Okoi Obono-Obla, Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has advocated for a death sentence for proven corrupt individuals in Nigeria.
Obono-Obla made the call in his keynote address during the 16th Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture, organised by the National Association of Seadogs in Calabar on Monday.
The theme of the lecture is “Sink or Swim, Nigeria’s future and the impact of corruption on the sociopolitical economy of Nigeria.’’
He stated that such a penalty would revive the nation, noting that many politicians and leaders were very rich but the source of their wealth could not be ascertained, leaving the nation bleeding economically.
According to him, terrorism, human and arms trafficking and other forms of insecurity in the nation stemmed from corruption and will continue to be a challenge to the nation until something is done about it.
“If you visit some parts of this country like Maitama, Asokoro and Gusape , you will see mansions erected by politicians but in other parts, you see abject poverty, slums without amenities.
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Obono-Obla said that the ‘’inequality is corruption,’’ but unfortunately, Nigerians were not questioning their leaders on how they acquired their wealth.
He said that Nigerian, rather, derided those who tried in their own small way to fight corruption, ‘’which is a paradox.’’
He added that the impact of corruption was so enormous in the nation’s sociopolitical economy and discouraged foreign investments.
Obono-Obla said that Nigerians needed to rise and fight against corruption before it totally sank the nation.
Earlier, in his address, Dr Joseph Oteri, International President of the association, said that the Ralph Opara Memorial Lecture was instituted by the association in 2004 to immortalise the icon.
He said that Opara was one of the original seven founders of the association.
He added that the lecture also served as a medium to give vent to the views for which Opara stood steadfastly throughout his life.
Oteri added that the theme of the lecture aimed at opening discussions and finding answers to the sociopolitical and economic issue that had the potential of blighting Nigeria’s future and developmental strides.
One of the discussants during the lecture, Prof. Grace Etuk said corruption could not be totally blamed on the leadership, noting that leaders steal mindlessly sometimes to satisfy their followers who make outrageous demands.
Etuk, who is the Head of Department, Social Works, in the University of Calabar, said another reason why leaders become endemically corrupt was due to the insatiable nature of man.
Speaking also, Richard Inoyo, the Country Director, Citizens’ Solution Network, blamed the massive corruption in Nigeria on the leadership.
He said that this was because they were the ones that controlled resources and had the power to stop anti-graft agencies from investigating corrupt citizens.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the confraternity founded in 1952/53 at the University of Ibadan by seven members including Prof. Wole Soyinka, also carried out a medical outreach in Idundun Community in Cross River.
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