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It's Abacha Again: New $321million Abacha Loot Recover In Swiss Bank by IamJose(m): 7:46pm On Mar 08, 2016 |
The Nigeria government is expected to welcome
representatives of the Swiss government on
Tuesday, March 8.
The two governments are to discuss on the
repatriation of another tranche of huge public
funds stolen by late Head of State, Sani Abacha.
Premium Times reports that 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 on Monday, March 7.
“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,” Holliger noted.
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 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.
The Swiss government is set to hold talks with
Nigeria over the repatriation of $321million
confiscated from the family of late former head of
state, Sani Abacha.
“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
read.
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 newsmen.
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,
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).
Meanwhile, Attorney General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami has
announced that government will retrieve $750
million Abacha loot soon.
In an interactive session with the House of
Representatives Committee on Justice, Malami said
the government is also aiming to recover £6.9
million (nearly N2 billion) stolen by the former
governor of Delta state, Chief James Ibori
|
Re: It's Abacha Again: New $321million Abacha Loot Recover In Swiss Bank by mightyhazel: 8:07pm On Mar 08, 2016 |
So wot does buhari hav 2 say about dis one? Remember 'abacha never stole' 4 Likes |
Re: It's Abacha Again: New $321million Abacha Loot Recover In Swiss Bank by Paperwhite(m): 8:29pm On Mar 08, 2016 |
Yet a certified dullard said Abacha never stole.Lets see the conscience he will use to receive the said loot. |
Re: It's Abacha Again: New $321million Abacha Loot Recover In Swiss Bank by Mynd44: 9:01pm On Mar 08, 2016 |
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