Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has advocated stiffer penalties for treasury looters.

According to him, mere impeachment is not enough punishment for governors and other public office holders indicted for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In his opinion, all the indicted governors should, in addition to impeachment, be prosecuted to serve jail terms if found guilty by the court.

He said the action would not only deter future leaders from indulging in corrupt practices but also pave way for good leadership in the next political dispensation.

Lamido, who was Foreign Affairs Minister in President Olusegun Obasanjo’s first tenure, said the mindless mismanagement of public funds by political office holders, particularly state governors, as being revealed by the EFCC report, was alarming.

The Jigawa political godfather, who spoke in an interview with Sunday Independent in Kano, maintained that corruption remained Nigeria’s bane as a result of gross abuse of office by governors and other political office holders.

Lamido, who was reacting to the impeachment of the Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, and his deputy, Biodun Olujimi, as well as the situation in Plateau State and Anambra states, said: "The impeachment would not have been possible if he (Fayose) had not been found guilty of corruption," adding that, "there were empirical evidences of wrong doings against him by the EFCC."

He added: "Whether the impeachment is done through what you accept as the normal way or not is not the issue; the issue remains that there has been a case established by the agents of government and nobody can contest it. Nobody can say that the Ribadu’s commission has not got a verdict of guilt against the impeached Ekiti State governor."

Lamido commended the EFCC for its courage to tackle corruption in high places and stressed that there is no way "we can have an ideal society and good governance until the leaders are purged of corruption, and asked to have the humility to submit themselves to any screening by anybody."

"The Nigerian Constitution makes it clear that once you are indicted for any crime, you should be tried. Even the president will not stay in power forever; if he goes tomorrow, the fight must continue. The main thing is that Nigerians should be purged of this corruption. So, to me, I think the EFCC is doing very well."

is he better off

Obviously he is and that is why he is speaking out about it, DUH?

we should start by jailling IBB and his clowns