Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, a retired top police officer, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to attach spies to all public officers to mitigate corruption in Nigeria.
Tsav told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Makurdi that the Federal Government should urgently stop security personnel from working with public officers beyond two years.
He said the first way to fight corruption was to ensure regular redeployment of officers attached to public officers and attachment of spies to checkmate their activities.
Tsav, a former commissioner of police in Lagos and other states, said lengthy attachment of security personnel with public officers was greatly encouraging corruption and criminality in the country following their familiarity with them.
“Government should attach spies to all public officers. I remember many years back when we were still in the service when you are attached to any public officer to work with, you go there not only as a security personnel but also as a spy.
“When you see anything that is wrong you report to headquarters. But this time, I don’t know, but it looks like some of them are accomplices.
“Some of them join the conspiracy to commit crimes. This will reduce corruption and criminality in our country.” Tsav said.
The former Federal Public Complaint Commissioner also said organisers of “Revolution Now” had committed treasonable offense, adding that they did not even have enough grounds to call for a revolution in the first place.
He said Nigerians needed to be very cautious of self acclaimed activists and liberation fighters to avoid leading the country into chaos.
“First of all, a revolution is an attempt to take over a government of the day by force and it is completely different from demonstration.
“When you embark on a revolution you want to change that government and that will entail loss of lives and property.
“I think there was not enough grounds for them to call for a revolution. Many other incidents have happened in this country in the past that would have easily invited a revolution but nobody raised a voice; corruption for example in the oil and gas sector.
“They are only using this revolution to destabilise and cause chaos in this country. As far as I am concerned and the established laws of this land, a revolution is a treasonable offence,” he said.
Tsav further said that with the posture of Buhari’s government and his desire to induct and update all ministers with his policies, the ministers would surely add value to the government.
He also said that despite public outcry against some of the ministerial nominees over allegations of corruption. none was convicted so they remained innocent.
“Those who are lucky to be selected to be ministers by Buhari should please have a change of heart and try to serve this country and not themselves or their pockets. If they have long pockets they should cut them short so that they will have nowhere to keep stolen money.
“There are some allegations I personally made against some of these people but they are in there now so what can I say? With the posture of Buhari, I think they would have something to offer Nigeria.
“Sometimes when you have a criminal case against someone, you use accomplices to establish your case. Maybe they are using this people as accomplices in the fight against corruption,” he added.
He said Nigerians needed attitudinal change to be able to successfully overcome security challenges in the country, adding that at moment, all insecurity and crimes were perceived to be committed by Fulani herdsmen.
“The issue of Fulani herdsmen did not come to the front burner before this time, now everything that happens it is regarded to be committed by herdsmen.
“If a Nigerian commits an offence in Ghana, Nigerians will say a herdsman is behind the crime. The whole thing is designed to destroy Buhari’s image. These people have left the substance to pursue shadows,” he regretted.
(NAN)