Say No Campaign -Nigeria, a civil society organisation, has urged the Federal Government to take steps to repatriate former Petroleum Minister, Mrs Deizani Allison-Madueke, for prosecution.
One of the conveners of the campaign, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu , made the call while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, and said that mechanisms should be set up for the former minister’s speedy trial.
According to him, if convicted, the government should ensure that all parties involved take responsibility for their crimes in the light of legal punitive provisions.
Ezenwa also called on the governments of the United States and Britain to accede to Nigeria’s request for Allison-Madueke to face corruption charges in Nigeria in the interest of accountability, justice and good governance.
“In the last few weeks, the media and indeed, public commentaries have been awash with Diezani Allison-Madueke’s shameless denial of the unprecedented loot of public fund that took place under her watch as minister.
“Allison-Madueke, who served as Minister of Transportation in 2007 and Minister of Mines and Steel in 2008, then Petroleum Minister in 2010, has had trail of overwhelming and shocking record of corruption.
“Aside that ,there are allegations and damning reports of abuse of office against her by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of which she is yet to be questioned or indicted.’’
Nwagwu said that as a minister in Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, allegations of stolen funds, illicit property acquisition and money laundering for which she was standing trial in the US were highlights of her legacy.
He recalled that she had dismissed the accusations as “wicked and malicious rants from her enemies who were jealous of her achievement and power’’.
Nwagwu said that many investigations had revealed the large quantum of funds and properties allegedly acquired illegally by the former minster and spread across the country and the world.
According to him, in recent reports, the EFCC claimed to have traced 487.5 million dollars in cash and assets to her accounts.
These, he said, excluded the luxurious properties she reportedly owned in London and the US valued at billions of dollars.
He said that in spite of “these rather damning allegations, Allison-Madueke is yet to be prosecuted and has maintained that she is innocent and has challenged the EFCC to prosecute her if it has evidence.
“Unfortunately, two whole years into the administration that is reputed to have zero tolerance for corruption, it has only reported to have confiscated Allison-Madueke’s 115 million dollars and another 37.5 million dollars.
“Compared to what she is reported to have stolen, this is a brazen far cry from justice.’’
Ezenwa, therefore, said that Say No Campaign-Nigeria called on well-meaning Nigerians to join in the anti-corruption fight and participate in ensuring accountability from all public officials and institutions.