Abacha loot not for elections, Rep tells Buhari

The lawmaker representing the Jos South/Jos East federal constituency, Dachung Bagos, on Wednesday urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to ensure proper utilisation of the recovered $23 million Abacha loot returned by the United States government.

He implored the presidency to ensure that the recovered funds were not diverted to elections and electioneering just like was done in 2018.

The House of Representatives member made the remark when he appeared on Politics Today, a programme on Channels TV.

He said, “These funds are critical and we want Nigerians to be aware of the situation because we don’t want the funds diverted to elections at the last minute of the administration.

“In 2018, it was during election period that the N5,000 social intervention programme was initiated and it was through the Abacha loot.

“They have said it is for infrastructural projects but let it not be that the funds will be paid and projects won’t be completed,” he added.

The Plateau lawmaker also berated the presidency for not carrying along the legislative arm on the processes taken to recover the loot returned by the US government which is contrary to Section 12 sub-section 1 of the constitution.

“I can tell you that no one including the leadership of the National Assembly was carried along in signing this agreement. We just sat down and heard like every other Nigerian that the executive recovered loot and allocated the same amount to various projects that they desired.

“According to Section 12 subsection 1 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, any agreement or treaty that is signed on behalf of Nigeria by the federation needs to be rectified by the National Assembly. Most of the agreements have not been brought to the National Assembly to rectify and it is dangerous,” he further noted.

He also pointed accusing fingers at the executive arm for not considering the immediate needs of Nigerians before allocating the returned funds to projects noting that the utmost priority ought to be given to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and ensuring that the students returned back to the classrooms.