FG to confiscate unoccupied properties in Abuja - Presidential aide
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Mr Okoi Obono-Obla yesterday said the federal government would soon confiscate empty properties in Abuja.
Obono-Obla, who stated this when Say No Campaign paid him a courtesy call in Abuja, said there is need for cooperation with civil society groups to trace properties acquired with stolen wealth.
“We have to take over those houses and sell them and put the money into education for our children,” he said.
The presidential adviser said his office is ready to collaborate with any group that supports the government anticorruption fight.
“In whichever way you think you can provide support, I welcome it,” he said.
Obono-Obla, who said his office is tasked to focus on public sector corruption, expressed worry that the ‘Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act’ has not been effective.
“If it is effective, corruption would be reduced to the minimum,” he said of the law.
He, however, told the group that “If you know any permanent secretary or director who is alleged to have been engaged in corrupt practices, forward their names, we will arrest and prosecute them.”
The Co-Convener of Say No Campaign, Ezenwa Nwagwu said the group is worried over the federal government serial loss of corruption cases in recent time.
Nwagwu said the group believes that the operatives of the anti-graft agencies are competent to prosecute corrupt officials but some of them have compromised.
The partnership, he said, becomes necessary to provide support to the government to fight the menace.
“We want to partner and collaborate with you in areas that require our support as civil society organisations… If we partner together, we would be able to do much more,” he said.
He said personalizing antigraft war to President Buhari is not helpful.
“There is a personality around the anti-corruption fight. That is not helpful. We want the citizens of the country to see the anti-graft war as their common fight,” he said.