A report released by the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) on the implementation of commitments by Nigeria at the 2016 London Anti-corruption Summit, has indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari is on course in the fight against corruption.
The report entitled, “Implementation of 2016 London Anti-Corruption Summit and GFAR (Global Forum on Asset Recovery) Commitments in Nigeria” was presented to stakeholders by the Executive Director of ANEEJ, Reverend David Ugolor in Abuja.
According to the report, the Federal Government under President Buhari has demonstrated the strong political will to fight corruption with the signing on to Open Government Partnership (OGP) and concrete efforts to implement all the 31 commitments made by Nigeria at the London summit.
Ugolor told the stakeholders including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), government officials, representative of the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria and the media among others, that while three out of the 31 commitments were completed, implementation of 20 is ongoing.
He said commendable progress had been made in some areas, adding that there was the need for the National Assembly to accelerate action in the passage of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition bill for it to be signed into law by the President.

The report indicated that the Nigerian government has also passed legislation to grant the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) autonomy, free from political interference.
“This is expected to improve their surveillance of the financial sector and track money laundering through the financial sector. The NFIU should publish a regular update on her activities,” it said.
While the report further noted that Nigeria was committed to work with interested countries to share information between respective public-private partnerships (PPPs) to ensure effective response to international money laundering, it however, said no evidence of new approach to forge working relation with foreign counterparts on information sharing except for what is being done by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Executive Director of ANEEJ, said the Federal Government has made reasonable progress in the establishment of transparency and accountability in the recovery and utilisation of looted assets, especially the $322.5 million repatriated from Switzerland and is being implemented for the Cash Transfer programme.
He said for the first time, CSOs were given unfettered access to the full implementation of the Cash Transfer programme.
He, however, expressed worry over the slow pace of legislative action in the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Bill, which is expected to institutionalise good practice in the areas.
He said: “ANEEJ has been monitoring the disbursement of $322.5 million late General Sani Abacha loot that was returned by the government of Switzerland through a project called Monitoring of Recovered Assets in Nigeria through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) with the support from UKAID.
“Working with CSO partners in all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, ANEEJ has successfully deployed over 500 monitors and supervisors across the states where the loot was being returned to the poorest of the poor through the National Cash Transfer Office in the Conditional Cash Transfer programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria in line with the memorandum of understanding signed by the Nigerian Government,” he said.
