Ameboperoo:
Representatives of the
Swiss government are
expected in Nigeria on
Tuesday to discuss with
their Nigerian
counterparts on the
repatriation of another
tranche of huge public
funds stolen by late Head
of State, Sani Abacha.
The delegation would be
led by the Swiss Minister
for Foreign Affairs, Didier
Burkhalter, who is
expected to meet with
Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo, and the
Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Geoffrey
Onyeama, over the
repatriation of the
$321million confiscated
from the family of late
former head of state, Sani
Abacha.
An official of the Swiss
Embassy in Nigeria,
Pascal Holliger, confirmed
the visit exclusively to
PREMIUM TIMES on
Monday.
“Yes, our foreign Minister
is on his way to Nigeria
on Tuesday,” Mr Holliger
said. “He is coming on a
working visit to Nigeria.
During the visit, he would
open the Consular
General’s office in Lagos
and meet with the Vice
President of Nigeria and
the Minister of Foreign
Affairs to discuss the issue
of the repatriation of the
second tranche of the
Abacha loot,” he said.
But some Swiss and
Nigerian civil society
groups, who got wind of
the impending visit,
dispatched a petition to
President Muhammadu
Buhari, demanding that
his government give
assurance that the
$321million that would be
returned to Nigeria by the
Swiss government would
be put to good use.
Copies of the petition
titled “Restitution of
Abacha funds: Swiss and
Nigerian NGOs demand
guarantees,” was sent to
the Minister of Finance,
Kemi Adeosun, and her
foreign affairs
counterpart, Geoffrey
Onyeama, and the Attorney-General
of the Federation and minister
justice, Abubakar Malami.
A copy of the petition obtained by
PREMIUM TIMES was also sent to
the World Bank Vice President for
Africa, Makhtar Diop, and the
Federal Department for Foreign
Affairs Office for International
Public Law (DDIP) in Berne,
Switzerland.
Signed by representatives of eight
civil society groups, the petitioners
expressed concerns that the fund
could disappear just like the
repatriated funds by the government
of Liechtenstein in 2914 if
government did not take steps to
guarantee transparency and
accountability.
“Swiss and Nigerian NGOs demand
that the authorities of these two
countries, together with the World
Bank, take all measures necessary to
guarantee that these funds be
returned in a manner that is
transparent and benefits the general
population of the country, the people
that were initially cheated out of
their money,” the petition said.
The groups said their fears followed
the confidential agreement reached
between the Nigerian government
and the Abacha family in 2014, in
which the Nigerian government
agreed not to prosecute any member
of the family in lieu of the returned
loot.
The controversial agreement
reportedly received the backing of
Geneva’s public prosecutor, resulting
in the withdrawal of all criminal
charges against Mohammed, the
eldest son of the late dictator,
allegedly implicated in a case of
laundering his father’s loot.
“There are fears in civil society, in
both Switzerland and Nigeria, that
this money could be embezzled once
again,” Executive Director, African
Network for Environment and
Economic Justice, ANEEJ, David
Ugolor, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Mr. Ugolor said the petition was sent
to the Nigerian and Swiss
governments, as well as the World
Bank, to demand a guarantee that
these funds would actually be used
to finance projects that would
improve the living conditions of the
Nigerian people.
“It is imperative that they be
allocated through a transparent
process that involves both Swiss and
Nigerian NGOs,” Mr. Ugolor said.
“The transfers must also be
performed in installments and upon
the condition that the sums returned
in previous installments were used
as supposed,” he said.
Under the Goodluck Jonathan
administration, Mr. Ugolor said the
$235million returned by the
Liechtenstein government vanished
without trace after government said
the money was used to acquire arms
to fight the terrorist group, Boko
Haram.
Other signatories to the petition
included Olivier Longchamp, Berne
Declaration (Switzerland); Martin
Hilti, Finances and Tax programs
coordinator, Transparency
International (Switzerland);
Adetokunbo Mumuni, Socio-
Economic Rights and Accountability
Project (Nigeria); Mark Herkenrath,
Alliance Sud (Switzerland); Debo
Adeniran, Coalition Against Corrupt
Leaders (CACOL) (Nigeria); Godwin
Uyi Ojo, Environmental Rights
Action/Friends of the Earth
(Nigeria), and Blair Glencorse,
Accountability Lab (UK)
Source : www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/199732-exclusive-swiss-govt-to-hold-talks-with-nigeria-on-repatriation-of-fresh-321million-abacha-loot.html

tamonokare:
Pmb will reject the money because Abacha never stole.

bonechamberlain:
is buhari the person pursuing the loot, cause he said abacha didn't steal.

watered:
But come o! This Abacha loot no dey finish? How much the guy loot wey be say for over a decade now dey still dey repatriate the loot?

omowolewa:
What I don't know is how Abacha managed the economy even at his high rate of looting dollar was still stable then.
Abacha looot no dey end.

bonechamberlain:
is buhari the person pursuing the loot, cause he said abacha didn't steal.