Sharing Loot

For the poor and the average citizens, the good times are on the way. The minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said President Muhammadu Buhari has begun the disbursement of funds recovered from looters under the 2018 federal budget. Fashola, speaking recently at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said the president had approved N120 billion from the funds for the rehabilitation of 36 roads across the country.

Also, according to reports, the federal government is making final preparation to disburse the $322 million fund repatriated from the accounts of former Head of State, late General Sani Abacha in Switzerland to the poorest of Nigerians.

The national coordinator of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), Nigeria and special assistant to the President on justice reforms, Juliet IbekakuNwagwu said under a MoU signed with Switzerland, the funds would be paid directly into the accounts of the poor- est Nigerians.

She said the payment, which will span through for two years, will be paid into their various accounts while identification numbers would be made available on the website being developed by the National Social Investment office and the World Bank.

Although it may be a little difficult to ascertain the poorest of the poor in Nigeria for obvious reasons, the federal government ought to be commended for seeking to lift some citizens out of the doldrums of poverty, and PMB should be lauded for giving the directive.

But, if truth be told, the funds to be shared were originally stolen from the commonwealth and actually belonged to the citizens in the first place. Such looted funds are also hidden away in Nigeria by some greedy public officials, and if these can be fished out and shared like the above plan, then the anger felt by poor citizens can be slightly mollified... overdue move