Politics
Recovered loots a ‘child’s play’, clamour for restructuring unjustified —Malami
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Nigeria’s Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday said that the amount of stolen monies recovered by the federal government from looters of the nation’s treasury is “child’s play” compared with what the administration is expecting from other on-going investigations and prosecutions.
Fielding questions on Channels Television, Politics Today, he also accused governors from the southern part of Nigeria of lacking the moral right to clamour for a restructured Nigeria, claiming that the demands were “unjustified” because the governors had failed to respect the constitutional provisions that guaranteed the existence of local governments as a tier of administration, as well as financial autonomy for state assemblies and judiciary.
Speaking on hopes for more recovered loots hidden abroad, Malami hinted that on-going investigations of two politically exposed persons from the previous administration may yield “monumental” returns as probes have reached “advanced stage”.
READ ALSO: Over $700m stolen funds returned to Nigeria in last four years —Malami
Expressing concerns over the strategy adopted by southern governors to press for devolution of powers and ban on open grazing by herders, he noted that the pursuit may be dead on arrival if the matter is dumped at the feet of President Muhammadu Buhari. He counseled the governors to pursue their agenda through the National Assembly.
Malami also faulted the ban on open grazing of cattles, arguing that such legislations were in conflict with the constitution of the country which guaranteed freedom of movement of individuals. He likened the ban on herders to asking dealers of vehicle spare parts from certain parts of the country not to conduct their businesses in the northern parts of Nigeria.
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