Labour, NBA differ on death sentence for looters

The prescription by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for death sentence on those guilty of corruption charges have been faulted by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA).
NBA president, Mr. Augustine Alegeh yesterday at a visit paid on him by the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba said that the capital punishment being canvassed by the NLC was not the best option in view of the international condemnation of capital punishment for criminal acts.
Alegeh suggested that instead of death penalty, focus should be on how to retrieve the stolen funds and injecting them back into the system for developmental projects.
He said that the plea bargain which exists in the country’s criminal law could be used in this regard to ensure that stolen monies are easily recovered, devoid of long court processes.
The NBA president said: “…the call by affiliate labour unions   that people who are involved in corruption matters should be sent to the gallows or killed, I say ‘no.’”
Earlier, the NLC president had commended the long existing relationship between the NLC and NBA, which he said has provided the leadership thrust to challenge government policies and programmes that are detrimental to the overall interest of Nigerians.
He posited that peace will be elusive in any country where there was no development and wide gap exists between the rich and the poor.