FG’s efforts in looted assets recovery, commendable – AGF

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, has stated that the present administration has undertaken preventive measures against corrupt practices and put a lot of eff orts in the recovery of looted, carted and stashed assets both home and abroad.

Th is is contained in a press statement issued by Salihu Othman Isah, Special Media Adviser to the Minister. Isah said the AGF disclosed this in his welcome address delivered at the United Nations Convention Against Corruption Peer Review of Nigeria by Myanmar and Cote D’Ivoire in Abuja. ”I am sincerely pleased to welcome you to this country visit which is an integral part of the review process.

Th e two chapters under review in this cycle i.e. Chapters 2 and 5 (Preventive Measures and Asset Recovery) are key areas of focus of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who remains committed to the fi ght against corruption”, the AGF informed. Malami reiterated that in the fi ght against corruption, Nigeria has put in place various policies with a view to ensuring sanity in all sectors.

Th ese policies amongst others, include; National Policy on Justice Sector Reform, National Policy on Bureau of Public Service Reform and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which was recently validated and adopted and also in the process of receiving approval of the Federal Executive Council in order to perfect it as a working document. He appreciated the fact that the United Nations Offi ce on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) which is the Secretariat for the implementation, has put a lot of eff orts in the peer review process, especially in the development of the omnibus software for the selfassessment checklist.

Th e minister explained that Nigeria is not new in the review process, particularly for its consistence with guidelines because it has successfully passed through the fi rst cycle as a reviewed and reviewer country. Speaking with journalists , the Focal Person of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Tukur Modibbo, described the fi ght against corruption as very crucial not only to any democratic process, but also crucial to development issues of any country.

He noted that dividend of democracy and the benefi ts from the government cannot get to the people without fi ghting corruption, more especially in public aff airs. The focal person also noted that corruption has the tendency and capacity to impede and create barrier between the government and the people. Modibbo further explained that the review process, though done in line with the UNCAC, is to see Nigeria’s level of compliance with certain global best practices as far as institutional framework and implementation are concern. In her remarks, the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Offi cer of the United Nations Offi ce on Drugs and Crime, Jennifer Sarvary Bradford explained that the fi ght against corruption is long and that it takes a lot of eff orts and perseverance. She described it as an anchor, saying; that is the beauty of the review mechanism.

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