Nigeria lobby’s UN to support fight against corruption
The Federal Government has called for the support of the United Nations, UN in the fight against corruption, which it said is as dangerous and devastating as the fight against insecurity.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the request Friday, while receiving the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa, Mr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
He told the UN envoy that the Federal Government had set up an inter-agency Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR) as part of its efforts to strengthen the ongoing fight against corruption.
Mohammed disclosed that the PCAR, which was set up on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Council Against Corruption and will over-sight the anti-corruption agenda and coordinate asset recovery process.
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The Minister said the PCAR, which is headed by the Vice President, is coordinating the collation and categorization of recovered assets from 2015-2016; verifying the records and status of physical assets such as buildings recovered under previous administration and setting up the framework for Management of Recovered Stolen Asset to avoid re-looting and mismanagement of asset as was experienced in the past.
He said the creation of asset register for recovered stolen assets and other government assets to avoid a situation where former or even serving public officers carry away government assets like vehicles, computers etc. sometimes in multiples is also part of the mandate of the committee
The Minister said the Federal Government is determined to recover all assets illicitly acquired by public officers and other politically exposed persons, hence new measures are underway to enhance recovery of illegally acquired assets and these will be announced from time to
time.
To encourage whistle-blowers, the government is also considering an incentive framework for those who provide useful information that lead to recovery of stolen or illegally concealed public assets, he said, adding that the government is also soliciting support of Nigerians in diaspora and international NGOs in the campaign for asset return from foreign governments.
Alhaji Mohammed said Nigeria remained determined and focused in stemming corruption, which is part of the reasons that Nigeria is suffering from economic recession.
”Just as you (UN) have supported us in the fight against insecurity in the North-east, we need your institutional, technical and diplomatic support in fighting corruption,” he told the envoy.
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