Nigerian Governors Kick Against Death Penalty Suggested By Labour Union For Corrupt Govt. Officials

According Punch, some of their correspondents
reached out to some State Governors to hear their views on the suggestion of the
Labour Union that any Government official found guilty of corruption should be
killed and their responses aren’t shocking anyway. Most of them said it is not
right to take a life, but life imprisonment will be a better option. Hear Amosun’s view, Fayose, Wike, Aregbesola, Mimiko, and a lot of other Governors too all after the cut. 

Ogun State Governor, Amosun:  

“Everybody knows President
Muhammadu Buhari is transparent and meants well for the nation and would never
want to hear anything about corruption.

“Even under 100 days in office,
electricity is improving. People know that if you try it you are gone. I always
say this, whether you are a governor, permanent secretary or labour leader, you
cannot be corrupt under a leader that is not corrupt, because you will be
punished.

“Unfortunately as a governor, I
cannot be saying that capital punishment should be meted out to corrupt public
officials. Because I cannot say that, that is why I will say that anybody that
is found wanting, whether you are governor or any other public officer should
be jailed for life.”

According to the Plateau State
Governor, Simon Lalong, who spoke through the Director of Press Affairs, Mr.
Emmanuel Nanle, says;

“In all his discussions, Lalong has
never mentioned death sentence. He has always preferred life imprisonment to
taking human life because to him life is sacred.”

Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose, who
reacted through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, said jail
sentence was better and capable of reforming thieves.

“In countries where death penalty
was introduced, it has not stopped looting. In advanced countries like US, jail
sentence is the penalty. What we need is proper moral education to change
orientation of the people. Jail sentence is better; it can reform,” he told one
of our correspondents in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Rivers State Governor, Wike Nyeson through
his special adviser on media, Opunabo Inko-Tariah said;

“Nigerians have a role to play by
deriding looters and not to praise them for their fiscal irresponsibility.
There should be a strong punitive measure to discourage looting because of its
domino effects. When a treasury is looted, there won’t be money for the
provision of necessities such as hospitals, roads, etc.

“Maybe because it happened in Ghana
and the economy improved, the labour organisations want it in Nigeria. But that
was a military regime and Jerry Rawlings was a military man. However, the
extant laws on looting need serious and urgent review, even if the death
penalty is discouraged.”

Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State through his
information commissioner, Kayode Akinmade said;

“We are not under a military rule; this is democracy and we
have constitution that we follow. If it is put in the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, irrespective of whether you are a governor or not,
so be it. If that is what Nigerians want, it is okay.

“Everybody is against corruption, but there is a process of
making law. Thank God we have a National Assembly and the state assemblies who
are representative of the people. If such bill could be sent to the national
and state assemblies and be passed into law, it must become a law.

“If the process is followed and it is the wish of Nigerians
that looters be killed, why not? Let it become a law. It is a fact that
Nigerians are not happy with this corruption tag, which has slowed down our
economic development but if we have a law that will bring about capital punishment
for the looters, it is okay.”

While Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State declined
comment on whether looters should be sentenced to death or not.

In Enugu State the Senior Special Assistant on Public
Affairs, Mr. Louis Amoke, said he would need to consult his principal, Governor
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to get his position on the matter.

“I will have to get in touch with him to know his position
on the matter, it is very sensitive and I will not talk without finding out
from him,” Amoke said.

The Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Al-Makura, however,
said he supported that capital punishment be meted out to corrupt public office
holders.

“I really agree with the NLC over call for capital
punishment for any public office holder who is found guilty of looting public funds,”
he said.

There you have it people.