FG is fighting Corruption With Clear Strategy – Minister

The Federal Government is being guided by a well-articulated strategy
in its fight against corruption in the country, contrary to the
misconception in certain circles that the government is fighting
corruption without a strategy, the Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday, the Minister said the
strategy has proven so effective that it has led to, among others, the
recovery of 40 brand new SUVs and other vehicles from one former
Permanent Secretary who single-handedly appropriated the vehicles to
himself when he left office

He said the federal government is not just fixated on prosecution
alone but is also taking preventive measures to make corruption
unattractive

Alhaji Mohammed listed the strict enforcement of the Treasury Singles
Account (TSA), which has largely reduced the diversion of government
funds into various secret accounts, and the constant fishing out of
ghost workers in the public service, which many states are now
adopting, as some of the preventive measures against corruption.

He however said some other measures have been perfected to strengthen
the anti-corruption fight, adding that the measures include the
establishment of the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery and the
Asset Tracing Committee; the setting up of an Asset Register, and the
Whistle Blower Policy.

The Minister also announced the plan by the government – working
through the Code of Conduct Bureau – to commence, starting in 2017, a
trial run of electronic asset declaration to facilitate compliance and
also to search and retrieve data on the assets of public officers

In addition, he said, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against
Corruption is working with relevant MDAs, especially the National
Bureau of Statistics, to improve data collection on corruption
indicators generally.

”Once perfected, the data will be shared with government
periodically, if possible as regularly as government receives data on
inflation and unemployment trends, to indicate trends in corruption
and influence government measures to correct the situation before it
gets out of hand as we have now,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

Expatiating on the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery, he said
it meets regularly to take reports from key law enforcement agencies
on government’s anti-corruption effort, share information and
intelligence, review the challenges being faced in the anti-corruption
efforts generally and give directives on the way forward.

”This same body, on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory
Committee Against Corruption, has directed a centralized management of
recovered looted assets through the Central Asset Management Committee
under the leadership of Minister of Finance as legal custodian of
government asset.

”This singular move has reduced the opportunity for re-looting of
recovered assets that was prevalent under previous regime. By this
measure, EFCC, ICPC and all asset recovery law enforcement agencies
are mandatorily required to furnish the Minister of Finance with full
details of recovered asset whether cash or otherwise,” the Minister
said, adding that data reconciliation will soon be completed and the
information will be made available to the public.

On the Asset Register, he said it has made very difficult the looting
of government physical assets, most notably vehicles, by departing
political appointees as well as senior and middle level officers.

Alhaji Mohammed said the recently approved Whistle Blower policy is
designed to further enhance government’s effort to recover looted
funds, noting: ”People who give credible and useful information to
government that leads to recovery of stolen public assets will be
rewarded with between 2.5% – 5% of the recovered fund and government
will keep the identity of the whistle blower absolutely
confidential.”

He said the government is finalizing the constitution of an Asset
Tracing Team to work with internationally reputably bodies to trace
and recover public assets in private pockets.

”In this regard, government will also escalate the use of
non-conviction-based asset recovery methods to boost revenue and
diminish corruption and the perception that crime pays or criminals
can keep their loot. The Federal Government is getting Nigerians in
diaspora and international civil society organizations involved in the
campaign for return of looted assets,” the Minister added.