Human rights lawyer, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite has accused President Buhari of committing a bigger crime by not prosecuting corrupt public officials who looted the public treasuries in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and have started returning their loots.
It would be recalled, President Buhari had from Iran, said some of those who have looted public funds during the immediate past administration have started returning the funds.
While speaking on the issue on Thursday, November 26, Braithwaite accused Buhari of supporting impunity by recovering looted funds through plea bargaining rather than ensuring that justice takes it course as promise during his campaign.
The elder statesman said, “It is a crime against the state for anybody to steal public funds. Returning stolen funds quietly without being sanctioned is even worse than the crime of stealing the money. This is morally reprehensible and it can never serve as a deterrent to other corrupt politicians who might want to steal public resources.
“Buhari is pampering those corrupt leaders by just obtaining looted funds and not jailing them. With all the bragging and the promises he made during the campaign, we expected that his war against corruption will be rootless. These public thieves carted away our national assets and in the process, impoverished many Nigerians. Corruption is also responsible for the infrastructural decay we are experiencing. The roads are bad and many Nigerian youths cannot find jobs.”
“I think it is morally reprehensible for any government to let those returning stolen funds to go scot-free. Buhari must mention their names and stop pampering them. Corruption has robbed us of valuable infrastructure and the opportunity to develop as a country.”
Similarly, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has criticised President Buhari’s claim that many Nigerians, who looted the public treasuries in the administration of ex President Goodluck Jonathan had started returning the stolen funds to the government.
He urged that the President should stay at home and govern the country instead of junketing around the globe and acting like a saint before the international community.
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