The Attorney General of the Federation , AGF, and the Justice Minister, Abubakar Malami, yesterday reiterated that the Federal Government has concluded plans on projects the repatriated £4.2million loot would be used forc
Speaking on a monitored programme on Channels Television, ‘Politics Today’, the Justice Minister explained that international commitment between the United Kingdom and Nigeria has been made on how the fund would be spent.
According to Malami: “International commitment has been given by Nigeria to the United Kingdom as it relates to the process of engagement , inbuilt transparency and accountability associated with the process. The way international processes operate with particular regard to recovering of looted assets is more honest among the nations of interest.
“Between Nigeria and the UK, it is a process that does not allow the application of hook, line and sinker of the Nigerian law exclusively but is a process that factors mutual consideration among the party of interest and that mutual engagement gave rise to what we had as an agreement signed by Nigeria and the UK.
“There is an understanding that key project existing in the State; Abuja-Kano highway, Lagos-Ibadan express way and the 2nd Niger bridge should be considered for the purpose of the deployment of the resources with a view to ensure that key infrastructural development projects that affect the entire nation be the utmost beneficiary of these funds”.
Asked on reconsidering Delta State, he said: “The recovery is a function of mutual agreement. And mutual agreement as agreed between two nations. So is not agreement exclusively within the powers of the federal government to revisit without recourse to the United Kingdom from which country the funds were recovered against the background of the sanctity of an agreement. It is difficult with the limitation of the sanctity of an agreement within the limited consideration of international diplomacy to bring in new consideration after the old process has been consummated.
As it is, the issue that bothers on £4.2million has been signed, sealed, delivered and Nigeria does not stand to revisit the same after the repatriation.” Malami maintained.
