From News Editor
A Civil Society Organisation under the auspices of the Council of Africa Human Right Defence (CAHRD) has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to grant the embattled former minister of Petroleum, Diesani Allison Maduekwe pardon to return to Nigeria.
The national coordinator and country representative of the coalition of six civil society organisations, Dr Suleiman Shuaibu Shinkafi said her request should be granted especially because she has made some indictment of highly placed individuals, especially the Governor of Zamfara state.
He noted that the former minister has repented and she is sick with cancer, saying that she also accepted that she betrayed her country.
The coalition of the civil society organisations include the African Youth For Conflict Resolution and prevention, Center for Conflict Resolution, Center for Human rights Defence in Africa, Nigeria Anti Corruption Crusade, International Corruption Watch Organizations and the Zero Tolerance of Corruption in Nigeria.
Shinkafi who made the appeal in a statement he made available to newsmen in Abuja on Saturday, said if the allegation made against the Governor of warehousing $ 9 billion and misappropriating same money is true as alleged by Maduekwe, he should be prosecuted notwithstanding the immunity he enjoys.
He called on the governor to come out to state his own side of the story because his integrity is at stake.
“I want to use the opportunity to call on President Tinubu to immediately, accept the request of former Minister of Petroleum Desiani Allison Maduekwe. Her request table before him through the media. I don’t know whether she has written a letter.
“Her request should be granted for two reasons. One, the human rights organisations are worried about her indictment of present governor of Zamfara whom she claimed she has given 9 billion dollars in his custody when he was the MD of first bank.
“The money is still with him, he has not made any effort to return the money to her, instead he has been avoiding her calls. He blacklisted her, her lawyers and all her family members.are aware of their relationship and the money she gave him for safe keeping.
“That money belongs to Nigerians. She accepted the fact that she misappropriated the money during her tenure. She accepted the fact that the money she took was illegal. She accepted the fact that she stole Nigerian money. That she betrayed her country which made her minister and she is now ready to expose those who collaborate with her.
” I think she should be given that honour to come back and expose those she gave the money. Anybody found wanting one way or the other should be prosecuted. If at all Dauda Lawan is found guilty of collecting money from her, he must be prosecuted.
“The immunity must be lifted and he must be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution immediately. We are talking about 9 billion. If he has collected the money and he cyphone the money he should be prosecuted.
” If it happened in any of the Asian countries, someone happened to steal this money, he will be publicly executed. We can’t even count the number of people that this money is supposed to have been helped.
“One person stole $ 9 billion and handed over to someone who is parading himself as governor, he should be prosecuted if true. If it is not true, let him come out publicly and denies it because it is his image we are talking about.
“The former minister has said it all . Mention how they met and documentary evidence of the money, if he is a good Nigerian, he should have returned the money.
“The former minister is sick, she has stage two of the cancer, it is good she repented. We are calling on Tinubu to please consider her request. There are so many criminals here in the country that are covering their sins. Those she gave money must face the law.
We Nigerian civil societies will meet on Tuesday to come up with communique that Tinubu should pardon her and allow her to come and expose those she gave money. Our organisation will appoint people to visit Desiani in UK to seek more information and documents,” he said.
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