By Emma Okereh
Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator Kanu Agabi, has called on Nigerians with funds stashed abroad to repatriate them to help boost the nation’s economy.
Speaking on Ethicspod, a podcast recently launched by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Agabi urged that “whether the money was obtained legitimately or illegitimately, it doesn’t matter”, to bring the money home for developmental purposes, he declared.
A statement signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Demola Bakare on Sunday, explained that the former Minister emphasized that fear of retribution from anti-corruption agencies has discouraged individuals from returning these funds, which could significantly contribute to the country’s development.
His words, “If these funds are invested in critical sectors like education, power, or infrastructure, Nigeria would be on the path to self-reliance and gradually eliminating corruption,”.
Agabi who acknowledged that corruption cannot be eradicated overnight and would require time, said that there was a need to encourage Nigerians with money abroad to bring them home and cited the example of a former Prime Minister in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi in the early 2000.
Senator Agabi pointed out that leadership issues have been a major hindrance to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
The former Minister who lauded the Nigerian judiciary for its critical role in the fight against corruption explained that the judiciary is often overwhelmed stressing, “Judges are handling 20 to 30 cases daily. How can they manage that? Eventually, they become indifferent because they are trapped in a relentless system they cannot change,”.
Agabi also expressed concern about the youth’s role in fighting corruption, stating that many are unequipped to contribute due to inadequate education, which he said was not their fault. “Instead of fighting corruption, many youths are unknowingly fueling it,” he remarked.
He further discussed the challenges anti-corruption agencies like the ICPC faced, noting that while the laws establishing these bodies are sound, the country still lacks the necessary people to enforce them effectively.
According to Agabi, the nation’s current state demands a reassessment of the fight against corruption. “There was no time better than now to reexamine the fight against corruption as the nation today “seems worse than it was in 1999 unless we do that, (reexamination of fight against corruption) we’ll continue to suffer distress that is affecting the economy right now”.
The full Interview with Senator Agabi is available on all electronic channels of the ICPC like YouTube and Facebook @ICPCNigeria and on Spotify @EthicsPod.
