While the appointment of Prof. Itse Sagay a Professor of Law and Civil Rights Activist as Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption is widely praised, the nation and indeed the whole awaits the time the wheel of justice begins to spin. For a start, the Sagay-led committee should launch an investigation into the massive amount of money given to traditional leaders and clerics of all faiths. In the absence of any appreciable interfaith initiatives, there exists no justification for the money doled out to these men and women of nondescript roles in government. This was just another example of the reckless spending under the inept Jonathan Administration. The only reasonable conclusion to draw from lavishing this group with money was to buy votes from the constituents they control. Hence the money was improperly appropriated and must be recovered, even if it takes prosecution action.
As in the case of many others uncovered, all transactions and transfers of money to rulers and clerics are traceable, at least someone was assigned to deliver it and someone received it. In other cases the transactions might not be receipted, thus not and evidential. There are optional extra-judicial methods of recovering stolen money. The best example to conduct a search of all huge houses, bunkers, all suspicious and unused erected structures, to mention a few. Also gratification to entice whistle blowers and follow their lead; this will also be of enormous assistance. Nigeria needs to recoup this money badly to jumpstart President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
Invariably, one of the major issue facing Nigeria as a nation is that most Nigerians are richer than the countries in which they hide their loots. They use our money to develop their countries, while Nigeria continues to decay.
Even when they use the money in commerce, the majority of the goods and services they offer are of inferior quality, manipulating society for their personal and family benefits, hiking prices of goods and services, buying out competition through hostile acquisitions; and circulating low standard and health hazardous products and services. They invade taxes, and offer no warranties, return back policies, service agreement. They reap unearned benefits from our money while civil servants and pensioners languish in the agony of the toxic economic environment.
Notwithstanding, there's the need for this administration to take into cognizance and visit all traditional rulers and cleric from all faiths who also took money in the past regime for doing nothing, neither for neighborhoods and rural community development and or human development, and possibly search their huge residences and retrieve such money. Since the inception of the present administration attempts are being made by looters to return their loot, for fear of facing the chastisement of the law. To the best of our knowledge, no ruler and cleric came forward to reciprocate loot up till now. To be straight from the shoulders, this is not services to humanity and nation building and unpatriotic.
Additionally, traditional rulers, clerics from all faiths must be charged with running Non-Governmental Organizations, engage in the neighborhood and rural community development and or human development and must give back to the society as practiced in developed countries, as copied and accomplished by our colonial masters, specifically Queen Elizabeth - Queen of London.
Today, what makes this world a better place; is in giving back, balancing the equation of living is loving, in an egalitarian society. Because of these unchecked privileges and set standards, reasons why some folks buy traditional titles and become cleric followers, amass wealth, become untouchables to the disadvantage of Nigeria and Nigerians. Needless to remind all, the victory of President Buhari was influenced by the masses.
APC USA International Secretariat ascribes to the APC Asia statement of compassion: "Religious differences and multi-tribes are not the yardstick of the threats to our mutual existence, progress and prosperity; but what we do with our religion and relationship to each other as the people held from a multi-tribal nation is what matters. Killing for God and in the name of God is grossly delusional idea; punishable by God Himself as transgression and sin; rejected by humanity as the barbaric acts infused by illiteracy and stupidity. No nation survives, progresses or prospers in the midst of these horrific acts and terrors. We desire and look for a change that will transcend beyond political ideologies and interest – to mutual co-existence as people of one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity. Relating symbiotically: tribe to tribe, state to state, people to people, void of religious mayhem and tribal clashes; and work with one focus 'to make Nigeria great' – because that is the only nation we can comfortably and naturally call our native land".
Francis John
APC USA International Secretariat
