A group campaigning for positive political change and gender parity, the Transformation Ambassadors (TTA) has urged the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Barr Bolaji Owasanoye (SAN) to launch a full-scale investigation into allegations of looting and misappropriation of funds in Federal Agencies and Parastatal with a view to recovering stolen funds.
Convener of the group, Dr Femi Omojuwa, in his review of the state of the economy, disclosed that public officeholders embarking on looting spree is the bane of Nigeria’s economic growth.
Reports on fraudulent practices in government MDAs, he said, are at an alarming rate because no one has been sanctioned for stealing.
Omojuwa cited an instance of erstwhile JAMB registrar, Prof Dibu Ojerinde who is standing trial for over N5billion fraud allegation.
He however urged the Chairman of the Commission, Barr Owasanoye to beam the Commission’s searchlight on activities at Agencies and parastatals, especially the National Theatre and ensure all allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds and looting of artefacts and assets of the parastatal are thoroughly investigated.
“Nigeria has witnessed unprecedented corruption and looting of commonwealth by public officers both elected and appointed. This trend continues unchecked because no one has been brought to justice. So far, I must commend the ICPC for investigating and prosecuting the ex-Registrar of JAMB, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, for fraud.
“This is commendable but it has to be replicated across Agencies and parastatals, especially at this time the country is experiencing dearth of funds and finding it difficult to finance its budget.
“We have read in the news various allegations against the management of the National Theatre on how they engage in looting spree of assets of the parastatal without either the ICPC or the EFCC intervening to unearth the veracity or otherwise of the claims.
“We have heard of different groups claiming to have written several petitions against the management of the National Theatre to the Lagos office of the ICPC to expose the massive looting going on at the parastatal without any meaning headway.
“Despite the volume of allegations as we have seen and read in the media, I wonder why the Lagos ICPC has not made any headway in its investigation of allegations against the management of the National Theatre. The commission has not yielded any meaningful progress.
“And that explains our appeal to the Chairman of the Commission to look into this and another parastatal like it,” he said.
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