Bring back our money

SIR: In my community, they say that when the big masquerade comes into the arena the timid one scampers away. I say not so fast in the Nigerian context. The looters must return the money to the treasury.

President Buhari from his motions seems bent on making the campaign on recovering Nigeria’s wealth his chief policy priority. It is a worthwhile venture looking at the drab picture of the country’s economy. The difficulty of the president’s task is that the spread of corruption is traditional and crosses all boundaries.

Suggestion by his administration to compartmentalize investigation to the past government, even that, is a mountainous endeavor. In a system where corruption is the way of running business, many hands are bound to be smeared, some inadvertently, perhaps. Though, it is no excuse to pocket stolen money in as much as the perpetrator is riding the bandwagon effect.

Nigerians are beginning to be reassured of what they believe to be the extent abuse runs in politics. Judging from the number of politicians being interviewed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and diverse backgrounds, one can see that the deepness of malfeasance is catholic.

News media is awash with stories of ex-governors, heads of agencies, former chief security officer and numerous other political office holders facing investigation by EFCC. This is just the beginning of the tornado because the list, so far, does not contain the names of notorious honchos. There is enormous desire in the heart of many Nigerians to see these political exploiters stripped of the last kobo they stole and thrown away to rot in jail.

Be that as it may, reason must be called to the table of judgment. I attribute the welcome of change in the polity to the nation reaching a state of catharsis. The deplorable position of the system has not been enviable considering the frustration to the masses.

A culprit who agrees to return his or her loot should be given minimum penalty. This idea is not about tendering justice with mercy but acceptance of culpability of society.

• Pius Okaneme,
Umuoji, Anambra State.