Anti-corruption: FG recovers N200bn in final forfeiture – Malami

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami (SAN) on Thursday said the Federal Government has
so far recovered in excess of N200 billion in final forfeiture in
its anti-corruption fight.

Malami disclosed this in Abuja at a Special Town Hall Meeting on
“Fight Against Corruption”, organised by the Ministry of
Information and Culture.

The minister, who was represented by Mr Abiodun Ayodeji, Special
Adviser to the President on Financial Crimes, said that there were
other recoveries that were still in the interim.

“We have recovered in excess of N200 billion in final forfeiture
and there are recoveries still in the interim that cannot be dealt
with.

“The money we have earned for the federal government in the
process of the anti-corruption war is in the excess of N200
billion.

“Notable among the recoveries is the 325 million dollars Abacha
loot and 75 million dollars connected to the Malabu oil
transaction,’’ he said.

The minister said that the recovery was significant considering
the effects of corruption on the country.

“Nigeria has earned in excess of 650 billion dollars from oil in
revenue but bulk of the funds is either stolen or mismanaged.

“NEITI recently said that in the last 10 years, 40 billion
dollars was stolen due to oil theft alone.

“These have left us with infrastructure that is grossly
inadequate to support modern economy.

“It is, therefore, so real that if we do not kill corruption,
the menace will kill us, hence the administration is focusing on
war against corruption,’’ he said.

Malami said that the government was able to achieve the feat
following the implementation of the Nigeria Anti-Corruption
Strategy set up by the ministry and endorsed by the Federal
Executive Council in July 2017.

He said that the strategy rested on five pillars – Prevention of
Corruption, Enforcement of Sanction, Public Enlightenment, Campaign
for Ethical Reorientation and Recovery of Stolen Fund.

Malami said that corruption prevention was being achieved by
deliberate implementation of policies like the BVN for banking
system, Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, and
Treasury Single Account.

He said that government had been able to enforce sanctions
against politically exposed persons which were, hitherto,
untouchable.

The minister said that the government had engaged on public
enlightenment against corruption like the town hall meeting, adding
that the Presidential Executive Order No. 6 signed in 2018 and the
effective implementation of the Criminal Justice Act had helped in
the successful fight against corruption.

Malami said that the government planned to do more by leveraging
on technology in the fight against the menace.

Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of Code of Conduct
Bureau, Muhammed Isah, said that the bureau, from November 2018
till date, had investigated 160 cases of corruption to the tune of
N40 billion.

He said that from the 160 investigated cases, 75 had been filed
before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for trial.

Isah also noted that from the 14 code of conduct for public
officers, the most talked about is Asset Declaration.(NAN)