Posted by: Newsdiaryonline Posted date: November 17, 2012
The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has warned the federal government against increasing the price of petroleum products in the country. The Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Debo Adeniran speaking on its behalf, said the FG should be wary of heating up the polity with any careless move because the nation is sitting on the keg of a gunpowder.
“President Goodluck Jonathan should desist from increasing the tempo of the nation unnecessarily. We all saw what the nation witnessed in January when the FG first took this step. The loss of lives and properties is enough to teach any reasonable government morals that Nigerians would resist any hike in the price of petrol vehemently. The masses are groaning under the economic hardship created by the hike in the price of the product from N65 to N97 early this year. The imminent crisis that will greet another hike is better imagined,”Comrade Adeniran said.
Stressing further, the anti-corruption crusader noted that President Goodluck should bother himself with the substantive issue, which is ridding the oil sector of corrupt practices with recovering our common patrimony from those who short-changed the nation to the tune of trillions of naira.
“The President should first map out ways to frontally combat the staggering corruption that is pervasive in our oil industry. Corruption in the oil sector must be dealt with first before talking about total subsidy removal. It is not only unreasonable, but sheer wickedness, for a government that some people have defrauded trillions of naira in the name of subsidy payments with other underhand dealing, and is yet to recover that, to now place the brunt on the masses. President Jonathan must decisively deal with all pending reports and cases that has to do with the petroleum sector and cleanse it of the pervasive sleaze before talking of total subsidy removal,” Adeniran submitted.
Also CACOL has condemned in its entirety, capital punishment for corruption offenders as proposed by some section of the country. Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, its Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran noted that death penalty is barbaric and a denial of offender’s right to life.
“Death penalty is a denial of the offender’s right to life. This is barbaric in the modern world notwithstanding it has worked in Ghana, Asian countries etc. Such penalty presupposes that neither the accusers nor the trial judge could make mistakes. And if it turns out that a mistake was made while the culprit had been executed it can never be reversed. The country would have lost its property and a fraction of its workforce,”Adeniran said. Stressing further, the anti-corruption crusader advocated life jail term for corruption convicts and forfeiture of properties to the state.
“As much as we’re worried about the recalcitrance of corruption culprits in Nigeria, death penalty cannot solve the problem. It would reduce the frequency no doubt, but corruption criminals may become more brazen in their game. They will steal so large so they’ll feel comfortable dying for their progeny to remember them to have made eternal wealth for them.
Rather than kill them corruption criminals should lose, not only the direct proceeds of corruption they’re found guilty of, but also whatever wealth and property they might have accumulated in their lifetime to the state. Such would be deemed to have been gotten through corruption.
They should in addition jailed for the rest of their life without option of fines.Not only that, they should be made to engage in productive activities by making them practise their profession or their trades behind the bars. If they cannot practice directly they should teach other prisoners or learn a trade that will make them participate in community service,” he submitted.