Orji Kalu Urges Tinubu to Grant Two-Year Amnesty for Nigerians to Return Allegedly Looted Funds
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to introduce a two-year amnesty window for Nigerians accused of stealing public funds to voluntarily return the money without facing prosecution.
Kalu, who represents Abia North Senatorial District, argued that recovering funds allegedly taken by former public officials could provide a significant boost to Nigeria’s economy and increase the amount of money circulating within the formal financial system.
The former Abia State governor made the proposal while appearing on News Central TV’s 60 Minutes With Mr Kay, where he discussed the need for government to explore alternative approaches to recovering allegedly looted public resources.
According to Kalu, the Federal Government should establish a clearly defined period during which individuals who accumulated public funds illegally could return the money to the country and receive a pardon.
He suggested that the proposed arrangement should cover funds allegedly taken as far back as Nigeria’s independence in 1960, regardless of where the money is currently being kept.
Kalu said: “President Tinubu should give people pardon, because between the houses in Abuja, if you search all the houses, you might have over 50, 60 billion lying down there.”
He maintained that keeping large amounts of money outside the banking system deprives the economy of resources that could otherwise support investment, lending and economic activity.
The senator therefore urged the Tinubu administration to consider a two-year period during which individuals holding allegedly stolen public funds could return the money without prosecution.
His proposal is aimed at encouraging the repatriation of funds believed to be held privately or outside Nigeria’s formal financial system, with the recovered resources redirected toward economic development.
Kalu argued that such a policy could help the government recover substantial resources while also allowing the returned funds to become part of the financial system and contribute to economic growth.
The proposal, however, would require careful consideration of legal, accountability and transparency issues, particularly regarding how eligibility for amnesty would be determined and how recovered funds would be documented and deployed.
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If adopted, the suggested amnesty would represent a major shift in Nigeria’s approach to the recovery of allegedly looted public funds, placing greater emphasis on voluntary restitution as a means of bringing money back into the economy.
