Politics
Sagay gives looters condition
Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay has advised public officials who have been involved in looting the nation’s treasury to come forward and confess, saying that they can be granted leniency by so doing.
Sagay who stated that the agenda for the anti-corruption committee was still being worked out by the Federal Government, also promised that the fight against corruption will not be selective
Sagay, who said the agenda of the committee was the prerogative of the Federal Government, explained that “the agenda is still being worked out, it is not my personal thing. In fact, the whole agenda belongs to the Federal Government.
“The committee is still meeting to work out the details of its operations and their priorities, that is when the issue of the agenda will arise. It is premature to talk about that now.”
Dismissing claims that the war against corruption was selective, he said “as for the question of selectivity, let me put it this way: any person, who has not been guilty of corruption, who has not looted the funds of Nigeria has no cause for alarm. So, all this escapist attitude of talking of selectivity and victimisation cannot arise, you cannot victimise an innocent man.
Read also: Sagay heads Buhari’s anti-graft Advisory Panel
“And anyone who knows that his hands are dirty, should come out and confess. I am sure, certain lenient terms can be obtained by him, but let them not hide under the cloak of selectivity ignoring that their hands are deep red with guilt.
“For me, there is no selectivity, it is plain and straight forward. Those who have looted the country’s funds are going to be requested to return them and in fact, prosecuted if necessary. It has nothing to do with selectivity.”
According to him, “Corruption is a major problem for the country, if we are going to develop, if we are going to eliminate poverty, misery and joblessness. These ills we are facing arise out of depletion of our resources by very focused anti social elements, who have sucked us dry.
“If we resolve it (corruption), we have resolved a major problem holding this country back”, he said.
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Don Lucassi
August 13, 2015 at 10:01 am
Buhari and his anti corruption gang should please be careful as if you go too far, some evil doers may come after and might result in violence and even death.
Oise Oikelomen
August 13, 2015 at 3:06 pm
Oga Prof, pls lets not quickly dismiss the talk of selectivity as unnecessary. Not all the concern about selectivity and victimization are borne of an escapist attitude as you would have us believe. There are honest, non partisan Nigerians (like me) that are genuinely concerned that this anti graft war is not targeted at only members of the opposition. Our concern is not just that innocent people could be punished unjustly; actually, the way I see it, that could hardly happen. Our main concern is that by punishing only a certain sub-group of the guilty, we could rubbish the whole anti-corruption effort and make nonsense of our laws. Equality before the law is one of the basic principles of liberalism and the rule of law. Let all politicians (of both the APC and PDP camps) be equal before the law in this anti graft crusade. Gaskia!!
david makinde
August 14, 2015 at 6:27 am
What are you saying really.is it now that you want to distribute prosecution of looters equally? Where were you when looters went on rampage in the last administration was anything ever done equally? It seems you have simpathy for a political party on the question of looters. From your soundbite you would still not be satisfied even if 99% of the looters do come from your simpathy party and invariably brought to book than rather have 1% go scot free ostensibly in a subterfuge manner feigning the adage of what’s good for the goose is also good for the gander.
Oise Oikelomen
August 14, 2015 at 7:57 am
My sympathy is for the Nigeria people, and not for any political party. I am one of the many Nigerians who fervently hope that PMB will truly deliver on his promise of change.So I find it quite disturbing when some of my fellow country men and women point to what happened in the past as justification for deliberately continuing in the wrong direction today. This lamely defensive attitude of “PDP did it, it’s APC’s turn” about what is patently wrong, is anti-change. We kicked PDP out in the hope that APC will do things differently, and we are simply holding them to their word now.
And please read my comment well, and note my repeated use of the pronouns “we” and “our” in speaking about the possible consequences of a selective anti graft crusade. My concern here is for we, the people.