….Fails To Provide Details Of Looted Assets
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday vowed that his administration was determined to arrest resurgence in the activities of militancy in the Niger Delta region.
In a nationwide broadcast to mark this year’s Democracy Day, the President vowed to apprehend militants groups which had in the past few weeks launched several attacks on pipeline installations in the Niger Delta region.
Similarly, President Buhari has noted that some significant amount of assets have already been recovered from looters of public treasury, but said the Ministry of Information and Culture will make public the funds and assets recovered as well as provide periodic updates.
The President stated this on Sunday while making this year’s Democracy Day broadcast, cutting short the expectations of Nigerians who had been told that Buhari would make public the details of the money recovered from looters during his Democracy Day national address.
In the words of the President: “We are also engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: significant amount of assets have been recovered.
“A considerable portion of these are at different stages of recovery. Full details of the status and categories of the assets will now be published by the Ministry of Information and updated periodically.”
Buhari assured that the recovered loots would be plough back into the national treasuries at the completion of forfeiture formalities.
“When forfeiture formalities are completed, these monies will be credited to the treasury and be openly and transparently used in funding developmental projects and the public will be informed,” he said.
According to the President, his administration in a bid to restore the region is committed to the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme report and is advancing clean-up operations in the area.
Buhari said, “We are committed to implementing the United Nations Environment Programme report and are advancing clean-up operations. I believe the way forward is to take a sustainable approach to address the issues that affect the delta communities.
“If the militants and vandals are testing our resolve, they are much mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators and their sponsors and bring them to justice.”
The President also declared that this government will engage leaders in the region in discussions with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the issue of militancy.
“The recent spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and power installations will not distract us from engaging leaders in the region in addressing Niger Delta problems. I believe the way forward is to take a sustainable approach to address the issues that affect the Delta communities.”
He, however, warned that his government’s policy measures and actions taken so far are not to be seen as some experiment in governance.
“We are fully aware that those vested interests who have held Nigeria back for so long will not give up without a fight. They will sow divisions, sponsor vile press criticisms at home and abroad, incite the public in an effort to create chaos rather than relinquish the vice-like grip they have held on Nigeria.”
It would be recalled that the Niger Delta Avengers in the past two weeks had launched series of attacks on pipeline installations with Chevron Nigeria Limited and the Nigerian Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, been the most affected.
The resurgent militant group while claiming to be responsible for these attacks said they were fighting for the sovereignty of the region.
