Corruption: NLC seeks better relationship as NBA faults death penalty call

NLC President Ayuba Wabba has called for a better relationship with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), to ensure speedy trial of corrupt persons.

The NLC Head of Information, Mr Benson Ukpa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that Wabba made the call during a courtesy visit to the NBA President, Mr Augustine Alegeh.

According to Ukpa, Wabba said it was unacceptable for judges to grant perpetual injunction, restraining the government and its agencies from prosecuting individuals suspected to have embezzled public funds.

"Part of the decay in our system is caused by impunity by corrupt officials. We have canvassed for speedy trial of corrupt officials and have frowned at corrupt officials getting perpetual injunctions,'' Wabba was quoted as saying.

"There cannot be peace in any society where there is no shared prosperity.

"A lot of Nigerians cannot afford three square meals. Poverty is profound in our rural areas,'' the NLC president was quoted as saying. said.

Ukpa said that Alegeh, in his response, faulted NLC's call for death penalty against corruption convicts.

According to him, Alegeh wondered why the NLC should be clamoring for capital punishment when the international community was moving away from such punishment.

He said Alegeh was of the view that the focus should be on recovery of the money and not to kill the man who stole.

"Plea bargain is very good. If Nigeria had done plea bargain with some of the governors accused of embezzlement in 2007, a lot of money would have been recovered.

"When there are cases of corruption, the first thing is how to recover the money and put it back into the system.

"Our thinking is that proactive steps should be taken to stop people from looting, rather than wait for them to loot before thinking of killing them," Ukpa quoted him as saying.

NAN recalls that organised labour, led by the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), during its anti-corruption and bad governance rally on Sept. 10, had advocated for death penalty against corruption convicts, to serve as a deterrent to others.