Former president, Jacob Zuma is to face prosecution for 16 charges of corruption. The charges – which Mr Zuma denies – include counts of fraud, racketeering and money laundering.

The charges relate to a 30bn rand ($2.5bn; £1.7bn) government arms deal in the late 1990s, before he became president

Mr Zuma is alleged to have sought bribes from a French arms company to support an extravagant lifestyle. His financial adviser at the time was found guilty of soliciting those bribes in 2005 and Mr Zuma was later sacked as deputy president.

South Africa is an epitome of the dream of most African citizenry, where institutions work and no one is above the law.

Also,Frederick Chiluba, former Zambia president, was believed to be first African leader prosecuted in his own country for embezzling public funds.

Globally, many former presidents have been made to face justice for looting the common treasury, a great crime against humanity.

Alberto Fujimori, President of Peru (1990 – 2000), is still in jail for corruption. Others that had been prosecuted and convicted include Ferdinand Marcos, former president of Philippines, former leader of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang. Etc.

But in Nigeria, where various ‘’wars’’ had been declared against corruption, all instances abound where past leaders are never made to account for their financial stewardship, yet not every past president or head of state, was devoid of one financial scandal or the other. It has become an ‘’unwritten law’’ that every past leader is untouchable and continued to enjoy ‘’immunity’’ against prosecution even long after exiting office.

We opine that, until the corruption tolerance level, at the utmost top, is set at zero, the so called fight would continue to be a big joke. The tone at the top,sets the agenda for lower ranks.Past and present leaders must be made to face justice where culpable. The immunity clause is doing Nigeria no good.

The hiring and firing of the EFCC chairman, should be the sole responsibility of the people, through their representatives at the National Assembly, the president must not be involved. This will detach and remove all emotional links of the EFCC chair with the president and thus make any plausible prosecution of the latter very easy, even after exiting office.

Death sentence or a life imprisonment for corruption, is not out of pace with the deep rooted and cancerous level of corruption in Nigeria.



https://www.financialdigest.com.ng

The hiring and firing of the EFCC chairman, should be the sole responsibility of the people, through their representatives at the National Assembly, the president must not be involved. This will detach and remove all emotional links of the EFCC chair with the president and thus make any plausible prosecution of the latter very easy, even after exiting office.

This should have been a good approach as least making the appointment independent of executive involvement but the NASS in Nigeria is another albatross as in the present case with Ibrahim Magu.

Great!

EFCC autonomy is very critical to the success of the corruption fight

Prevention is better than. Cure

former president of brazil has just been sentenced to 12years.The anti-graft agency is very independent.

op forget it.

useful idiots roaming nairaland will never agree with. you.
sadly