Members of the organised labour have threatened to picket the 350 firms and individuals that allegedly owe the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria about N4.3tn.
The threat comes two weeks after the Managing Director of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, said only 350 Nigerians were responsible for more than 80 per cent of the N5.4tn debt portfolio of the bad debt manager.
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress vowed to confront the debtors during a march in commemoration of the 2018 African Anti-corruption Day in Abuja on Wednesday.
The event was against the backdrop of the African Union’s declaration of 2018 as the ‘African Year of Combating Corruption’, and had as its theme, ‘Wining the fight against corruption: A sustainable path to Africa’s transformation’.
While addressing a crowd, the President of the TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said, “We are here to assure you that we are prepared to chase the looters of our commonwealth from their houses to their offices, to their leisure places and everywhere they are, including in the ocean.
“We are aware that only 350 persons are the people holding our economy to ransom. We are prepared today to march on every one of these 350 people to make sure that they return the commonwealth of Nigerians, so that our economy will develop and so that our infrastructure can develop.”
In his remarks, the President, NLC, Ayuba Wabba, stated that Nigerian workers would continue to support the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies in the country.
Wabba said the N4.3tn being owed AMCON by 350 firms and individuals constituted over 40 per cent of the Federal Government’s budget.
He commended the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, for the recent achievements of the commission in the area of conviction and loot recovery.
The NLC President added, “Nigeria has enormous potential but few people have been helping themselves causing about 90 per cent of the country to be impoverished. How can it happen that only 350 individuals borrowed over N5.4tn from our banks and refuse to pay?
“That N5.4tn can substantially fund our budget for this year. This is the reality. They are powerful but I am sure that a people united cannot be defeated. Therefore, let us work together. Let us know our common enemy.
“They try to divert attention so that instead of us coming together to fight corruption, they create insecurity; they create poverty. We must come together to fight corruption.”
In his remarks, the acting EFCC boss said corruption remained the biggest threat to Nigeria’s existence.
Magu said the success of the fight against corruption thus far was to the credit of Nigerians.
He stated, “Everyone has a role to play. Even if you have to educate your child at home, telling him that corruption is wrong and citing the cases of corruption in hospitals, the markets and the evil it has caused this country.
“Somebody mentioned that corruption underdeveloped Nigeria, but it has also underdeveloped Africa. If we can kill corruption in Nigeria, we set the pace for other African countries to follow. The most serious problem this country has is corruption. If we can get rid of corruption, our job is done.”
