President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday promised that the Federal Government would consider the audit report on all assets recovered in the first half of his administration with a view to implementing its recommendations.
The President gave the assurance after receiving the six-volume report from the leader of the Presidential Audit Committee on Recovered Assets, Mr Femi Lijadu.
The President said: “We must utilise proceeds of our recoveries optimally to address our economic and social problems.
“To this end, let me ensure Nigerians that the findings and recommendations of the committee would be carefully examined and given due consideration with a view to implementing the recommendations”, Buhari assured.
Stressing that the anti-corruption crusade of the government will continue to get the needed support of his administration, he explained that the nation’s asset recovery and management system would be managed transparently, effectively, and efficiently in the nearest future.
President Buhari hinted further that his administration would create a fresh template to promote public accountability in the country while also expressing the hope that the ‘Proceeds of Crimes Bill’ pending at the National Assembly when enacted would go a long way to help tackle corruption in the country.
He expatiated: “A key tool that will revolutionalise our assets recovery and management architecture is the ‘Proceeds of Crimes Bill’ which is currently awaiting passage by the National Assembly,” he said. “I, therefore, encourage the National Assembly to take necessary steps to pass the bill.”
“Once the bill is passed and assented to, many challenges facing our assets recovery and management process will be adequately taken care of as the bill addresses most of the challenges facing effective assets recovery and management in Nigeria”, the President added.
It would be recalled that the Presidential Audit Committee was inaugurated on November 22, 2017, with a mandate to carry out a holistic audit of all recovered assets from May 29, 2015, to the date of its inauguration.
