Life imprisonment without remission’ll stem corruption – ICPC

By Peter Duru

MAKURDI — The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Emmanuel Ayoola has insisted that corruption can only be properly checked in Nigeria when mandatory life imprisonment without remission is stipulated as penalty for corrupt practices in the country.

The ICPC boss argued that kid-glove treatment of persons shown to have indulged in corruption must stop if most of the welfare programmes instituted by government for the people must succeed.

Justice Ayoola, who spoke at a one-day Town Hall Meeting organised for the people of Oju Local Government Area of Benue State by the ICPC, stressed, “No effort of government that seeks to provide amenities such as light, water, good roads, education, clean environment, law and order and security or health can succeed unless corruption is taken out of the way.”

He, hence, urged Nigerians to confront the challenges posed to the development of the country by the monster called corruption advising that “the battle must be approached collectively, tenaciously and holistically with all the seriousness and doggedness of conventional warfare.”

He was represented at the meeting by Mr. Mike Sowe, the Public Enlightenment Officer of the commission.