Buhari Signs New Executive Order To Combat Corruption

Samuel Oyejola, Abuja

President Buhari has issued an executive order that is expected to restrict dealings in suspicious assets that are subjects of investigation or inquiry bordering on corruption, in order to preserve such assets from dissipation.

The new issue titled Executive Order No. 6 of 2018 was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

The President said is necessary to retool “our arsenal to be able to more effectively tackle corruption in Nigeria, and ensure that justice is not defeated by persons involved in corruption.

“This is a good time, after three years in office, to review our achievements, and where necessary, re-appraise our anti-corruption strategy.”

The latest executive order according to President Buhari “will deprive alleged criminals of the proceeds of their illicit activities which can otherwise be employed to allure, pervert, intimidate the investigative and judicial processes for acts of terrorism, financing of terrorism, kidnapping sponsorship of ethnic or religious violence, economic sabotage & cases of economic and financial crimes, including acts contributing to the economic adversity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and against the overall interest of justice and the welfare of the Nigerian State.”

The President on his twitter handle explained that the total amount involved in some ongoing prosecutions of high-profile corruption related cases, from available records, is N595.4 billion is higher than the highest appropriation in the 2018 budget.

“The total amount involved in some ongoing prosecutions of high-profile corruption related cases, from available records, is N595.4 billion Compare this with the highest appropriation in the 2018 Budget, which is N344bn, going to Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing for roads.”