Buhari orders anti-graft agencies to publish list of looters in new name and shame policy

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has directed all relevant government agencies to compile documents on all suspected looters of government funds with a view to publishing the list in what appears to be a new name and shame policy.

Since assuming office in 2015, President Buhari has made the war against corruption his number one priority and has spent the last two years trying to recoup Nigeria's stolen funds. As part of this campaign, yesterday, President Buhari directed the attorney-general and justice minister Abukabar Malami, to start a register of all suspected corrupt public officers.

According to Mr Malami President Buhari has directed the agencies to compile documents on names of all looters with a view to promptly enforcing the judgment of a federal high court in Lagos ordering the government to release to Nigerians information about the names of high ranking public officials from whom public funds were recovered. In its judgement, the court also ordered the government to tell Nigerians the circumstances under which funds were recovered, as well as the exact amount of funds recovered from each public official.

Mr Malami made the disclosure yesterday during a meeting in his office with a delegation from the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (Serap). Adetokunbo Mumuni. Serap's executive director, said they had a very productive meeting with Mr Malami, discussing among other critical issues the need for the government to obey the judgment delivered in July by Hon Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari following a Freedom of Information suit brought by Serap.

“Mr Malami informed us that President Buhari has directed the ministry of justice, the ministry of finance, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies involved in the recovery of looted funds to promptly put the documents together with a view to fully and promptly enforcing the judgment by Justice Shagari. We appreciate the opportunity to meet with the attorney-general of the federation and look forward to working with him as the government strives to enforce this very important judgment.

"We hope that the implementation of the judgment will now happen sooner rather than later. We believe that effectively implementing the judgment will be a victory for the rule of law, show the way forward in the fight against corruption and impunity of perpetrators in the country, as well as demonstrate Buhari’s oft-repeated commitment to tackling the problem of grand corruption,” Mr Mumuni added.

Serap filed the suit following the disclosure last year by the federal government that funds were recovered from some high-ranking public officials and private individuals. In her judgment delivered on 5th July 2017 Justice Shagari agreed with Serap that the federal government has legally binding obligations to tell Nigerians the names of all suspected looters of the public treasury past and present.