Addressing journalists in Abuja, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, stated that the ongoing detention of some persons by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in connection with the alleged stealing and diversion of monies meant to prosecute war against insurgency in the North East, justified the union’s calls for summary execution of corrupt public officials.
Some ex-high ranking government officials, including former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki are currently in the custody of EFCC over complicity in the $2.1bn arms deal.
He said: “The revelations by former National Security Adviser, his erstwhile Director of Finance, Shuaibu Salisu, which we believe are just the tip of the iceberg, are mind-boggling and justify as well as reinforce our call for capital punishment in cases of corruption in public office.
“We believe with prescription of more stringent punishment for corrupt cases, few will dare to go to this extent. We need not telling that massive corruption in the system, is responsible for our lack of development and our present economic woes.”
Comrade Wabba said corruption had sent so many Nigerians to their early grave, stressing that it would be unjustifiable to allow those who engaged in the acts to go without punishment.
The NLC president insisted that capital punishment for corruption worked in other countries like China; hence it could also work well in Nigeria. To this end, the congress president demanded legislation and policies to be put in place to deal with the situation.
He urged the National Assembly to rise to the challenge immediately, but advised that the laws should be crafted in such a way that it should not be used indiscriminately.
Besides, he called on the National Assembly to enact laws that would also protect whistle blowers, while the judiciary should also rise to the challenge by ensuring speedy disposal of corruption cases.
Wabba called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in his war against corruption, adding that Nigerians would salute him for it.
He said: “On our part, we urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to relent in his war against corruption. Even if it is the only major achievement in four years, it will suffice. At least it would have succeeded in loot recovery as well as set a national moral barometer capable of attracting international confidence and respectability.
“In furtherance of this campaign, we call on the government to among other things, probe the power sector reform programme which has delivered darkness instead of light, despite the billions of dollars expended on it.”
He said NLC would definitely not allow any attempt to politicise the anti-corruption efforts and urged the anti-corruption agencies to follow due process.
“We believe with prescription of more stringent punishment for corruption cases, few will dare to go to this extent. We need no telling that massive corruption in the system is responsible for our lack of development and our present economic woes.
“Rising cases of alienation, civil disobedience, crime and insurgency are directly traceable to wanton cases of corruption in high places which did not only create avoidable diseases, ignorance and poverty, but have totally incapacitated our people.
“We as a people and as a nation cannot continue like this, except we want to continue to be the laughing stock of other nations and except we want to create a state of anarchy.
“Because certainly, our teeming youths and the army of the unemployed, who look unto their country for their means of livelihood, will not fold their hands while a few individuals corner the national resources,” he added.
He said labour must be resolute and firm in their support for good governance and fight against corruption and must entrench the culture of accountability, ensuring that public officers are accountable in and out of office.
