Corruption: Pensioners Seek Death Penalty

Pensioners and Labour leaders on Thursday suggested death penalty or life imprisonment for any person found guilty of fraud in Nigeria.

The pensioners and labour leaders who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, noted that such punishment would serve as a deterrent to others.

Respondents spoke against the background of Monday’s judgment by an Abuja High Court which sentenced an Assistant Director, Police Pension Office, Yakubu Yusufu, to two years’ imprisonment for the theft of N32 billion pension funds.

Justice Mohammed Talba had convicted and sentenced Yusufu to two years’ imprisonment with an option of N750,000 fine.

Alhaji Braimoh Oboirien, National Chairman, Pension Retirees, described the judgment as “disheartening” because many pensioners had died as a result of unpaid pensions.

“It is sad that Yusufu was given such a light punishment because scores of pensioners had died as a result of unpaid pensions,” Oboirien said.

Mr. Yomi Akinditire, Lagos State Chairman, NIPOST Pensioners, who described the judgment as “anti-Nigerian,” called for stiffer penalties for anybody found guilty of corrupt practices.

Akinditire decried the situation where corrupt officers were even freed by courts, noting that in the last one month, over 10 pensioners had died, partly due to unpaid pensions.

Mr. Gabriel Babalola, Regional Secretary, International Union of Food (IUF), said: “We are destroying the future of this country and discouraging the future generation from working hard, if people can steal such huge amount and did not bag death sentence or life imprisonment.”

Babalola noted that if such corruption was allowed to continue, it would lead to increase in the death of retirees. Also, Mr. Abiodun Aremu, General Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF), said the stolen money would have been used to assist many families to improve their children’s education and provide healthcare.

Aremu urged the national assembly to pass a law that would ensure that offenders get the death sentence or life imprisonment to curb the act.

Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, General Secretary, Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON), said that the country would not develop if public office holders found guilty of corrupt practices were being given light punishments.