N750bn EFCC Recovered Loots: Falana Challenges NLC

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) has challenged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to hold the Federal Government accountable over N750 billion loots recovered by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) in the last two years.

Falana, who spoke at the on-going NLC’s 40th anniversary celebration in Abuja, said the Labour Movement must find out government’s plans for the recouped funds by closely monitoring their usage.

According to him, “The EFCC has recovered N750 billion in the last two years. NLC must find out what we are going to do with the money.”

He lamented that Nigeria is still full of corruption, describing the actions taken so far by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as ‘just a tip of the iceberg.’

The Senior Lawyer regretted that many citizens are dying of starvation and the country cannot be complaining of being broke given the huge public resources currently in private hands,

“The NLC has a role to play to protect the interest of the Nigerian people. That is why whenever there is a problem in the country; people will be asking ‘where is NLC’?

“If you say you are fighting corruption, we have nothing to lose but to join them to expose themselves. The EFCC in the last two and half years recovered N750 billion. NLC must find out what will they do with the money.

“I told government publicly that what they are doing by saying they are fighting corruption is a tip of the iceberg, the real corruption is not being fought”, the human rights activist said.

He further stated that; “I wrote a letter to the Minister of Finance and I itemised how this country can recover about $200 billion and therefore they don’t need to go anywhere to borrow money, but what the Minister did was to write me back to acknowledge receiving the letter and that it is receiving attention. And up till now, that letter is receiving attention.”

“In 2006, the then CBN Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, gave $7 billion to 14 banks and those banks have not paid back the money.

“Also in 2008, the CBN governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido gave to six banks N600 billion and up till now, the money has not been returned.

“You cannot say we are broke. Pay back this money.

“You also remember the N100 million that was released for reviving the textile industry, but still these textile companies are still moribund. Where is the money?

“Also in the last 10 years, over N400 billion was released for agriculture, but yet we are hungry.”

He insisted that Nigeria does not need to borrow from China or from any other source as it has enough to meet up with ‎its financial obligation.

“I am ready to give‎ NLC documents so that when negotiating for Minimum Wage, they would be armed with facts and figures”, Falana boasted

The Senior Advocate however urged NLC to evolve mechanism aimed at reviving the Labour Party towards bringing the desired succour to Nigerians.

For him, the Third Force suggested by former President Olusegun Obasanjo should necessarily be the working class Party out to protect the interest of ordinary Nigerians.

“The solution is for us to reorganise the Labour Party so that it will not be a dumping ground for the disgruntled elements of the ruling class”, Falana said, stressing that; “This is because General Obasanjo said neither APC (All Progressives Congress) nor the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) has a solution to the country’s problems. Therefore, there is a need for a Third Force. That Third Force must not be by the disgruntled people, but of the Nigerian working people.”

Furthermore, Falana said the only way out of herdsmen attack is for ranches to be located across the country, noting that the killings would end when those who killed others are made to face justice for what they have done.

“This is a state matter and has nothing to do with the federal. Benue Government must go ahead and charge those who have been arrested to court‎ to be prosecuted”, he said