Nigeria's anti-corruption laws are too weak and mild. Today, a pick-pocket who manages to steal a few Naira and gets caught would go to jail for a very long time if successfully prosecuted while someone who steals billions of Naira, even if convicted, may not stay in jail for more than six months. We need to amend our laws to give teeth to the agencies which are supposed to fight corruption. Our laws are not strict enough to ensure that sentences are stiff for fraudsters and looters even when conviction is eventually achieved.
We also need legislation on Assets Forfeiture which places the onus on an accused person to prove that he/she rightfully earned th...e income with which he/she acquired properties which appear to be beyond his/her legitimate resources. If a public official cannot account for how he/she earned enough money to own companies, shares in quoted companies, a hill-top mansion, fleet of cars etc., such properties should be forfeited to the Federal Government by a Court Order at the instance of ANY NIGERIAN INDIVIDUAL OR AGENCY. When an Asset Forfeiture case is initiated and successfully prosecuted at the instance of an individual, such a person should be placed in a Whistle-Blower Protection Programme by the Federal Government to ensure that he/she and his/her family are not exposed to any negative repercussion whether physically, economically or psychologically.
Consequently, a Whistle-Blower Protection Act which protects the identity, safety, security and economic well-being of bona fide whistle-blowers in both the private and public sectors should be enacted. Such a law should also have provision for punishment for false or malicious whistle-blowing to deter abuse by persons who may have scores to settle with those whom they wrongfully accuse of corruption.
God bless Nigeria!
Nigeria di fure!!
We also need legislation on Assets Forfeiture which places the onus on an accused person to prove that he/she rightfully earned th...e income with which he/she acquired properties which appear to be beyond his/her legitimate resources. If a public official cannot account for how he/she earned enough money to own companies, shares in quoted companies, a hill-top mansion, fleet of cars etc., such properties should be forfeited to the Federal Government by a Court Order at the instance of ANY NIGERIAN INDIVIDUAL OR AGENCY. When an Asset Forfeiture case is initiated and successfully prosecuted at the instance of an individual, such a person should be placed in a Whistle-Blower Protection Programme by the Federal Government to ensure that he/she and his/her family are not exposed to any negative repercussion whether physically, economically or psychologically.
Consequently, a Whistle-Blower Protection Act which protects the identity, safety, security and economic well-being of bona fide whistle-blowers in both the private and public sectors should be enacted. Such a law should also have provision for punishment for false or malicious whistle-blowing to deter abuse by persons who may have scores to settle with those whom they wrongfully accuse of corruption.
God bless Nigeria!
Nigeria di fure!!
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