My Kinsmen Derided Me For Not Looting Public Funds – Obono Obla

Former chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief Obono Obla, has chastised some of his kinsmen for deriding him for failing to loot public funds and share with them.

Obla made the remarks yesterday in Calabar at the 16th Ralph Okpara Memorial Lecture Series organised by the National Association of Seadogs in honour of the revered Okpara.

“I am well versed with the workings of corruption within the ecosystem, drawn from my experience as a social activist and anti-corruption advocate.
“I personally experienced the brutal and relentless nature of corruption in its efforts to suppress those who opposed it,” he said.

The human rights lawyer who spoke on the theme: “Nigeria ‘s Future and the Impact of Corruption on the Socio-political Economy of Nigeria,” averred that corruption even exists in our homes and explained how he was derided even by his kinsmen in Ugep community, Yakurr local government area of Cross River State for failing to loot public treasury and shower them with the loot.

“My brothers from Ugep refused to visit me when I was detained for 21 days during those dark days of trial.

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“Everyone derided me, saying I was stupid because I didn’t steal money to share with them. That is the problem with Nigerians,” he said.

Obla accused the nation of being a country filled with papers but with less action.

He called on the Seadogs to come out of their cocoon to stamp out the tide and cankerworm of corruption so that Nigeria can reclaim its lost glory.

Earlier, national president of Seadogs, Dr Joseph Otei, lamented how corruption has dealt a huge blow on Nigeria and Nigerians, negatively affecting the lives of the citizens and called for concerted effort by all if the nation is to be set from corruption so that Nigerians could witness an egalitarian society.