HURIWA rejects Kalu’s amnesty proposal, demands tougher war on corruption

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has rejected the proposed amnesty for former public officials accused of looting public funds, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to adopt a tougher anti-corruption regime.

The group, in a statement signed on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, described the proposal by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu as a potential institutionalisation of impunity in the country.

HURIWA argued that returning allegedly stolen funds should not automatically shield public officials from prosecution, insisting that corruption involving public resources must attract consequences capable of deterring others.

The association said Nigeria’s anti-corruption system had failed to sufficiently discourage public officials from exploiting their positions for personal enrichment, citing prolonged investigations and court cases involving high-profile corruption allegations.

It therefore urged the Federal Government to reject any blanket amnesty arrangement and instead strengthen the existing legal and institutional framework for investigating, prosecuting and recovering assets linked to corruption.

According to HURIWA, Nigeria should draw lessons from countries that impose severe penalties for major corruption offences, particularly China, while ensuring that any Nigerian approach remains subject to the Constitution, fair-trial guarantees and the rule of law.

The group cited the recent conviction of a former Nanjing city official, Yang Youlin, who was sentenced to death by a Chinese court after being found guilty of accepting more than 2.2 billion yuan in bribes over three decades.

Yang, who held various positions in Nanjing between 1993 and 2023, was also convicted of embezzlement, abuse of power and money laundering.

HURIWA said it was not advocating the wholesale adoption of China’s criminal justice system but maintained that Nigeria could learn from the principle of imposing serious consequences for large-scale corruption.

The association said the recovery of stolen funds should be treated as restitution rather than a substitute for criminal accountability where an offence had been established.

“Return stolen money, yes; but face justice where criminal liability is established,” HURIWA said.

It called for specialised courts to handle corruption cases and ensure that prosecutions involving huge sums of money were not frustrated by prolonged judicial delays.

The group also demanded comprehensive forfeiture of illegally acquired assets following conviction and other lawful recovery processes, as well as the maximum penalties permitted under Nigerian law for persons convicted of grave corruption offences.

HURIWA further advocated stronger financial intelligence systems to trace proceeds of corruption hidden through bank accounts, properties, shell companies and foreign jurisdictions.

It called for mandatory disclosure of beneficial ownership of companies and properties allegedly used to conceal proceeds of corruption, alongside greater independence for anti-corruption agencies investigating politically exposed persons.

The organisation also urged the government to publicly disclose recovered assets and funds, including the amounts recovered from convicted persons, subject to applicable laws and court orders.

HURIWA maintained that corruption should not be treated merely as an economic offence because the diversion of public resources has direct consequences for ordinary Nigerians.

It said funds allocated to healthcare, education, roads, security and other essential services were often lost to corruption, worsening poverty, weakening institutions and undermining national security.

The group cautioned that granting a blanket pardon to alleged treasury looters in exchange for the return of stolen funds could create a perverse incentive for future corruption.

According to HURIWA, such an arrangement could encourage officials to steal public money, conceal it for years and later return it when an amnesty programme is introduced.

It argued that the policy should instead make corruption a high-risk undertaking, with convicted offenders facing imprisonment, asset forfeiture and other penalties prescribed by law.

While acknowledging that Kalu’s proposal might have been motivated by the desire to recover funds allegedly hidden outside the formal financial system, HURIWA said the proposal could undermine the deterrent effect of anti-corruption laws.

The association consequently urged Tinubu to pursue what it described as a comprehensive national anti-corruption offensive built around asset recovery, financial intelligence, speedy prosecution and institutional reforms.

It said Nigeria must demonstrate that public resources were not available for political office holders and their associates to appropriate for personal use.

HURIWA said the Federal Government must “choose accountability over impunity”, stressing that the country could not continue with a system where poor Nigerians faced punishment for minor offences while individuals accused of stealing billions of naira used wealth, influence and prolonged legal processes to evade accountability.

The organisation urged the President to ensure that cases involving large-scale corruption were concluded within a reasonable time while preserving the rights of accused persons to fair trial.

It said the ultimate objective should be to recover Nigeria’s stolen wealth and ensure, through due process, that those found culpable faced consequences strong enough to restore public confidence and discourage future abuse of public office. (Guardian)