CNPP asks Jonathan to recover $400bn looted fund

Posted by admin Party Politics Monday, July 1st, 2013

By TONY EDIKE
ENUGU— Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, yesterday, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to make a “blanket request” for the recovery of over $400 billion Nigeria’s looted fund.

Rising from a meeting in Enugu, the CNPP in a communique signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said: “Whereas we applaud the recovery of fund looted by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, we demand, as a matter of urgent national importance, that President Goodluck Jonathan requests for blanket recovery of over $400 billion fleeced off our treasury in the last two decades.”

The group said the call was sequel to the report by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke, that the Federal Government had recovered about N5.5 billion (£22.5 million) and that negotiation had reached advanced stage to recover N36.7 billion (175 million euro) of Abacha looted fund.

The CNPP said: “President Jonathan should utilise the window opened by the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which bounds countries to render mutual legal assistance in gathering and transferring evidence and Chapter V of the Convention which made asset recovery explicitly a fundamental principle of the convention.

”Our investigation within the diplomatic circle shows that ex-president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, only requested for Abacha loot and turned blind eye to the other looters.

“We demand that a blanket request be made, for we need the billions of dollars to invest in critical infrastructure, revamp our decayed social services and stem gross unemployment.”

The group, however, frowned on the selective approach in the loot recovery process, which looked more of a vindictive venture than war against corruption.

It said: ”The selective approach sends wrong signals within and outside our shores.”

CNPP then appealed for effective liaison and communication with targeted countries to hasten the pace of recovery of funds siphoned from the nation’s treasury.
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