Abia North Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to offer amnesty to former Nigerian leaders accused of looting public funds if they agree to return the money within two years.
Kalu argued that recovering such funds could provide a significant boost to the Nigerian economy and increase the money available for economic development.
The former Abia State governor made the proposal while appearing on News Central TV’s 60 Minutes With Mr Kay.
Kalu called on the Federal Government to create a two-year window during which individuals accused of stealing public funds while in office could voluntarily return the money without facing prosecution.
According to him, large sums of money allegedly taken by former public officials are being kept in private residences instead of being placed in the banking system where they could contribute to economic growth.
Kalu said: “President Tinubu should give people pardon, because between the houses in Abuja, if you search all the houses, you might have over 50, 60 billion lying down there.
“People who keep money in their houses, and it’s not right; it’s not the right thing to do. It’s not in the banking system. It’s not in the banking system that could have helped this economy to grow.
“So I would like President Tinubu to give a window of two years and say, no matter from 1960, no matter where you keep the money, return it to Nigeria, nobody will touch you. You are pardoned.
“So let people repatriate this money and use it for the benefit of this economy.”
The senator maintained that funds allegedly stashed away by former government officials are not benefiting the wider economy because they remain outside the formal financial system.
He urged the Federal Government to consider the proposed amnesty as a means of recovering public funds while giving those involved an opportunity to voluntarily return the money and contribute to the country’s economic development.
BACKSTORY:
The call comes amid continued concerns over corruption, public fund recovery and the amount of money allegedly stolen or diverted by public officials over the years. Successive Nigerian governments have pursued the recovery of funds linked to corruption cases, while anti-graft agencies have continued to prosecute individuals accused of financial crimes.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State and current Senator representing Abia North, argued that some allegedly stolen funds remain outside the formal banking system, where they could otherwise contribute to economic activity.
His proposal is for the Federal Government to establish a limited amnesty period during which individuals who return allegedly looted public funds would be protected from prosecution, with the recovered money redirected towards the Nigerian economy.
