FG has spent Abacha's loot on lifting citizens out of poverty - Uwais
- The federal government says it it is spending recovered funds looted by former head of state, Sani Abacha, on eradicating poverty
- Maryam Uwais, special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, explains that an International Development Association (IDA) credit is also spent on the poor
- Uwais says the action follows the agreement reached between Nigeria and the stakeholders
The federal government is spending recovered looted funds by the late former head of state, General Sani Abacha, on addressing the troubles of poor Nigerians, Maryam Uwais, special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on social investments has said.
Speaking on Monday, October 21, at a public function in Port Harcourt, Rivers, Uwais said that between August/September 2018 and September/October payment 2019, the total cumulative amount disbursed from the Abacha loot is $76,538,530 and $27,099,028 from the International Development Association (IDA) credit.
A statement by the communication manager of the national social investment office, Tienabeso Bibiye, quoted Uwais as saying this at a two-day experts’ training and advocacy on tracing and recovery of illicit funds and assets in Port Harcourt.
At the event organsed by the human environmental development agenda in Port Harcourt, Uwais said: "The funds are specifically being disbursed to beneficiaries of the national cash transfer programme (a component of the National Social Investment Programme N-SIP).
“The gesture is positively changing the fortunes of many Nigerians who find themselves below the poverty line, based on the data collated in the communities and hosted on the national social register."
According to her, the decision to distribute the Abacha loot and IDA funds to poor and vulnerable citizens was reached by the Swiss government, the World Bank and the federal government.
She added that this was meant to ensure that the funds were well utilised and not diverted to private pockets, as was the case in the past.
“In December 2014, a Swiss judge gave a forfeiture order to the effect that monies (322.5 million dollars) recovered from the family of the late General Abacha would be returned to Nigeria.
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“One of the conditions being that, the World Bank would be involved in monitoring disbursements there from,” she said adding that the needs of the people should be taken into consideration in the efforts to tackle poverty in the country.
Legit.ng earlier reported that chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay, recently promised that more former governors will be convicted for corruption.
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Source: Legit.ng
