A Non-Governmental Organization, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria has reiterated its stance on weak legislations responsible for high rate of corruption in the Country.
The Group was reacting to some corruption cases affecting Former Top Government Functionaries including the Former Minister of Power Engineer Sale Mamman and Former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Mal. Abubakar Malami who got their properties running into billions of Naira forfeited to the Federal Government after being tried in the Court of Law.
In a Press Statement issued and signed today by the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, the National Coordinator of the Group Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi maintained that unless the provision of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) is amended to bench-mark bailable economic crimes, corrupt Public Functionaries would continue to loot the Treasury seriously because all economic crimes are still bailable in Nigeria.
The Group berated the looting of humongous amounts of money running to billions Naira.
The Islamic Organization said it observed that what corrupt people in the Nigeria Society hate most is for them to be detained, and since this has been waved for all economic crimes and Plea Bargaining is provided to negotiate the percentage to be returned even if looting is discovered, they have secured the liberty to ruin the Nation and State economies by looting their Treasuries.
The Media Group appealed to the National Assembly and Executive Arm of Government in Nigeria to quickly amend our laws by scrapping Plea Bargaining and denial of bail for any corruption case that is above N50 Million Naira.
The Group said such a stringent legislation would deter public office holders from corruption.
The National Coordinator of the Media Group Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi commended the Nation’s Judiciary and and the Nation’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Prince ‘Lateef Fagbemi for diligent prosecution of all cases relating to security and corruption in Nigeria stating further that if this continue, the Nation is heading for securing its lost glory on anti-terrorrism and anti-corruption for future prosperity of Nigerians.
On Security, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Security Forces in the Country for the success being recorded on rescuing of kidnapped victims in various parts of the Country, but called for strategic implementation of prevention of the criminal acts before they are committed.
On Good Governance, the Group appealed to President Bola Tinubu to compel Governors of the 36 States of Federation to clear all arrears of pensions and gratuities of their States and Local Government workers.
The Group noted with concern that some States and Local Governments’ retirees who retired 15 years ago, are still being owed gratuities; stating further that by what the Governors have been collecting as FAAC monthly for the past three years, there is no basis for any State Government to owe public sector workers their pensions and gratuities anymore.
The Media Group called on the Governors to fear God and emulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has cleared the arrears of unpaid gratuities of all Federal Workers in his desire to demonstrate good governance.
