Fifty-five
people stole N1.3trillion from the national treasury in seven years
under President Goodluck Jonathan’s watch, the Presidential
Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) has said.
The
committee said Jonathan tolerated corruption, closed his eyes to
graft while his administration fared worse than his predecessors in
tackling official sleaze.
In
its report of activities from August 2015 to July 2016 presented to
civil society organisations (CSOs) by its Executive Secretary Prof
Bolaji Owasanoye during an interactive session in Abuja Thursday,
PACAC said corruption brought Nigeria under to its knees under
Jonathan.
The
report says: “His (Jonathan’s) tolerance of corruption was
reflected in the sunset of activities of anti-corruption agencies
under his watch and exponential increase of other vices no doubt fuel
by corruption.
“For
example, it is widely believed that insecurity escalated because of
the massive embezzlement of $2billion through the Office of the
National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki,
who allegedly diverted the money appropriated to fight insurgency.
“The
problems in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry reached
zenith with multi-billion dollars subsidy scams while President
Jonathan looked the other way.
“At
the same time, other vices spread like cancer – kidnapping, import
duty waivers, financial recklessness, a profligate legislature,
corrupt judiciary, etc. There was no single high profile conviction
under his watch yet there were allegations of high profile corruption
within his cabinet.
“Jonathan’s
legendary comment that stealing is not corruption underscored his
perspective on corruption and remains a watershed in the history of
anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria.
“Under
his watch, corruption brought Nigeria to its knees.”
PACAC
said using World Bank rates, one-third of the N1.3trillion allegedly
stolen by only 55 people in seven years could have provided 635.18
kilometers of roads, built 36 ultra-modern hospitals in each state,
built and furnished 183 schools, educated 3,974 people from primary
to tertiary level (at N25.2million per child) and built 20,062 units
of two-bedroom houses.
The
committee noted that while former President Olusegun Obasanjo
established key anti-corruption agencies which led to high-profile
convictions even though “his actions were not above board”, the
crusade against corruption went comatose from 2007 “largely due to
leadership deficit”.
PACAC
said corruption is Nigeria’s greatest challenge and is directly
associated with the current economic decline, poverty rates, reduced
life expectancy, mortality and deteriorated living standards.
Owasanoye
said due to corruption, a few Nigerians were richer than their
states, while plea bargaining was abused as people who stole the
country dry were given slaps on the wrist and asked to go home.
He
said PACAC has designed a Plea Bargain Manual which mandates
custodial sentence for all those who plead guilty of looting after
returning all they stole.
Other
strategy documents developed by PACAC and adopted by the government,
he said, are a draft National Anti-Corruption Action Plan and
Strategy Document, Corruption Case Management Manual (full and
abridged versions), Corruption Information/Intelligence Sharing
Protocol, and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Corruption and
other Related Economic Offences.
Others
are the Strategic Communication Blueprint for FGN in the Fight
Against Corruption, Assets Recovery Strategy Document, Framework for
Management and Administration of Recovered Stolen Assets, Draft Bill
and Explanatory Memorandum for the Establishment of Special Crimes
Court, amongst others.
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