Civil society organisations from across Southwest Nigeria have called for the complete recovery of assets allegedly looted by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, insisting that all illicit funds traced to her tenure be channelled toward public good.
The groups, who convened in Abeokuta under the coalition of the Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG) and NO TO CORRUPTION, issued a communiqué at the end of their meeting aligning themselves with earlier positions taken by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC).
“We align with the positions of HEDA, ANEEJ and CISLAC that Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke has a case to answer,” the communiqué read. “The allegations of looting public funds under her watch are grave.”
The organisations demanded that every property and sum of money linked to illicit financial flows traced to the former minister be recovered without delay.
“We demand that every illicit property and every Naira traced to illicit financial flows linked to Diezani be recovered and channeled to public good,” they stated, adding that the allegedly stolen funds “could provide quality healthcare and fund the education of indigent students across Nigeria.”
The coalition also used the occasion to address the gender dimension often raised in discussions around the former minister’s case, arguing that corruption should not be viewed through a gendered lens.
“Diezani represents a bad example used to argue that women are equal competitors in looting,” the group said. “The fact remains that more men compete among themselves in the business of looting than women. Pushing a woman forward for president is therefore no different from pushing a man forward. Character, not gender, should be the test.”
The CSOs further appealed to Nigerians, government agencies and international partners to back ongoing efforts to investigate, prosecute and recover proceeds of corruption linked to the former minister and others similarly indicted.
The communiqué commended HEDA, ANEEJ and CISLAC for their sustained advocacy on the matter, noting that their engagement inspired CACOBAG and NO TO CORRUPTION to bring South West organisations together in Abeokuta.
Special commendation was given to Comrade Olabanji Aida of NO TO CORRUPTION, who led a delegation of three other representatives to the meeting.
“We specially appreciate Comrade Olabanji Aida, who led three other representatives to the meeting for their patriotism. Every participating organisation financed itself. That is true sacrifice for Nigeria,” the statement noted.
The Chairman of CACOBAG, Prince Toyin Raheem, was also honoured for what the coalition described as his consistent leadership in the fight for good governance in Nigeria.
In the communiqué, CACOBAG disclosed that it remains a self-financing organisation and has faced significant financial constraints in running its operations, forcing it to retain only part-time staff despite its role in mobilising civil society groups nationwide against corruption.
“Despite the challenges of financing our projects, programmes and office, we have continued to play a leading role in mobilizing all organizations in Nigeria, regardless of thematic focus, and all patriotic Nigerians to frown at corruption and fight it,” the group said.
It appealed to individuals and international organisations for financial support to sustain its operations, providing the following account details for donations:
- Bank: UBA
- Account Number: 2130804880
- Account Name: Raheem Rasaki Oluwatoyin
The communiqué was jointly signed by Comrade Olabanji Aida for NO TO CORRUPTION and Comrade Pastor Olutola Folorunsho for CACOBAG, who closed with a call for a holistic fight against corruption and illicit financial flows as the pathway to national development.
“The only way to the greatness of Nigeria is through fighting illicit financial flows and fighting corruption holistically,” the groups concluded.
