Lawmaker suggests death penalty to halt corruption among govt officials
Suggesting a lasting solution to corruption, a lawmaker from Osun State, southwest Nigeria, said capital punishment will go a long way to halt the trend of graft in the country.
Kanmi Ajibola, representing Oriade State Constituency in the Assembly, said that if the stealing spree continually persists unchecked, the country will ultimately end up in an untimely grave.
The lawmaker disclosed this in a five-page letter addressed to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
The letter was also forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Attorney-General of Osun State and the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun.
In the letter dated March 15, 2024 titled, ‘You can be the Moses and Musa of the present Nigerian generation’, Ajibola cited section 4(1) and (3) of the constitution, highlighting the need to bring corrupt practices to an end in Nigeria.
“Few countries including China, Indonesia and Thailand have introduced capital punishment in their laws. Today these nations are now experiencing economic peace, security and rapid developments.
“The anti corruption Laws and Acts in their present existing forms in Nigeria are not result oriented.”
He added in the letter, “I think the greatest injustice to the law of God and humanity is to let live, the corrupt people whose acts are directly or indirectly killing the innocent Nigerians by the ultimate effect of their ungodly and illegal actions.
“As a human rights activist, I should not be thinking of a capital punishment to curb or drastically minimize corruption in Nigeria, but for the fact that, the acts of the few leaders that are corrupt are leading to the death of their innocent subjects. I think, this is the only way and the hard way.
“It is an axiomatic fact, that, if this stealing spree continually persists unchecked, the country will ultimately end up in an untimely grave.
“To prevent the sudden and untimely death of Nigeria, the 1999 constitution has empowered the National Assembly with this responsibility to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the federation.
“At this very moment, before corruption kills Nigeria, it is desirable that Nigeria Moves faster to kill corruption.
“Due to the non-availability of effective laws to checkmate corruption the way it should be properly checked, there are loss of peace, order, good governance and good government in the federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Within the thirty (30) days of the receipt of this letter, I plead with the National Assembly to perform this public duty to save Nigeria by introducing penalty clause of capital punishment into our Anti-Corruption Laws and Acts.”
