CLEEN Foundation team led by its Executive Director, Gad Peter on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) in Abuja.
The visit was part of the Foundation’s commitment to carry governmental and non-governmental actors and critical stakeholders along in delivering its role of monitoring the implementation of asset recovery from foreign countries in Nigeria.
In his presentation to the Minister, Peter said, “I am keenly aware of the devastating impact of corruption on societies, including eroding trust and the ability of governments to deliver to their citizens. It is in recognition of the role corruption plays in undermining democracy that governments around them consider the fight against corruption as a core national security interest.
“In line with the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all Nigerians, The CLEEN Foundation on the 10th of February 2021 was appointed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the USA Government as the civil society organization to provide effective monitoring of the implementation of the tripartite agreement on the sharing, transfer, disposition, repatriation, and management of the Forfeited Assets. The funds are primarily for infrastructural development namely: Abuja-Kano Road, Second River Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“It is safe to say that, the monitoring shows, by and large that the projects are reaching their completion stages. This monitoring effort is exactly the kind of commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusion of non-governmental stakeholders in asset returns that was envisaged in Open Government Partnerships that we need to see happen more routinely at both State and National levels.
“I look forward to subsequent phases of these innovations, which would focus on the use of recovered loot for specific social programmes, which directly benefit poor and vulnerable Nigerians who have been victims of the grand scale corruption, which has characterized governance in Nigeria over the years.”