The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, don commend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for securing final forfeiture order on plenty properties wey allegedly belong to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
HURIWA describe the development as one of the most significant anti-corruption actions for recent years, but caution the Federal Government against allowing recovered assets to be diverted to politically connected individuals.
For a statement wey dem issue yesterday by dia National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA say while the matter don pass through judicial process and all parties get right to due process, the scale of the assets involved highlight the need to address wetin dem call reckless accumulation of wealth by some public officials.
The association question the justification for such extensive property ownership by a single individual, asking: “For how many houses one man fit genuinely live for one lifetime?”
Dem praise the EFCC for pursuing the case, stressing that no public official should be above the law. “We commend the EFCC for demonstrating courage for pursuing this case. No individual, no matter how influential, should dey placed above the law. However, recovering assets na only the beginning. The real challenge na to ensure say recovered assets no go disappear into another cycle of elite capture,” the group say.
HURIWA warn say Nigerians go resist any attempt to secretly allocate forfeited properties to political associates, government officials or other influential persons. According to the group, recovered public assets must not become victims of another round of corruption through under-valued sales, secret transfers or politically motivated allocations.
Dem urge President Bola Tinubu to ensure say all assets wey dem forfeit to the Federal Government dey managed through a transparent and independently monitored framework. The association recommend say recovered properties should dey publicly documented, independently valued and either converted into public facilities like hospitals, schools, research centres, judicial institutions and affordable housing, or sold through open and competitive process.
“There must be no secret beneficiaries. There must be no midnight transfers. There must be no political compensation disguised as asset disposal. Nigerians dey watch,” HURIWA state.
The rights group also call on the National Assembly, civil society organisations, the media and anti-corruption watchdogs to maintain close oversight of all recovered assets. Dem argue say the credibility of Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign go dey judged not only by the number of forfeiture orders wey dem obtain but by whether recovered public wealth ultimately benefit citizens.
HURIWA maintain say recovered national assets belong to Nigerians and should dey deployed to improve public welfare instead of transferring from one privileged elite to another.
