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Category:News | Date:2008-06-10
Buhari, Abdulsalami, IBB under fire over Abacha loot
From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Three former Heads of State who defended one of their own, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, against the common belief that he looted the treasury were under fire yesterday.

Generals Ibrahim Baban-gida, Muhammadu Buhari and Abdulsalami Abubakar were hit by a hail of criticisms for describing the claim that the late Gen. Abacha was a thief as a fairy tale. They spoke in Kano at the 10th anniversary lecture in memory of the late Head of State.

But those who reacted to the comment yesterday said the ex-leaders were standing a fact of history on its head.

The Action Congress (AC) described the party’s comment as "a disgusting case of revisionism." In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it was ridiculous and curious for the former Heads of State to have waited 10 years before finding their voices to defend Abacha.

The AC also said the suggestion by Gen. Abdulsalami that past administrations should not be probed smacked of self-preservation rather than patriotism. It added that heeding such advice would thwart all efforts to enthrone the rule of law, due process, probity and good governance.

According to the AC, Nigeria would need to return looted funds repatriated by some foreign countries and apologise to those countries as well as the Abacha family, if the ex-leaders’ comment were of any value.

Only last week, the government of Switzerland said it had returned all of the $505million (N59.05billion) looted funds stashed in its banks by the late Gen. Abacha. The repatriated money is part of an estimated $3billion of public funds believed to have been stored up by the late Head of State in banks in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Britain and Luxembourg, besides Switzerland.

AC said yesterday: "We are sure that those countries will be laughing at Nigeria now. What a shame! If the former leaders’ comments that the late Abacha ran one of the best administrations in this country were to be taken seriously, then the trial of (Abacha’s former Chief Security Officer, Col. Hamza) Al-Mustapha and others for atrocities allegedly committed during the Abacha regime should be stopped forthwith, while the accused should all be granted national honours to mitigate the suffering occasioned by their prolonged trial.

"We are worried by the aggressive but belated defence offered by these leaders, who incidentally all passed the batons of powers among themselves – the late Abacha inclusive! We are compelled to ask: what is their agenda? What are they up to?

"Where were they when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was telling whoever cared to listen how billions of dollars in public funds were spirited to foreign bank accounts by the late Head of State? Why have they suddenly found their voice now that Obasanjo has left office?’’

The party noted that Gen. Babangida and the others were close to ex-President Obasanjo, either as co-former military leaders or as members of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); "yet none of them dared raise a voice against the allegations of massive looting of public treasury which he levelled against Abacha." It advised the former leaders, by virtue of their highly-respected positions, to take care in their utterances so as not to send wrong signals to Nigerians and the world community.

The Lagos State chapter of the AC described the former Heads of State’s comment as "a desperate attempt by former despots to buy the reprieve of history for one of their ilk, together with whom they ruined Nigeria."

Details
Category:News | Date:2008-06-10
Buhari, Abdulsalami, IBB under fire over Abacha loot
From Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Three former Heads of State who defended one of their own, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, against the common belief that he looted the treasury were under fire yesterday.

Generals Ibrahim Baban-gida, Muhammadu Buhari and Abdulsalami Abubakar were hit by a hail of criticisms for describing the claim that the late Gen. Abacha was a thief as a fairy tale. They spoke in Kano at the 10th anniversary lecture in memory of the late Head of State.

But those who reacted to the comment yesterday said the ex-leaders were standing a fact of history on its head.

The Action Congress (AC) described the party’s comment as "a disgusting case of revisionism." In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said it was ridiculous and curious for the former Heads of State to have waited 10 years before finding their voices to defend Abacha.

The AC also said the suggestion by Gen. Abdulsalami that past administrations should not be probed smacked of self-preservation rather than patriotism. It added that heeding such advice would thwart all efforts to enthrone the rule of law, due process, probity and good governance.

According to the AC, Nigeria would need to return looted funds repatriated by some foreign countries and apologise to those countries as well as the Abacha family, if the ex-leaders’ comment were of any value.

Only last week, the government of Switzerland said it had returned all of the $505million (N59.05billion) looted funds stashed in its banks by the late Gen. Abacha. The repatriated money is part of an estimated $3billion of public funds believed to have been stored up by the late Head of State in banks in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Britain and Luxembourg, besides Switzerland.

AC said yesterday: "We are sure that those countries will be laughing at Nigeria now. What a shame! If the former leaders’ comments that the late Abacha ran one of the best administrations in this country were to be taken seriously, then the trial of (Abacha’s former Chief Security Officer, Col. Hamza) Al-Mustapha and others for atrocities allegedly committed during the Abacha regime should be stopped forthwith, while the accused should all be granted national honours to mitigate the suffering occasioned by their prolonged trial.

"We are worried by the aggressive but belated defence offered by these leaders, who incidentally all passed the batons of powers among themselves – the late Abacha inclusive! We are compelled to ask: what is their agenda? What are they up to?

"Where were they when former President Olusegun Obasanjo was telling whoever cared to listen how billions of dollars in public funds were spirited to foreign bank accounts by the late Head of State? Why have they suddenly found their voice now that Obasanjo has left office?’’

The party noted that Gen. Babangida and the others were close to ex-President Obasanjo, either as co-former military leaders or as members of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); "yet none of them dared raise a voice against the allegations of massive looting of public treasury which he levelled against Abacha." It advised the former leaders, by virtue of their highly-respected positions, to take care in their utterances so as not to send wrong signals to Nigerians and the world community.

The Lagos State chapter of the AC described the former Heads of State’s comment as "a desperate attempt by former despots to buy the reprieve of history for one of their ilk, together with whom they ruined Nigeria."

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Firefire:
EFCC should probe Buhary with immediate effect for defending corruption. [size=4pt]{Forget immunity clause} [/size]

Firefire:
EFCC should probe Buhary with immediate effect for defending corruption. [size=4pt]{Forget immunity clause} [/size]