THE recent under-the-radar ruling by a Royal Court in Jersey, United States that looted funds worth $8.9 million be repatriated to Nigeria is another tragic affirmation of the brazen looting of the country by the political class. The Bola Tinubu administration must revamp the anti-graft campaign and ensure that all looters are brought to account.
This money was allegedly diverted by government officials in 2014 under the guise of purchasing arms to fight Boko Haram terrorists. The court held that the funds were deposited in a Jersey bank account and were not used for the arms purchase. Therefore, Tinubu should urgently re-launch the war against graft in the country.
According to the Royal Court in Jersey, its order followed a forfeiture notice to the court by Jersey’s Attorney-General, Mark Temple KC. Temple said the government of Jersey was in close partnership with Nigeria on the repatriation of the funds. This is welcome. “This case again demonstrates the effectiveness of the 2018 Forfeiture Law in recovering the proceeds of corruption and restoring that money to victims of crime. I now intend to negotiate an asset return agreement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” said Temple.
Controversies had surrounded the purchase of weapons in the fight against insurgency with the then National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, accused of diverting funds meant for security equipment during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The Muhammadu Buhari administration put it at $2.1 billion.
Under Jonathan, Nigeria was ensnared in a money laundering scandal as South Africa seized two planes in 2014 carrying $15 million in cash allegedly for an arms deal. While the ill-equipped military fought a losing battle against Boko Haram terrorists who relentlessly carried out devastating attacks, the lack of arms was certainly not a result of a lack of funds.
An audit commissioned by the Presidency had revealed that total extra budgetary interventions for arms, excluding grants from state governments was over $5 billion. The audit showed that of the 513 contracts awarded for arms procurement, 53 were ‘failed contracts’ worth over $2 billion. A part of the fund was reportedly diverted to fund elections.
Sadly, the prosecution of those who engaged in the sleaze failed to achieve the expected end. Many cases filed against the perpetrators were withdrawn or poorly prosecuted. Nigeria needs to know those who moved the money to Jersey and they deserve to be punished accordingly.
Tinubu needs to recalibrate the war against official corruption. The Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, should properly direct the prosecution of indicted officials and their collaborators.
Anti-Money Laundering Index, Nigeria was ranked 14th “most vulnerable country” out of the 125 surveyed, down from 33rd in 2017. A US Department of Commerce report suggests that about 40 per cent of all public sector procurement money in Nigeria is lost to corruption.
For Tinubu’s anti-graft crusade to succeed, a new thinking backed by preventive frameworks is required. This is not only a cost-effective measure, it is the most pragmatic way to tackle criminality and wrest corruption to the ground.
On the back of this, the judiciary must be a strong partner in the fight to enthrone probity in national life.
The leadership should encourage the use of technology for e-governance, such as e-procurement and online public service delivery, to reduce opportunities for corruption. Leaders should set an example by adhering to ethical standards and holding themselves accountable.
The support and involvement of civil society organisations in monitoring government activities and advocating transparency and accountability deserve encouragement.
The whistleblower policy should be strengthened to encourage individuals to provide information about corrupt practices.
Ultimately, Tinubu must appoint a coordinator for the anti-corruption war.
