Labour Seeks Death Penalty For Corrupt Government Officials

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has described the anti-corruption laws in the country as too weak to stop potential treasury looters. The union is therefore advocating the death penalty for those found guilty.

The NLC demostrated its support for the Muhammadu Buhari administration’s battle, yesterday, with rallies and picketing of Government Houses in state capitals.

In Abuja, NLC President Ayuba Waba led the protest. The team marched on the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) and the National Assembly premises.

Presenting a letter to the SGF, Mr. David Bachir Lawal, Waba said:

“Gone is the day when people that are corrupt will get perpetual injunctions restraining EFCC from prosecuting them. If we have such cases, Nigerian workers are ready to go to their residences and bring them to court and also interrogate the judge
“Our judiciary must sit up. Gone are the days when perpetual injunctions are issued,,restraining agencies of government from prosecuting corrupt public officers. We must be on the same page and therefore, Nigerian workers are ready to invade the courts and the sanctity of such judges.

“We are also demanding that the penalty of corrupt public officers should be made very strict, including capital punishment. If has worked elsewhere and there is no reason why it should not work here. Therefore, all of us are here to try to present our position.”

Reacting, Lawal commended labour for standing beside the Buhari administration in its quest to make corruption a thing of the past. He assured them that the government will not fail Nigerians in the fight against corruption.

According to him, the government considers labour as partners in the development of the country and not enemies. He pointed out that with the workers supporting the government’s fight against corruption, the fight is almost won.
He said if the country must move forward, corruption must be made unattractive, while those who engage in corrupt practices should not be given any place to hide.

Meanwhile,most governors, who spoke on the development on Thursday out rightly rejected the suggestion that looters of the nation’s resources be sentenced to death.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun while addressing the state workers who had marched to the Oke Mosan state secretariat in Abeokuta to give their backing to Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade said;

“Everybody knows President Muhammadu Buhari is transparent and meants well for the nation and would never want to hear anything about corruption.
“Even under 100 days in office, electricity is improving. People know that if you try it you are gone. I always say this, whether you are a governor, permanent secretary or labour leader, you cannot be corrupt under a leader that is not corrupt, because you will be punished.
“Unfortunately as a governor, I cannot be saying that capital punishment should be meted out to corrupt public officials. Because I cannot say that, that is why I will say that anybody that is found wanting, whether you are governor or any other public officer should be jailed for life.”
“It is not only politicians that should shun corruption, workers too should not be corrupt,” he said.

Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, also said he would rather prefer life imprisonment to death penalty.

Lalong’s Director of Press Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Nanle, told punch that 

“in all his discussions, Lalong has never mentioned death sentence. He has always preferred life imprisonment to taking human life because to him life is sacred.”

Fayose, who reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said jail sentence was better and capable of reforming thieves.

“In countries where death penalty was introduced, it has not stopped looting. In advanced countries like US, jail sentence is the penalty. What we need is proper moral education to change orientation of the people. Jail sentence is better; it can reform,” 

Rivers governor, who spoke through his special adviser on media, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, said that Nigeria had enough laws to deter people from fleecing the nation.
He said,

“Nigerians have a role to play by deriding looters and not to praise them for their fiscal irresponsibility. There should be a strong punitive measure to discourage looting because of its domino effects. When a treasury is looted, there won’t be money for the provision of necessities such as hospitals, roads, etc.
“Maybe because it happened in Ghana and the economy improved, the labour organisations want it in Nigeria. But that was a military regime and Jerry Rawlings was a military man. However, the extant laws on looting need serious and urgent review, even if the death penalty is discouraged.”