‎Reps drop motion on recovered assets, loots

The House of Representatives on Wednesday dropped a motion that sought to “urge the Federal Government to submit to the National Assembly within 30 days a detailed report on the total amounts and assets that have been recovered from public officials since May, 2015.”

‎The motion was listed on the Order Paper against a sponsor, Honourable Uchechuku Nnam-Obi.

The Deputy Chairman, House committee on Rules and Business, Honourable Bode Ayorinde, moved that the motion be stepped down; but in his ruling, the Speaker, Honourable Yakubu Dogara ruled that the motion was withdrawn by the leave of the House.

The motion as contained in the order paper averred that it had become necessary for the Federal Government to furnish the National Assembly with full details of the recovered loot and what it has been used for, owing to keenness with which Nigerians have followed the anti-corruption war.

A 30 days ultimatum was proposed for the presidency to submit the list of recoveries to the National Assembly, Nnam-Obi urged the Federal Ministry of Justice to ensure that quarterly reports on the various amounts and assets recovered are submitted to the National Assembly.

The lawmaker commended the Federal Government for confronting corruption in an effective manner, noting that in order to ensure proper monitoring of recovered assets and funds, a Presidential Committee on Recovered Assets was set up by government under the leadership of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, with the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, the Department of State Service (DSS) and Presidential Advisory Committee on War Against Corruption as members of the committee.

According, to the motion, “We however have to take cognisance of the fact that considering the importance of the recovered funds to the revival of the nation’s economy and the interest being shown by many Nigerians in the matter, there is a need for the Federal Government to submit to the National Assembly Reports on the amount and assets so far recovered and how they are being ploughed back into the economy.”

Committees on Special Duties and Financial Crimes were to be mandated to ensure implementation as part of the proposed resolution.