Seven months after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered the Federal Government to release to Nigerians the list of public officials from whom public funds had been recovered, the list has yet to be released by the authorities.



Justice Hadiza Shagari had on July 6, 2017, in her judgment in a suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, directed the Federal Government to “immediately” release the names of the officials, the circumstances under which the funds were recovered and the exact amount recovered from each public official.

While responding to the judgment, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, had said the government would publish the names of the looters, in compliance with the court order, noting that the Federal Government totally agreed with the ruling.

The Federal Government had on June 4, 2016, through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed that it had recovered cash sums of N78,325,354,631.82, $185,119,584.61, £3,508,355.46 and €11,250 between May 29, 2015, and May 25, 2016. He added that the assets and cash seized under interim forfeiture totalled $9bn, N126bn, £2.4m and €303,399.

And on October 12, 2017, the acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said at a forum that the cash recovered through the whistleblower policy had risen to over N30bn, in different foreign currencies.

Meanwhile, the refusal to release the list or obey the court judgment was preceded by the promise voluntarily made in December 2015 by the President when he said he would unveil the names of the looters. He had said the only thing stopping the Central Bank of Nigeria from releasing the list at that time was to avoid jeopardising investigations and further recoveries.

He also reiterated the promise in May 2016 at an anti-corruption summit in London that he would give a comprehensive report on the loot recovered on May 29, 2016 – Democracy Day, which he failed to do.

And till date, the names of the looters have yet to be released.

Speaking on the protracted delay, the Executive Director, SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni, said the refusal of the Buhari-led administration to make the list public, as directed by the court, had called into the question the much-touted integrity of the administration.



He said, “Once you make a promise, you should fulfil it. They said they would fight corruption, judgement was obtained to help you to fight corruption, yet you are not obeying the court order, it questions your integrity and sincerity as a government. This government is not doing what it promised.”

Also, the President of Campaign for Democracy, Mr. Bako Abdul Usman, described as unfortunate the way the present administration had been flouting court orders, saying even though the African Union made the President the model of anti-corruption fight in Africa, that “does not really hold water back home when looking at the nitty-gritty.”

He added, “If that list is released today, people within the circle of the President would be part and parcel of it. That is why there is a constraint in releasing the list. Impunity, high-handedness and corrupt practices are easy to come by in this administration.”

A legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Liborous Oshoma, said a government that won an election on account of its promise to be transparent didn’t have to be compelled by the court to name and shame looters, stressing that the excuses it gave had already made it another round of propaganda.

He noted that the reluctance to release the list could be because the government bloated the amount it recovered, making it difficult to put names to the figures. He explained that it would be an investment in uncertainty to expect the government to release the names before the next general elections because it might need the influence and monetary contribution of some of the looters.

He added, “Do they (government) also need a legal paperwork to release the names of those that owned up voluntarily, not due to their conscience but because it was either obvious or government was closing in on them? To serve as deterrence to others, shouldn’t a transparent government release those names.

“Now that elections are here, these (looters) are the same people they would go back to source money from. So, if anybody believes that the government would name and shame those looters before the election, the person must be joking, because some alleged criminals would even be embraced because of their money and influence, especially when you have desperation for a second term.”

But when asked when the names would be released as he promised in July 2017, the AGF said a committee set up by the President was still auditing the list of the looters.

In a text message he sent as a response to Saturday PUNCH’s inquiry, he said, “Audit work is in progress by a committee put in place by the President.”


http://punchng.com/seven-months-after-fg-fails-to-release-looters-list/

.since last year, i de find d fence wey dem de climb go europe i no see, abeg who sabi where the fence de

Nigeria is a very very funny, I mean very very funny indeed

Efulefu Government! So so mouth na im dem get.

Shebi at one time dem even wan use recovered funds from looters fund Nigeria national budget?! Liars all of them!

Oga there's nothing like a looter's list... Dat was jus anoda punchline made up by d govt to feed its zombies... APC on d beat..

lets forget the list and names involve...the FG will never tell us or release those names....thismis a country where those who loot public funds are celebrated.....

It is only meant to threaten some members of opposition into joining APC. Once anyone joins APC his sins are forgiven him. Looters are across both parties but the President prefers to mouth only PDP looters leaving looters on his nose.

FYI, the first billion that got missing in this country is in the hands of buhari. The money was traced to midland bank, uk in buhari's account. Fela sang with it

Because it was all propaganda.

The same government that claimed to have met an "empty" treasury are today claiming to have grown foreign reserves from $29b which they inherited to $42b!

Problem with telling lies is that you would need even bigger lies to cover the previous ones.

okosodo:
FYI, the first billion that got missing in this country is in the hands of buhari. The money was traced to midland bank, uk in buhari's account. Fela sang with it

My question is always, "Buhari pikin in London schools, has anyone bothered to trace the account used in paying for their fees?

You sooner y'all realise bubu and his gang of APC sai barbarians are scam artists, the better for you all.

APC! SCAM!!

AnodaIT:

My question is always, "Buhari pikin in London schools, has anyone bothered to trace the account used in paying for their fees?

May the good Lord deliver Nigeria from the hands of wicked men and women

waiting for the list to start with rotimi Amaechi ....the tortoise of ubima

Lalasticlala, please have you seen the list?

Ile taba fi itomo mo.....Iri ni owooo

Can u reveal ur members ..its not possible so don't expect any unveiling....shey dem b coutinho ni

What list? Whose name do we want to see again apart from those up there?

PapaNnamdi:
.since last year, i de find d fence wey dem de climb go europe i no see, abeg who sabi where the fence de

you want them to tarnish the image babachir lawal, amaechi and co.

Nigerians should wake up, there is no list. Magu has recovered all those money and we are still borrowing left right and centre

Government of the media

They found out most people on the list are now APC members eg Timipre Silver with 39 houses.

I guess GEJ is responsible for this failure! #Rubbish

Na so

List that is filled with bubu kinsmen. You want him to indict his fellow looters erhmm.

No be today

For their mind.....we still have 5yrs to do that

AnodaIT:

My question is always, "Buhari pikin in London schools, has anyone bothered to trace the account used in paying for their fees?

IPOB and mumu talk. So to sponsor a child to school abroad, you must operate a bank account in that country? Why can't you bother yourself with the task of tracing the account. Or are you not a human being?

okosodo:
FYI, the first billion that got missing in this country is in the hands of buhari. The money was traced to midland bank, uk in buhari's account. Fela sang with it

And PDP could not trace his account? So fela is now a source? The worst you can do is to continue lying against him and it ends here and beer parlour.