Source: Nigeria Newsdesk
Ushering a crackdown on the ‘looters of the economy’, President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, assured that the Federal Government under his leadership will sell all recovered looted national assets.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement yesterday, said Buhari disclosed this when he received representatives of social groups in Daura Emirate.
The President informed that the money, thus obtained, would be used to fuel the development of the nation.
Buhari noted that many suspected looters of government’s resources had been denying ownership of their ill-gotten properties and assets across the country, which he said, was not surprising at all.
The President also said that his government would not allow a repeat of what happened in the 1980s when buildings and other ill-gotten property seized by his military administration were returned to corrupt officials following his ouster as Head of State.
“Some years back, one of my schoolmates in the primary school who worked at a cottage company before his demise predicted that we will come to a situation when looters will deny their loots in Nigeria.
“So, as a civil servant, you have 10 houses in Abuja and even in Kaduna and abroad, the more you show them the properties, the more they will swear that it does not belong to them.
“And we are still following the process, you know in a democracy, you have to follow due process and respect the rule of law.
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“If you are following, you will hear that some of these looters were arrested, and for those who deny their loots, then instead of what happened before, this time around, we will sell those stolen properties and the proceeds will be deposited in government treasury.
“If the money is in the government treasury, I will see who will come back after we left and reclaim them,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to for the rainy season, Buhari assured to add more money to farmers, and ensure the availability of fertilizer and other farm inputs.
“We will also continue to reconstruct roads and railways and provide electricity and we promise we will continue to do so. For most ordinary Nigerians, if you give them good roads, railway and stable electric power, they will be happy to carry on with their lives.
“We are doing so much for our country and we will continue to do more out of the fear of God,” the President said.
The groups represented at the meeting were the Daura Emirate Coalition of Associations; the Amalgamation of Daura Emirate Political Associations; the Buhari Group; the Daura Emirate Development Forum; Women in Politics in Daura Emirate and the Daura Emirate Consultative Forum.