The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) is set to organise a civil society forum at this year’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meeting scheduled to hold in Washington DC.
ANEEJ is in collaboration with the Transparency and Accountability in the recovery and management of recovered assets (MANTRA), a project being supported by the British Department for International Development (DFID) under the Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) programme.
In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by the Acting Executive Director of ANEEJ, Mr. Leo Atakpu said this was sequel to the approval of a slot granted ANEEJ by the World Bank Civil Society Team in conveyed in a letter addressed to the Executive Director of the organisation.
The Acting ED, said this approval will afford us the opportunity to continue to tell the good story emanating from Nigeria that it is important to repatriate looted assets to finance development and that the recovered assets returned to Nigeria, contrary to what use to happen in the past, is now being positively managed and used for the victims of corruption.
He said “We are going to Washington DC to tell the MANTRA story of positive use of returned $322.5million Abacha loot returned from Switzerland.
“We will also use the opportunity to push for the repatriation of Nigeria’s seized Abacha and other Loot currently stashed in the USA and other jurisdictions because Nigeria now has system that can guarantee their utilization for the benefit of the poorwithout being re-looted.
“The Civil Society Policy Forum (CSPF) which has become an integral part of the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring and Annual Meetings, will provide ANEEJ and the MANTRA team anopen space for us to dialogue and exchange views with Bank and IMF staff, their peers, government delegations, and other stakeholders on this issue of asset recovery and management.
“We are currently putting together a strong team of experienced and highly knowledgeable panelists that will be speaking at the session. We are also drawing a list of participants from around the world to make a very meaningful outing at this year’s Bank and Fund Annualmeeting in Washington DC” Atakpu stated.
