The Federal Government has urged other countries to remove obstacles to getting stolen assets and funds from previous administrations. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama said this while responding to question from newsmen in Abuja at a briefing on the just concluded Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom on modalities for the return of its stolen assets.
Onyeama, however, said that the government followed the due processes to facilitate the repatriation of such funds.
“How soon is always a difficult one; there are certain processes that have to be gone through and are completely outside the control of this government.
“We would always want to say as soon as possible and we impress that upon these countries that they should really remove all the obstacles and barriers to our getting these funds back.
“We, as the ministry, are coordinating for one because the focal ministry in respect of recovery is the Ministry of Justice. “But, of course, we have a presence in those countries, so our embassies or high commissions.
“So our role is to facilitate for the Ministry of Justice; we carry out the first engagement with those countries, in helping to identify the loot and facilitate the whole process thereafter,” he said.
NAN recalls that the UK, on Tuesday, reaffirmed its commitment to recovering and returning stolen assets to Nigeria.
The UK said returning the funds to Nigeria would send a clear message to all sought to harbour stolen assets overseas noting that that there was “no safe haven” in the UK. (NAN)
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