The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), yesterday disagreed with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the call by the Congress that persons found guilty of corruption should be handed the death penalty.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the NBA by the NLC leadership,   labour said the focus should be on recovery of the looted money and not to kill the man. The NLC had last week during a national rally called for capital punishment for persons found guilty of corruption.

But the NBA President, Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN) said death penalty has been abrogated across the world, saying plea bargain was now the norm across the world.

Alegeh said, “Plea bargain is very good. If you had done plea bargain with the governors in 2007,   you would have raised a lot of money. When there are cases of corruption, the first thing is how to   recover the money and put it back into the system.

“Our thinking is that proactive steps should be taken to stop people from looting, rather than wait   for them to loot before thinking of killing them.”

Speaking earlier, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, called for better relationship between the two   associations to ensure speedy trial of corrupt persons.

Wabba frowned at instances where lawyers deliberately stall trial of corrupt officials by seeking   perpetual injunctions.

He said, “Part of decay in our system is caused by impunity by corrupt officials. We have canvassed for speedy trial for corrupt officials and have frowned at corrupt officials getting perpetual injunctions.”

He said the congress would continue to push for the entrenchment of good governance and rule of law in the country.

“There can’t be peace in any society where there is no shared prosperity. A lot of Nigerians can’t afford three square meals. Poverty is profound in our rural areas, he stated.

Wabba also said autonomy for judiciary was important in the entrenchment of rule of law, adding that the NLC and its affiliate union, JUSUN have been in the struggle for judiciary autonomy. According to him, the NLC would continue to partner with the NBA and build on the good relationship that has existed between both unions dating back to the defunct First Republic.