Niger Delta youth leader, Comrade Timi Frank, has thanked Jacob Zuma,
President of South Africa and his Government for the recent seizure of
$9.3 million and $5.7 million that was allegedly illegally moved to his
country by the Federal Government of Nigeria supposedly for the purchase
of arms and ammunition.
In a statement made available to
DailyPost on Monday, Frank thanked to Mr. Zuma “for a job well done in
helping to checkmate this apparent act of corruption through
questionable transactions emanating from Nigeria at this time”.
He
expressed hope that the United States, Britain, France, China, Japan,
Dubai and other African Governments would emulate South Africa in
helping to curb corruption in Nigeria especially by intercepting all
questionable transactions and proceeds of corruption from Nigeria.
The letter reads further: “We are not unmindful about the fusillade
of criticisms that have trailed this patriotic action of yours to have
impounded the money until satisfactory explanations are tendered by the
Nigerian Government who have claimed ownership of the money. But we want
to urge you not to relent in your efforts to help fight corruption in
Nigeria despite the scathing criticisms, name calling and fierce
intimidation.
“We also want to use this medium to tell the
Nigerian Government to stop defending the indefensible. They should own
up to reality now that the cat is out of the bag and devise means to
remedy the image of the country that has taken undue bashing as a result
of this diplomatic fiasco.
“We believe that it is more beneficial
to use the time and efforts now being deployed by Nigerian government
officials in blaming the South African authorities to identify and bring
those responsible for this corrupt and embarrassing act to justice.
“We
hold that the South African authorities have not done anything wrong as
they are only being strict against corruption in and outside their
national boundaries, that is why we are calling on other nations to
emulate South Africa.”
The activist called on President Goodluck Jonathan and his government
to be fair to Nigerians, noting that “Mr. President is not unaware that
corruption is the order of the day in his government today and that
urgent and drastic measures are needed to curtail the corruption in
Nigeria. Let’s stop with the conspiracy theories, let’s stop defending
corruption”.
According to him, recent events showed that the South
African Government did not condone or defend corruption like the
Nigerian Government.
Continuing, Frank noted that “Today, South
Africa agencies are investigating their own president; a similar action
in Nigeria would be regarded as anathema.”
“Nigerians know the
truth about what is happening. We should stop hiding under insurgency to
loot public funds that ought to be channeled to developmental purposes,
instead let’s thank the South African Government. Let’s cut our
penchant for diverting public funds.
“These kind of illegal transactions have been going on unknown to
Nigerians. But for this South African episode, Nigerians would not have
known what this administration is doing with tax payer’s money”, the
youth leader concluded.
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