Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP) has given the Federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to within seven days publish the agreement it signed with the United State government regarding the yet-to-be repatriated $23 million Abacha loot.
Newsonline reports that SERAP urged President Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami(SAN) to provide their organization with a copy of the agreement it recently signed with the United States for the repatriation of $23 million stolen by late General Sani Abacha.
Recall that the United States government had last week signed an agreement with the Federal Government to repatriate $23 million Abacha loot to Nigeria.
“According to our information, the US government recently signed an agreement with the Federal Government to repatriate $23 million Abacha loot to Nigeria,” SERAP said.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Federal Government by Mr Abubakar Malami. This repatriation brings the total amount of funds repatriated in the Abacha case by the US to more than $334.7 million.
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SERAP argued that “by the combined reading of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s international obligations, there are transparency obligations imposed on your government to widely publish the agreement on the $23 million Abacha loot.”
It added that “Providing us with a copy of the agreement with the US and publishing the agreement would allow Nigerians to scrutinize it, and to monitor the spending of the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot to ensure that the money is not mismanaged, diverted, or stolen.”
A part of the letter read, “We’re concerned that the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot is vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. Substantial part of the estimated $5 billion returned Abacha loot since 1999 may have been diverted, re-stolen or mismanaged, and in any case remain unaccounted for.
“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding their government’s activities.
“President Buhari’s government has a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any repatriated stolen funds are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.
“We also urge him to provide details of the transparency and accountability mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that the repatriated funds are not mismanaged, diverted or re-stolen.
“We would therefore be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we’ve not heard from him by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel his govt to comply with our request in the public interest.
“Publishing a copy of the agreement signed with the US would also promote transparency and accountability in the spending of public funds. Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized human right to information.
“Publishing a copy of the agreement would ensure that persons with public responsibilities are answerable to the people for the performance of their duties including the management of repatriated loot.
“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information including to a copy of the agreement on the repatriated $23 million Abacha loot.”
