TheCable

Abdulrasheed Akanbi, Oluwo of Iwo, has advocated for capital punishment to curb corruption and kidnapping in the country. 

Speaking with journalists at his palace in Iwo, Osun state on Thursday, Akanbi said with capital punishment, corruption would be reduced to the barest minimum in Nigeria.

The traditional ruler, who noted that Nigeria is extremely blessed with human and material resources, decried the suffering being experienced by Nigerians, which he attributed to corruption.

“What we can do now to nip corruption and kidnapping in the bud in the country is by introducing capital punishment, as it was done by the governments of Saudi Arabia and China,” the Oluwo said.

“When capital punishment is put in place and implemented, people will be afraid of looting our commonwealth. I believe that is the way to go.”

On the economic challenges currently confronting the country, the traditional ruler expressed regret that governors and lawmakers were not utilising the gains of the subsidy removal for the benefit of the masses.

“Money cannot get to Nigerians except through their governors, senators, house of representatives members and others,” he said.

“Revenues going to states now are unprecedented in the history of this country.

“Money accruing to the federal government after the fuel subsidy removal is being shared by all tiers of governments in Nigeria.

“The questions now are: why are people becoming poorer? Why are Nigerians still hungry?

“There should be a meeting at the federal level where questions will be asked about how resources going to all the tiers of governments are being utilised.

“A particular state in the south-south zone was said to have received over N437 billion between the time when fuel subsidy was removed and now, and yet, people are still hungry.

“All the elected and appointed political office holders are getting money and yet, people are hungry.”

Akanbi, however, said the economic challenges are temporary, adding that the steps being taken by the federal government to fix the economy are in the right direction.

He urged Nigerians to offer the needed supports to one another to cushion the effects of the economic hardship in the country.