Assets Recovery: ANEEJ unveils policy brief, urges implementation of global principles

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has called for effective implementation of Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) principles in asset return and management in Nigeria.

Rev. David Ugolor, Executive Director, ANEEJ made the call on Wednesday in Abuja, at the inauguration of its policy brief on assessing the implementation of key GFAR principles in asset return and management.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the publication is the outcome of a six-month research commissioned in Oct. 2024, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), British High Commission.

GFAR was established as an outcome of the London Anti-corruption Summit held in 2016 and hosted by the UK government.

The summit pointed to the provision of Article 57 of UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) that calls for the proceeds of corruption to be identified, seized, legally confiscated and returned to the countries of origin.

Speaking at the unveiling, Ugolor identified the 10 GFAR Principles as partnership between transferring and receiving countries; mutual interest; dialogue throughout proceedings; transparency and accountability; return of assets to beneficiaries.

Ugolor included others as strengthening anti-corruption and development; participation and inclusion of CSOs; preclusion of offenders from benefits; recovered assets agreement and disbursement, among others.

He recalled that at the inaugural GFAR, held U.S, in 2017, Nigeria, Ukraine, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, UK and U.S adopted the 10 principles for disposition and transfer of confiscated stolen assets.

He said since then, Nigeria and its international partners had worked to build these principles into a range of international asset return agreements and Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for implementation.

“It was at the Global Forum on Asset Recovery that the agreement for the repatriation of 322.5 million dollars recovered Abacha loot was signed.

“Since then, Nigeria has recovered stolen asset from various foreign jurisdictions including the 311.8 million dollars Abacha loot from the Bailiwick of Jersey in 2020.

“It includes the 5.5 million Euro Abacha loot recovered from Northern Island in 2020, the 954,807.40 million dollars Alamieyesiegha loot recovered from the U.S.A in 2023, and many others.

“All these events justified the necessity for ANEEJ to undertake comprehensive research to assess the implementation of Key GFAR Principles in Asset Return and Management in Nigeria, covering the past five years,” he said.

He said the research particularly examined the application of the GFAR Principles relating to transparency and accountability, non-government stakeholders inclusion, return of assets to beneficiaries, preclusion of benefit to offenders, improving asset recovery and management framework in Nigeria.

He said the policy brief would be used to influence advocacy priority for stakeholders working on illicit financial flow globally.

Ugolor said it would improve asset recovery and management by stakeholders from the Ministries of Justice and Youth Development, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Open Government Partnership (OGP) Secretariat, anti-corruption agencies and CSOs.

He, however, thanked its development partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), its donor – the FCDO, the British High Commission, the U.S. Embassy among others.

Mr William Robinson, Lead, Governance and Stability Block, FCDO, British High Commission, while commending the policy brief, said the UK had a long history of collaborating with stakeholders in Nigeria in the global fight against corruption.

“We maintained close partnerships with law enforcement agencies in Nigeria to cooperate on joint investigations and to tackle shared threats

“We believe citizens should have transparent sight of how government does business and be able to constructively challenge anti-corruption efforts,” he said.

Robinson said globally, and in Nigeria, it had supported mechanisms to enable assets recovery management and Open Government Partnership and Extractives
Industries Transparency Initiative.

He said the UK and Nigeria had both made great strides respective Proceeds of Crime legislations and the active asset recovery efforts pursued by their law enforcement agencies.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)