By Folayimika Akanbi
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has warned 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 economic crimes are still bailable in Nigeria.
The MMWG’s National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, said this in a statement issued in Ilorin weekend.
The group observed that what corrupt people in the Nigeria society hate most is for them to be detained, and since this has been waved for 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 through looting of their treasuries.
It appealed to the National Assembly and executive arm of government to quickly amend the laws by scrapping Plea Bargaining and denial of bail for any corruption case that is above N50million naira.
The group said such a stringent legislation would deter public office holders from corruption.
It commended the nation’s Judiciary and and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince ‘Lateef Fagbemi, for diligent prosecution of cases relating to security and corruption in Nigeria, stating further that if this continues, the nation is heading for securing its lost glory on anti-terrorism and anti-corruption for future prosperity of Nigerians.
Wind Gate News reports that the group was reacting to some corruption cases involving ex-government officials including the former Minister of Power, Engineer Sale Mamman; and former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who got their property running into billions of naira forfeited to the federal government after being tried in the court of law.
The group, however, insisted that weak legislations have been responsible for high rate of corruption, featuring looting of humongous amounts of money running to billions naira in the country.
It commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the security forces for the success recorded in 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 Tinubu to compel Governors of the 36 States of Federation to clear arrears of pensions and gratuities of their states and local government workers.
It noted with concern that some states and local governments’ retirees who bowed out of service 15 years ago are still being owed gratuities, stating further that with 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 Tinubu, who has cleared the arrears of unpaid gratuities of all federal workers in his desire to demonstrate good governance.
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