Bassey Akpan Seeks Amnesty For Looters of government Coffers

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator
Bassey Akpan, on Monday advocated special
amnesty for owners of Nigeria’s stolen money,
stashed in the various banks all over the World in
order to generate enough forex to drive the nation’s
economy.

Akpan, who stated this in his office while
addressing journalists, explained that the country
currently have hundreds of billions of dollars
stashed in various banks abroad and the countries
where they were kept, are using them to drive their
own economy while Nigerians are suffering.

He said, “The time has come when we have to think
outside the box and my own position is this, it is
possible that the government can declare amnesty
on stolen money. Let every Nigerian that has taken
money out of this country be given amnesty to bring
back the money and invest in the country.

“We have hundreds of billions of dollars stashed
outside the country in the international banks which
are being used to drive their economy. Other
countries are enjoying this money while we are
suffering in Nigeria.

“When owners of the Nigeria’s stolen foreign
currencies bring them back to the country as a
result of the amnesty, a lot of foreign exchange can
be generated to fund our local consumption and we
can set target.”

He said those who had stolen the nation’s money
and taken them abroad, would in the process, be
encouraged to bring back, 70 percent of the money
and invest in Nigeria’s economy.

He described as unnecessary, the current pains,
which an average Nigerian was being subjected to
when the government have what it takes to turn the
economy around in their favour.

He said, “Why are we suffering in the midst of
plenty? Amnesty was created for militancy, we
should create amnesty for anybody that has taken
money outside this country so that they can invest
them in the country. We can generate a hundred
billion dollar in the process in less than six months.
“We need enough forex to fund our importation,
rebuild our industries, establish capacity locally and
import raw materials for industries before thinking
of exporting finished products.

Where we are as a country now, we should begin to
look inward.

“One thing is to fight corruption another thing is to
let your battle as a fighter of corruption yield the
appropriate results. Our economy based on the
statistics available to us has gone into full blown
recession. There is reduction in revenue collection
based on the basis of oil export because of the
dwindling global oil crisis.

“The cost of producing a barrel of crude in Nigeria
is about $35 per barrel and it is being sold for $48.
That means that as a country we earn less than $13
per barrel.

“Countries like Saudi Arabia, and Iran and other co-
OPEC countries had fallen back on their quantity to
meet up their demands but in Nigeria, where we are
losing 800 barrels of oil per day when we are also
supposed to be boosting our production.

“We are expected to use income from oil to
develop other sectors of the economy. That is why I
believe very strongly that, since some countries had
also done it in the past, Nigeria also needs to grant
amnesty to those who are in possession of our
money that we need to develop.

http://www.punchng.com/senator-seeks-amnesty-
looters/