President Muhammadu Buhari has provided a soft landing platform of negotiation for all treasury looters, insisting that they must quickly return stolen public funds in their possession or face the consequences.
Buhari, stated this on Wednesday, July 6, while receiving a delegation of Muslim residents in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, who paid him Sallah homage at the Presidential villa, Abuja.
A presidential source revealed that the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, received the news with shock.
“Buhari’s latest move is shocking, it is an unwelcome development. Especially in the camp of the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu,” the source said.
While speaking, the president appealed to those in possession of Nigeria’s stolen funds to return them peacefully and negotiate with the government.
The implication of the president’s decision is that those who have looted the nation’s treasury can now explore the opportunity of a negotiation process with relevant government agencies and quietly return such funds.
“Please, tell those with plenty of money which do not belong to them to try and negotiate and return it in peace so that both they and us will be in peace. Otherwise, we will continue to look for it,’’ Buhari said.
According to him, Nigeria is seriously in need of the stolen funds to uplift the quality of life of its citizens.
This is the second time Buhari is adopting a soft approach in the anti-corruption war.
Recall, that the Federal Government, had recently disclosed that it has made a number of recoveries of looted funds between May 29, 2015 and May 25, 2016.
Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had given the breakdown of the loot as; N78,325,354,631.82; $185,119,584.61; £3,508,355.46 and €11, 250.
The assets and cash seized under interim forfeiture totalled: $9 billion, N126 billion, £2.4 million and €303,399. The government added that funds awaiting return from foreign jurisdictions total $321,316,726.1; £6,900,000 and €11,826.11.
While addressing Muslims at the presidential villa yesterday, Buhari also appealed to the Niger Delta militants to give Nigeria a chance and desist from sabotaging oil and gas facilities in the region.
He assured that justice would be done in terms of what was due to the region.
Citing a quote from former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon that “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done,” he, however, warned that the militants should be told that the unity of Nigeria was not negotiable.
Buhari said: “On security, we have made a lot of improvement. Boko Haram, militants, there is improvement.
“We are now concentrating on the militants to know how many of them in terms of groupings, leadership and plead with them to try and give Nigeria a chance.
“I assure them that the saying by General Gowon that to keep Nigeria is a task that must be done”.
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