CHANNEL TV ——-A Lagos State lawyer and civil right activist, Femi Falana, has thrown his weight behind the ongoing probe into the two billion dollars arms deal that has thrown up a lot of names.
Mr Falana, however, believes that the dragnet should be extended to the $180 million Halliburton scandal which first came to light under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He said that the same political will that was being applied to the arms deal was needed to see the Halliburton case to a logical conclusion.
He said that the political will was missing since 2007.
Mr Falana was speaking on Monday on Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.
“The war against corruption that is ongoing deserves the encouragement of Nigerians, particularly the victims of corruption our country – soldiers who were denied access to arms needed to address Boko Haram menace, those who could not access hospitals, young people who could not get jobs and other victims of corruption.
“We have to own the war, if we want to see restitution for all those who have stolen our common wealth and reduced our people to poverty striking nut.
“When there was not EFCC or ICPC, official corruption was fought in Nigeria by the media,” he said.
He said that the situation is totally different now, as the media were being accused of contributing immensely to the culture of corruption and impunity in our country.
“No government can defeat the menace of corruption unless Nigerians are prepared to say: “This is our battle”.
The lawyer also stressed the need for Nigerians to restore their ethical value and national morality.
“If a man has been accused of rigging an election, you don’t celebrate him,” he stressed, insisting that the press has to be critical.
