Money/File
Human rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Federal Government to make use of the recovered $350m (about N115bn) Sani Abacha loot to put money into infrastructure.
Recall that the Federal Government plans to share the recovered N115bn amongst 300,000 households in 19 states with every getting N5,000.
However, in a assertion on Sunday, SERAP stated slightly than share the N115bn amongst households, the cash needs to be spent on schooling, well being care and provision of social facilities.
“The authorities should do the right thing with the returned loot and show Nigerians that they can properly and efficiently invest the funds in projects that would provide tangible benefits to the victims of corruption who are the socially and economically vulnerable sectors of the population,” the assertion stated.
“The authorities can use the loot to fund common well being care programme and a tuition help programme that would supply post-secondary/college schooling scholarships to younger Nigerians from poor households and who would in any other case lack the assets to hold out their research.
“In any case, sharing the returned loot to households in 19 states as a result of the remaining 17 state governments haven't but put in place the suitable platform by which to implement the NAASP is each unfair and discriminatory.
“The deliberate distribution can also be weak to abuse and corruption by state governors, who might push for the funds to be given to their supporters and thus used for parochial and political functions.
“The correct and environment friendly spending of recovered funds is essential for growth and might help efforts to fight grand corruption.
“Spending returned looted funds offers an opportunity to right wrongs committed by corrupt officials, rebuild public trust, and invest in the development of communities most affected by grand corruption in the country to improve the prospects for meeting many of the Sustainable Development Goals.”