By Olukayode Michael
A former deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu on Thursday said the nation has no business being in the current economy position she found herself, calling for the establishment of truth and reconciliation commission with the task of recovery of all looted funds.
Ojikutu who is the first elected female deputy governor of Lagos State, opined that: “A time frame should be given for people to come out willingly and return what they have acquired illicitly or unjustifiably according to the norms of a decent society,” while insisting that there was no justification for the extreme poverty in Nigeria.
She lamented that increase in banditry, kidnapping and all manner of vices in our midst today was as a result of corruption and corruptly enrichment of the public officials to the detriment of the masses of our people.
Ojikutu, in a statement she personally signed, while congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari over his victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday, said it was “a victory for democracy and the answer to our prayers to God not to crown impunity in Nigeria and to leave us with some shred of decency to operate in the comity of nations and let the future have morale compass for the youths to embrace.”
She called on those around the presidency, who are perceived to be touted to be in tune with Mr. President to clean up their acts and desist from doing business as usual in this “Next Level.”
She Amazon urged President Buhari to work harder now towards ameliorating the suffering of the masses who gave him the victory at the polls on February 23,2019, which was affirmed by the tribunal on Wednesday.
She said: “This is a golden opportunity for PMB to bring out that quality which the people see in him that made us vote for him overwhelmingly.”
The former deputy governor also warned those who are in the habit of getting kickbacks from contractors through contract inflation and those who are ripping the country off through unwholesome practices to desist forthwith.
Ojikutu, while noting that increase criminalities in the country was as a result of endemic corruption, warned that: “It should be noted now that there is no more hiding place for looters. Public officers who are into sharp practices should desist because even if the long arm of the law does not get them now, the people will as they are monitoring and will deal with them at the appropriate time.”
She said in order to revamp the economy, the country needs to recover the funds inequitably distributed and looted through the convocation of The Truth and Reconciliation Committee so that those who want to restitute and returns what they have justly belonging to the masses can do so without any delay,“so let’s have a truth, restitution and recovery commission.”
The former Lagos State deputy governor however urged Nigerians to do everything possible to ensure the country was not thrown into disarray because of the ambition of some individuals.
She said: “Now that the next level is on course, all hands must be on deck, the opposition should accept the verdict of the tribunal and stop heating the polity but offer constructive criticisms to return the country to the path of strong economy and peaceful co-existence so that the the spate of insurgents, kidnapping and banditry which is threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria could be halted.”