The Industrial Global Union, Sub Sahara Africa, a labour group, on Wednesday called on Britain to return assets stolen by corrupt officials from Nigeria.
The Chairperson of the union, Mr Issa Aremu, also advised Britain to stop diverting attention from the fact that UK was a heaven for stolen funds.
Aremu said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna.
According to the statement, labour supports President Muhammadu Buhari’s demand that our stolen asset be returned to the country.
“It is an embarrassment a statement credited to the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, describing Nigeria as a `fantastically corrupt’ country.
“This statement is not only provocatively patronising but amounted to a corruption of anti-corruption discourse by world statesman who should have known better.
“Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammed Buhari has commendably unearthed serial looted funds running into trillions of Naira.
“It is also Nigeria that has also commendably commenced serial trials of some of the suspects, notably ones also linked to London,’’ the statement read in part.
Aremu said for the 200 million Nigerians, nothing was “fantastic” about these revealed loots but a lot about this wholesale rape of a country is tragic and criminal as it has undermined national development.
“We agree with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that the opportunity cost of corruption is even more examining for Nigeria and her friends including UK,’’ said the union.
He noted that using World Bank’s rates and costs, we are told that one-third of the stolen sum of more than N1.4 trillion by 55 Nigerians, many of whom are linked to UK could have provided 640km of roads.
“If Britain is genuinely committed to anti-corruption the acid test for David Cameron is to meet the aspirations of all Nigerians as demanded by President Buhari and return all looted Nigeria’s funds kept in UK,’’ Aremu said.
The labour leader described Buhari’s demand as legitimate.
“Corruption is scar on global conscience assuming there is any left,,’’ said Aremu. (NAN)
Union demands Britain returns stolen assets from Nigeri
