The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that no amount of
pressure, including the antics of hack writers and threats of
litigation, will prevent it from releasing more names of the
alleged looters of the public treasury.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said since the
release of the first two lists of the alleged looters, there have
been overt and covert attempts to intimidate and blackmail the
Federal Government into discontinuing the release of more looters’
names.
”Hack writers have inundated the social and traditional media
with articles casting aspersion on the lists, while some newspapers
have even resorted to writing editorials against the Federal
Government over the release of the lists. Most of the write-ups
have accused the government of politicising the anti-graft war by
releasing the lists. We strongly disagree with them.
”We do not have the power to try or convict anyone. That is the
exclusive preserve of the courts. But we have the power to let
Nigerians know those who turned the public treasury into their
personal piggy banks, on the basis of very concrete evidence, and
that is what we are doing,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the government has always known that
corruption will fight back, fast and furious, hence it is not
surprised at the hiring of hack writers to attack the very idea of
naming and shaming the looters, or the hysterical threats of
litigation.
”All the fuss about politicising the anti-corruption fight is
aimed at preventing the government from releasing more looters’
names and at the same time muddling the waters. But 1,000 negative
write-ups or editorials will not deter us from releasing the third
and subsequent lists. For those who have chosen to give succour to
looters, we wish them the best of luck with their new pastime,” he
said.
The Minister said the pressure being mounted on the government
over its decision to expose looters is not unexpected, adding: ”We
know where the pressure is coming from. However, the die is cast.
We will not stop until we have released the names of all those who
have looted our commonwealth. Those who have not looted our
treasury have nothing to be afraid of.
He challenged anyone who feels that he or she has been wrongly
accused to seek redress in court, rather than engaging in
exhibitionist sophistry.
Alhaji Mohammed also reminded Nigerians that it was the PDP that
dared to challenge the Federal Government into releasing the list
of PDP looters, hence the argument that the list only contained the
names of PDP members falls short without proper
contextualization.
”We are not underestimating the desperation of the looters, but
we wish to assure Nigerians who are justifiably outraged at the
mindless plundering of the nation’s wealth also of our
determination not to back down. Nigerians must know those who have
wrecked the country and mortgaged the future of their children,”
Alhaji Mohammed added.
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that no amount of
pressure, including the antics of hack writers and threats of
litigation, will prevent it from releasing more names of the
alleged looters of the public treasury.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said since the
release of the first two lists of the alleged looters, there have
been overt and covert attempts to intimidate and blackmail the
Federal Government into discontinuing the release of more looters’
names.
”Hack writers have inundated the social and traditional media
with articles casting aspersion on the lists, while some newspapers
have even resorted to writing editorials against the Federal
Government over the release of the lists. Most of the write-ups
have accused the government of politicising the anti-graft war by
releasing the lists. We strongly disagree with them.
”We do not have the power to try or convict anyone. That is the
exclusive preserve of the courts. But we have the power to let
Nigerians know those who turned the public treasury into their
personal piggy banks, on the basis of very concrete evidence, and
that is what we are doing,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the government has always known that
corruption will fight back, fast and furious, hence it is not
surprised at the hiring of hack writers to attack the very idea of
naming and shaming the looters, or the hysterical threats of
litigation.
”All the fuss about politicising the anti-corruption fight is
aimed at preventing the government from releasing more looters’
names and at the same time muddling the waters. But 1,000 negative
write-ups or editorials will not deter us from releasing the third
and subsequent lists. For those who have chosen to give succour to
looters, we wish them the best of luck with their new pastime,” he
said.
The Minister said the pressure being mounted on the government
over its decision to expose looters is not unexpected, adding: ”We
know where the pressure is coming from. However, the die is cast.
We will not stop until we have released the names of all those who
have looted our commonwealth. Those who have not looted our
treasury have nothing to be afraid of.
He challenged anyone who feels that he or she has been wrongly
accused to seek redress in court, rather than engaging in
exhibitionist sophistry.
Alhaji Mohammed also reminded Nigerians that it was the PDP that
dared to challenge the Federal Government into releasing the list
of PDP looters, hence the argument that the list only contained the
names of PDP members falls short without proper
contextualization.
”We are not underestimating the desperation of the looters, but
we wish to assure Nigerians who are justifiably outraged at the
mindless plundering of the nation’s wealth also of our
determination not to back down. Nigerians must know those who have
wrecked the country and mortgaged the future of their children,”
Alhaji Mohammed added.