Buhari Vows To Recover All Stolen Assets, Inaugurates Audit C’ttee

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated the Audit Committee on the Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets Within and Outside Nigeria.

Performing the ceremony at the First Lady’s Wing of the presidential villa, Abuja, he said the setting up of the committee was pursuant to the resolve of his administration since its inception to pursue a strong and effective anti-corruption regime.

He said it was also in view of the multiple cases of mismanaged and misappropriated national assets identified by the administration upon its assumption of office that the Federal Government embarked on tracing and recovery of all such stolen assets within and outside Nigeria using all legal and diplomatic resources at our disposal.

He said: “The gains of our initiatives over the past two and a half years have been very obvious to all Nigerians. This is clear from the level of investigation, prosecution, and forfeitures involving both public and private sector officials in the country.

“The message has therefore been passed loud and clear that never again as a nation are we going to allow the wanton diversion and embezzlement of public funds to private pockets.

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“Nigerians will further recall that pursuant to requisite directives, recovered assets are progressively being returned to designated accounts by the anti-graft agencies and other agencies of government involved with the process.

“In the course of implementing this exercise and given the number of agencies who are concurrently pursuing specialised initiatives and making recoveries for the government, it has become obvious that fundamental gaps still exist in ensuring that the recovered assets are accounted for, and managed in an accurate, transparent and logical manner.

“It was in realisation of this and due to our determination to ensure that in pursuing the anti-graft war, we do not create new room for dishonourable conduct by any individual or agency that I directed, earlier in the year, that all agencies should send in detailed reports of all their recovered assets as at March 2017.

“The decision to inaugurate this Audit Committee on the Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets within and Outside Nigeria today is, therefore, the next step in ensuring that all returns filed by the various agencies are accurate and consistent with actual recoveries made.”

Buhari said the committee is expected to judiciously undertake an audit of all recovery accounts established by government agencies from the date of opening such accounts up to 10th April 2017.

While congratulating the members of the committee for their appointments, President Buhari urged them to perform duties diligently in the best interests of the country.

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He directed all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Banks, and Companies to give the committee full cooperation “as your assignment is crucial not only to the harvesting of needed resources for our national development but also in setting out a fresh template of public accountability.”

He further stated: “Where it becomes necessary, the committee will, of course, rely on existing laws to compel the production of information and will also have the benefit of necessary interventions by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in obtaining such information through legal processes, where so required.”

Nigerian Tribune reports that the President gave the committee four weeks to finish its assignment and submit the report to his office.

The committee is made up of Olufemi Jinadu, Gloria Chinyere Bibiogha, and Mohammad Nami

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