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Press Statement–CLO STRONGLY SUPPORTS PRESIDENT BUHARI’S WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION AND OFFICIAL THIEVING IN NIGERIA

Press Statement–CLO STRONGLY SUPPORTS PRESIDENT BUHARI’S WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION AND OFFICIAL THIEVING IN NIGERIA New York[RR]Abuja–The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has been keenly following the renewed crack down on politicians who are alleged to have either defrauded the country or has information to give about the shameless plundering of our country by public office holders […]

0303F02.Muhammadu-Buhari

Press Statement–CLO STRONGLY SUPPORTS PRESIDENT BUHARI’S WAR AGAINST CORRUPTION AND OFFICIAL THIEVING IN NIGERIA

New York[RR]Abuja–The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has been keenly following the renewed crack down on politicians who are alleged to have either defrauded the country or has information to give about the shameless plundering of our country by public office holders and their cronies. 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. Indeed, a welcome development. However, CLO will not condone any abuse of the rule of law and human rights in the exercise.

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 worst and most worrisome aspect of this notorious act is that these looted monies are 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.

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.

However, we advise 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 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. This, if not done, may rubbish the good intention of the campaign and may take us back to the starting point. We also demand that these arrests, detentions and trials be conducted in line with the laws of our land, and continental and
international instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory in order to avoid indiscriminate violation of human rights and due process.

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. It is our view that no peace and progress can be recorded in a society ruled by injustice, abuse of power or impunity, disobedience to the rule of law and due process and gross infractions on the rights of the citizens – all indices of corruption.

CLO enjoins Nigerians and, especially civil society organisations and the media, who are usually quick to react against the backdrop of those in position of public trust being questioned to provide useful information about how they ran their societies aground, to calm down but watch to ensure that those who raped our country and brought avoidable shame on her and her citizens before the comity of nations be made to pay back all they had stolen. We make bold to say that respect for human rights does not only relate to the man or woman who is being asked to explain how he or she ran his or her society but also to others who they (the suspects) may have violated their rights while they occupied those positions and offices because where one’s rights stopped, is exactly where the rights of the others begin.

Some of our rulers have acted in wicked manners which culminated in the death and suffering of our citizens, including workers who have not been paid for years and whose children have been withdrawn from school among others. Those who perpetrate or perpetrated these heinous and heartless acts
deserve no pity or mercy. Our position is that the souls that sin shall die in accordance with our laws.

Of importance to the CLO, too, as the fight against corruption, is the war against economic sabotage by some business people in collaboration with the past regimes. These business men and women have been lawlessly favoured in such a manner that the federal government even waived payment of import
duties for them without their assistance to the national economic growth. The same cabal monster created by the government has criminally and inhumanly created monopolies for some certain essential commodities and denied the younger companies the opportunity to participate in such businesses so that they would dominate the business areas. Dangote Groups provide a good example of the beneficiaries of this sabotage. The negative result of this senseless act of the previous governments is its culmination in soaring higher the prices of such commodities like cement etc above the reach of the common man. This makes it impossible for poor Nigerians to build small houses in our country today while the thieving rich build skyscrapers inhabited by rodents and lizards everywhere. CLO tasks the present government to revisit this malady with the genuine intention to remedy the anomalies and
relieve the ordinary Nigerians of this man-made burden.

Lastly, CLO is obviously not happy with the conduct of the National Assembly in continuing to indulge in baseless crisis that has hindered the conduct of NASS business and moving our nation forward since June 9 it was inaugurated by President Buhari. We maintain that there is no crime committed if the
party that formed majority in the Legislature, be it state or national, did not produce the leaders of the Legislature or where the preferred candidates of the party did not emerge as the leaders of such institution. The NASS members are adults who can elect anybody they trusted and preferred as their
leaders in contrariness to the wishes of their parties. Instances are already numerous in Nigeria. For instance, the PDP led government in 2011 failed, intoto, to have its preferred candidates for the offices of Speakership and Deputy speakership to be elected. In the present dispensation, in Plateau and Benue states, PDP which produced majority of the members of the states’ Assemblies failed to produce the Speakers of the two Assemblies. They lost to the opposition APC. Heavens have not fallen and will never fall. Why, therefore, should Nigeria collapse because an opposition party produced some leaders of the National Assembly? CLO enjoins the APC to put their acts together without delay and ensure that normal legislative businesses commence in the National Assembly on July 28, 2015 when they will reconvene.

CLO prays the NASS not to provoke Nigerians or take their patience for granted or as act of weakness. They should complement the on-going efforts by Mr. President to reposition Nigeria and restore the country’s integrity and respect that had been dragged to the mud before the comity of nations and work
hard to put smiles on the faces of our people as soon as possible.

Nobody is bigger or more important to Nigerians than Nigeria.

Signed

Comrade, Igho Akeregha,

President.

08023282853 & 08052035599.

Comrade, Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike,

Executive Director.

08037875414 & 08126422962.

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