Your column in Daily Trust (17/03/2021) refers.
I was shocked to read that more than N4 trillion was released to the military from 2015 to date under PMB to procure weapons. This is apart from the US$1 billion taken from the excess crude account.
- ‘What Does Gumi Know about forests?’ – Masari hits prominent cleric over banditry
We are coming after you, Air Chief warns bandits
It is 11 times more than the amount for which Sambo Dasuki was harassed for several years. So far, nothing has been done to him since his release a few years back.
The question is why should his successors not do worse? Are they saints? Therefore, unless this missing money is fully investigated and the culprits appropriately punished, the current service chiefs may be tempted to do even worse.
I will never get tired of repeating this; Corruption rests on four crutches: lack of fear of God, lack of fear of authorities, conflict of interest and impunity.
Instilling the fear of God in every Nigerian is an uphill task. But the other three can be effectively fought by the rigorous enforcement of the assets declaration law starting with the president, his wife and grown up children. It is not too late to do that as that is the only way to fight corruption. We should also create an office in the presidency to randomly monitor the compliance of the law.
I am glad the new EFCC boss has started by demanding that bankers submit their duly completed assets declaration forms. I hope he extends that invitation to chief executives of other big companies.
Sabo Sodangi, [email protected]
