From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
The Federal Government, yesterday, said in partnership with foreign countries, it has recovered £6,324,627; €5,494,743 and $390,000,000 (about N181.816billion) made from forfeited assets and stolen funds.
It said the forfeited assets and recovered funds came from Europe and the United States as well as stolen funds and assets recovered locally.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, disclosed this at the 18th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari scorecard series (2015-2023), in Abuja, yesterday.
He said the monies recovered from sale of forfeited assets across several jurisdictions have been deployed to build infrastructure across the country.
“In compliance with presidential mandates and foreign judicial processes, the ministry has recovered £6,324,627.66; €5,494,743.71 and $390,000,000 from various jurisdictions. Some of the recovered funds are being utilised in the financing of critical infrastructures, including Abuja-Kano expressway, Second Niger Bridge, and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.”
Asked why President Buhari pardoned former governors of Taraba and Plateau states, Joshua Dariye and Jolly Nyame in April 2023, who had been convicted of graft and were serving prison sentences, and government allowed a plea bargain with a former Accountant General of the Federation, after he was accused of siphoning N109 billion of public funds, the minister replied: “My reaction is that there’s a single law governing Nigeria and that is applicable to those that have and those that do not.Perhaps, maybe, the only difference is someone accused of (stealing) N109 billion cannot be equated in quantum sense with someone accused of, perhaps, maybe, a fraction of a few thousands.
“The spirit of the subject matter and its application—the state pardon, for example. Where the application of pardon request is considered by the president, it is not the quantum of the volume or fraction of the money involved that matters but whether within the context and spirit of the law, you are considered.
“The idea, in effect, is not whether you have looted or squandered or the amount involved is what is in consideration…but the ingredient, element, associated with pardon. Someone accused of (squandering) N5,000 is certainly bound by the same criteria, the same element expected of pardon.
“What I’m saying in essence is that…whether the president has exercised his powers vested in him, constitutionally. My answer is regardless of the volume. The major consideration is judicious exercise of the power by the president and my answer is that Mr. President has been exercising the powers statutorily vested in him. The law is one and its application is universal and its enforcement is equally internal.”
On the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s seizure of 40 properties linked to former deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu in US, UK, Lagos, Dubai and the FCT, the minister declined to give details, but said: “It’s a matter over which I wouldn’t like to comment on. It is subjudice, locally and internationally. As the chief law officer of the federation, I’m not expected to comment, one way or the other, in such way and manner that would prejudice the tendency of the proceedings going through the court. The court has taken jurisdiction and its being litigated upon.”
In his opening remarks, Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, accused critics of the President Buhari administration as dubious and ignorant.
“As you are aware, critics of the administration are wont to say that while it has done well in the area of infrastructure, it has not fared well in the area of the economy. With due respect, statements like this are borne out of ignorance. This is because infrastructure is a key driver of economic development, meaning that when you are building modern infrastructure as this administration is doing, you are actually putting in place the building blocks of economic and social development. When you are constructing roads and bridges, you create jobs as you will employ workers, you trigger economic activities as you will buy sand, granite, cement and other construction materials, you create a mini-economy around the construction site as food sellers and others converge there to cater to the needs of the workers.
“The Buhari administration is ready to deliver another dividend of democracy to Nigerians. As you are aware, the much-ballyhooed Second Niger Bridge has been completed and will soon be commissioned. Well, I am happy to announce today that another highly-valuable bridge and road are ready for commissioning in the next few weeks.”