One important duty National Assembly owes Nigeria

SIR: The complete disenchantment of most Nigerians with the situation of things in their country has made it imperative for members of the National Assembly to rise up to the occasion and make some meaningful impact in a bid to change the narrative. If viewed critically, the major issue running Nigeria aground is the rate of looting of public funds which is growing from bad to worse, and the near zero punishment meted out for the indicted culprits.

There have been so many cases of embezzlement that have hit the public space at different times but have been swept under the carpet because the common trend is that as soon as those involved are granted bail by the courts, the cases are as good as over. This trend has gone on for so many decades and right now, stealing of public funds has become a monster that needs serious instrumentality of the law to tame.

In the past, the funds involved in looting are not as mind-boggling as what currently obtains. Now, funds that are large enough to liberate the entire Nigeria from its debt burdens as well as address the monster of epileptic power supply is traced to a single individual and sad still, after all said and done is granted bail by the Nigerian courts and the case goes into the cooler like others before it.

Since this has become the order of the day which all Nigerians watch with their full glare every time, how can the nation expect to find people who would be ready to serve the country faithfully without appropriating the funds to themselves as done by their predecessors?

This is where the National Assembly should come in with a rescue mission at least to make its presence felt by all citizens for once. If a public survey is carried out to find out what Nigerians as a whole can point at as a bill passed by the National Assembly since 1999, which  has a general positive impact on everybody, it is doubtful if there is anything like that. Things cannot just continue the way it is or Nigeria is doomed.

All that the parliament needs to do is to pass a bill which will make looting of public funds a capital offence to attract a life sentence. And as soon as such bill is passed, it should be backdated to 1999 when this new democratic dispensation began so that all those who at one time or another were found culpable during the period would have their cases reopened and the guilty among them sent to jail straightaway without the issue of any sacred cows.

If this is done, the Nigerian narrative will begin to change and there will be moves towards the paths of progress.
Jide Oyewusi is the oordinator of Ethics Watch International, Nigeria.