A former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, has urged Nigerians with funds stashed abroad to repatriate them home with a view to helping to boost the country’s economy.
Speaking on Ethicspod, a podcast recently launched by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Agabi said it did not matter “whether the money was obtained legitimately or illegitimately”, adding that such funds should be brought home for developmental purposes.
ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, in a statement made available to Tribune Online, quoted the former minister to have said that fear of retribution from anti-corruption agencies had discouraged individuals from returning these funds, which could significantly contribute to Nigeria’s development.
According to Agabi, “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.”
While acknowledging that corruption cannot be eradicated overnight and it requires time, the senior advocate said that there was a need to encourage Nigerians with money abroad to bring them home and cited the example of former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi in the early 2000.
Agabi pointed out that leadership issues have been a major hindrance to the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
The former AGF, who lauded the Nigerian judiciary for its critical role in the fight against corruption, explained that the judiciary was often overwhelmed.
“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,” he lamented.
Agabi expressed concern about the youth’s role in fighting corruption and submitted that many of them were unequipped to contribute due to inadequate education, which he said was not their fault.
According to him, “instead of fighting corruption, many youths are unknowingly fueling it.”
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.
Agabi asserted that Nigeria’s current state demands a reassessment of the fight against corruption, declaring that now is the right time to reexamine 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,” Agabi declared.
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