Anti-Corruption War: Anybody Who Crosses The Line Will Be Crushed – Obono-Obla

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Mr
Okoi Obono-Obla, says the Federal Government will crush anyone who
crosses the line in its resolve to rid Nigeria of corruption.

Obono-Obla, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday
Politics, believes the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from
his medical vacation will strengthen the government’s
anti-corruption war.

“While the President was away, the war was still going on, the
battle was still going on. So now that the Commander-in-Chief is
back, maybe it’s going to rejig the war,” he said.

“And we are going to fight squarely, courageously and
resolutely. So, anybody who crosses the line will be crushed.”

The presidential aide said the signing of an extradition treaty
and other agreements by President Buhari with the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) on Thursday last week was an evidence of the
government’s zero tolerance for corruption.

He noted that the government has recorded 80 per cent success in
its anti-corruption war.

“Let’s talk about the treaty we entered into with the UAE, I can
be very certain that in the next few weeks, we are going to have
tangible results. We are going to repatriate what has been taken
out of Nigeria to UAE and I have told you, it runs into hundreds of
millions of dollars.

“Is that not an achievement? This country has never entered into
an agreement with any other country to return what has been taken
out of this country,” he said.

On funding government projects with recovered looted funds,
Obono-Obla said the government cannot take such step without an
approval of the National Assembly as enshrined in the
Constitution.

He explained, “We cannot spend those monies because we are a
government that respects the rule of law, we are a government that
respects constitutionalism.

“By virtue of the Constitution (Section 162), we cannot spend
any money without going to the National Assembly for permission,
for authority. And we must put it in the Appropriation Bill or what
we call ‘budget estimates’ and then take it to the National
Assembly for approval,”

Culled: .channelstv

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Mr
Okoi Obono-Obla, says the Federal Government will crush anyone who
crosses the line in its resolve to rid Nigeria of
corruption.

Obono-Obla, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday
Politics, believes the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from
his medical vacation will strengthen the government’s
anti-corruption war.

“While the President was away, the war was still going on, the
battle was still going on. So now that the Commander-in-Chief is
back, maybe it’s going to rejig the war,” he said.

“And we are going to fight squarely, courageously and
resolutely. So, anybody who crosses the line will be crushed.”

The presidential aide said the signing of an extradition treaty
and other agreements by President Buhari with the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) on Thursday last week was an evidence of the
government’s zero tolerance for corruption.

He noted that the government has recorded 80 per cent success in
its anti-corruption war.

“Let’s talk about the treaty we entered into with the UAE, I can
be very certain that in the next few weeks, we are going to have
tangible results. We are going to repatriate what has been taken
out of Nigeria to UAE and I have told you, it runs into hundreds of
millions of dollars.

“Is that not an achievement? This country has never entered into
an agreement with any other country to return what has been taken
out of this country,” he said.

On funding government projects with recovered looted funds,
Obono-Obla said the government cannot take such step without an
approval of the National Assembly as enshrined in the
Constitution.

He explained, “We cannot spend those monies because we are a
government that respects the rule of law, we are a government that
respects constitutionalism.

“By virtue of the Constitution (Section 162), we cannot spend
any money without going to the National Assembly for permission,
for authority. And we must put it in the Appropriation Bill or what
we call ‘budget estimates’ and then take it to the National
Assembly for approval,”

Culled: .channelstv