
of the Federation, AGF, had on behalf of the Federal Government, filed a
nine-count charge against Mohammed, during President Obasanjo’s administration.
Recall that this
administration has also pardoned the former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who was indicted for looting and stealing
of public funds.
This action of the
Jonathan administration raises further concerns about its commitments to the
acclaimed fight against corruption. It is a naked dance in the public place,
especially when weighed against the arrogant and contemptuous manner with which
the Presidency has told Nigerians during his media chat that, there is
difference between theft and corruption.
We in the civil society
are convinced that the focus of the whole dropping of charges is mainly because
the ruling party is now trying by all means to favour those corrupt people who
are decamping to People’s Democratic Party from other political
parties.
The civil society is not
happy with the ways and manners this administration is perpetuating immorality,
impunity and lack of transparency, which puts a question mark on the sincerity
of the administration in battling corruption. This is all the more so because
Mr. Mohammed Abacha’s case on corrupt enrichment and money laundering is still
on-going.
Thus, the concerns of
the civil society are that besides the national embarrassment that President
Jonathan’s action depicts, it also shakes the moral foundation of the
Presidency as well as portends grave implications for the myriads of corruption
cases in the country. Indeed, it has the potential to de-motivate Nigeria’s
anti-corruption institutions – i.e. Economic and Financial Crime Commission
(EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) – to effectively
deliver on their mandate of fighting corruption.
The action also sends a
wrong signal that perpetrators of such crimes are likely to get away with
fraudulent acquired public funds, while further re-entrenching corruption such
that will become an obstacle to national development and improvement in the
lives of citizens. Much more importantly is the international opprobrium this
action brings to Nigeria, with further consequences that the country is not
genuinely committed to fighting corruption. Incidences of corruption are noted
to be the forerunner of insecurity, poverty, unemployment and infrastructural
decay which the country is currently facing.
Angered by the above,
the civil society working on anti-corruption and good governance hereby demands
as follow:
1. That the President Goodluck Jonathan
administration immediately direct the office of the Attorney general
of the Federation to continue with the case against Mohammed Abacha with the
view to recovering the stolen money;
2. That the Jonathan government apologizes to
Nigerians and the international community for its pro-corruption stance;
3. That the Jonathan administration should work
assiduously to regain its already battered image, by this disgraceful
embarrassment to regain the confidence of Nigerians who are disillusioned about
the government’s commitment to the fight against corruption;
4. That the international community should join
Nigerians – home and abroad – to condemn the Jonathan administration on its
lone path to destruction and take some practical steps to demonstrate its anger
towards the Nigerian government;
5. That this administration should strengthened and
re-strategize the international campaign to press Liechtenstein into
returning $185 million (38.85 billion) of ill gotten gains linked to the late
military Head of State, General Sani Abacha which is still being held in the
tiny principality nearly 16 years after recovery proceeding began.
We call on Nigerians to
brace up to take their destinies in their hands by mobilizing a national day of
protest against corruption and impunity in Nigeria.
Signed:
1. CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT(CDD)
2. CENTRE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (CITAD)
3. CENTRE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY (CDCS)
4. CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE (CISLAC)
5. NATIONAL PROCUREMENT WATCH PLATFORM (NPWP)
6. WEST AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM-NIGERIA (WACSOF)
7. ZERO-CORRUPTION COALITION(ZCC)
8. TAX JUSTICE AND GOVERNANCE PLATFORM NIGERIA
9. WOMEN ADVOCATE RESEARCH & DOCUMENTATION
CENTRE (WARDC)
10. ADVOCACY NIGERIA
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