The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN)
President Muhammadu Buhari
THE federal government has saved about N4.5 trillion from the successful defence of cases brought against it from 2015 to 2017.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, disclosed at the end of the over six-hour meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
It was part of his ministry’s scorecard which formed part of his presentation to council earlier as ministers continued to render an account of their stewardship to the council.
“Fundamentally arising from the cases that were conducted by the Federal Ministry of Justice, the ministry has succeeded in saving the government around N4.5 trillion relating to the claims that were presented in respect of these cases which cases were indeed conducted and concluded,” he said.
He added that government has put in place a committee saddled with the responsibilities of coming up with policies and strategies that will ease off congestion of prisons.
According to him, over 70 percent of the inmates are awaiting trials while a sizeable number could not afford to pay the limited fine that has been imposed by them arising from their convictions.
He added: “There are those awaiting trials that have never seen the courtroom for over five years and above and indeed there is multiple legislation that is before the national assembly that is intended to support the decongestion of prison formation process.
“We equally presented a scorecard as to cases both civil, criminal that were prosecuted by the Federal Ministry of Justice and their implications as to savings that were done for the government commencing from 2015 to the present time.
On Boko Haram suspected terrorists ongoing trial, he disclosed that the total number of convictions so far is 255 and those discharged is 737.
The minister said he also briefed FEC on the way forward for the trial as well as making a presentation on a plea bargain.
“There are a lot of pending criminal cases in respect of which the accused persons standing trials made offers for a plea bargain,” Malami added.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama, spoke on the various financial interventions President Muhammadu Buhari had made for his ministry from 2016.
Special intervention fund to rescue many embassies in destroying in several countries of the world.
He stated: “First was in 2016 when the Naira was fluctuating terribly and of course the dollars. Our embassies were receiving a raid were too low to sustain them.
“We received initially N16.3 billion and was successfully distributed to all embassies.
“The second one was N933 million for renovations and other debts released in October 2017.
The third was $32 million that was released for critically distressed 65 missions that were in serious debts and crisis.
“This was approved in November 2017 and we are in the process of distributing to the embassies around the world.
“Another one, $28 million and is in the process of also being distributed and finally for ministry headquarters, the sum of N7 billion was made.
“A lot of the debts and the crisis in our embassies and missions around the world have been building over the last 10 years and Mr President decided that he will no longer accept the situation where we are sending Nigerians out to represent this country and not giving them the resources to be able to carry out their tasks.
“Hence he made provisions and directed that these funds should be released to them.”
Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, presented high nutrient biscuit developed and proposed for inclusion in the federal government’s School Feeding Programme.
He said the high nutrient density products will provide at least a third of the desired major macro and micronutrients requirement stipulated by the World Health Organisation, Food and Nutrition Board.
He added: “Additionally, the products will be produced by NASCO Foods Limited, Jos that have state-of-the-art processing equipment with vast experience in Food processing, Food Safety and quality for production and supply chain nationwide.
“The developed nutritious products have been tested using Nasco Food processing facilities in Jos and have been found to be technically and economically viable.
“The pupils in the schools in Jos and Lagos where the sensory evaluation and consumer acceptability studies were done showed strong likeness for the products and are ready to consume the products if included in the school feeding program.”
The Minster of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi also made briefed on the presentations the made to FEC and the contracts approved.