The Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARDI) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to re-appoint Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice.
The Executive Secretary of ARDI, Dennis Aghanya, who made the call on Sunday in Abuja, noted that Malami opened new windows in assets recovery through many innovations.
Aghanya said the justice ministry, under Malami, recovered N279bn looted funds between May, 2015, and November, 2017.
He further said Malami, who is among those confirmed as ministerial nominees by the National Assembly, created the necessary legal framework for whistleblowers, which he added, encouraged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to operate effectively in the fight against corruption without fear of intimidation.
“As at May 29, 2015, the balance in the recovery account of the government stood at about N19.5bn, but with his avalanche of innovations in the judicial sector, as at November 22, 2017, the balance in the recovery account of the Federal Government increased to about N279bn. Since then, recoveries of government assets have been on the increase in geometrical order,” Aghanya, who masterminded the petition which led to the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, for misconduct, said,
He further said, in the spirit of accountability and transparency, the former justice minister took steps further to ensure proper management of recovered assets by encouraging the “Proceeds of Crime Bill”, which he noted, took into consideration the efficient and transparent management of all recovered assets of the Federal Government.
He attributed the concept of Executive Orders by the president to Malami, noting that it had improved governance and accounted for the speedy implementation of most government policies.
“We commend Mr. President for nominating Mr. Malami as minister and urge him to ensure that he continues as the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice as he assigns portfolio to the nominees,” Aghanya said.
