Where Did Our Past Presidents Divert $723 million (#143.43 billion) Abacha's Loot To?

No steady power supply, death trap road network, assassination , robbery , kidnap , scarcity of petrol and petroleum products , inadequate substandard health care and hospitals , underpayment of workers, rising inflation and unemployment have been
the features of a failed Nigerian state for decades .

While encountering these problems , no one seems to have asked questions on how the returned $723 million Sani Abacha's (#142.43 billion) loot was spent . The Swiss government have confirmed that they returned that amount in the last 10 years which the former Military Head of State had allegedly looted from the national treasury while he in power from 17 November 1994 - 8 June 1998. The money was initially deposited in Luxembourg before being seized by the Swiss Republic Judiciary and Canton of Geneva after passing the December 11 2014 forfeiture order.


In essence, what this means is that the various leaders of the country since 2006 (Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, and finally Goodluck Jonathan) have all received a total of $723 million at different times. While it is a general knowledge that there have never been a Nigerian government as corrupt as that of Kano State born Head of State, whose avarice and lust for power may have greatly contributed to his short spell on earth. Under Abacha, they country became one of the most insecure countries on earth as assassination became much more popular and common than rainfall. One cannot list the names of people who lost their lives because they opposed his style of leadership .

The problem is that the $723 million is yet to be comprehensively accounted for by any of the presidents during their different administrations , at the same time failing to acknowledge that they have received any of the returned funds at any period. #142.43 billion is more than the mostly allocation of  the 36 states in Nigeria considering the fall in oil price . What this means is that Nigerians are yet to feel why positives from the returned loot as it looks like the case of "Robbing Peter (Abacha's Greedy Family) to pay Paul (Nigeria's Greedy Presidents at the time the money was returned). Therefore it looks like the money would have been better in the hands of the Swiss government than the Nigerian presidents, as they have done little or nothing to improve the lives of it's citizens .

It is based on this regard, that the expected return of a second $321 million from the Swiss government in a no distant time becomes imperative that we know the governments plans on it's spending . At a time when the standard of living is on the law , then the importance of $321 million cannot be overemphasised .

If the present president claims to be an "Anti Corruption" crusader , then Nigerians must feel the positive impact of such funds in their daily lives. We are tired of reading in our dailies on how several  funds have been diverted , we have to feel it in our lives .

Finally while the antics of Abacha and his immediate family must be condemned , that of the Swiss government should be greatly commended .