Looted Funds: FG Recovers N3.4 Trn Cash, Assets – Amaechi

The Federal Government has so far recovered a whopping
N3.4 trillion in cash and assets from looters in the country,
the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi has
said.
Amaechi also said that the federal government discovered
N115 billion looted cash and assets in the United States,
United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.
The Minister made those disclosures in the United
Kingdom while speaking at the 34th Cambridge University
International Symposium on Economic Crime yesterday.
“Our president has stopped at nothing to demonstrate that
whosoever is caught in corruption related crimes will not
be spared. In his days as military Head of State and
through other positions he has held in public life, he has
upheld a life of integrity. He is a typical example of how a
leader can inspire committed followership through the force
of example,” Amaechi stated.
“As someone who has been in active politics for more than
30 years, I have learnt that many well-intended reforms
are possible only if the leader can offer the requisite
leadership and muster the right political will.
Amaechi continued, “In my country, since our President,
Muhammadu Buhari, was elected, he did not leave anyone
in doubt that the fight against corruption will not only be
taken seriously, but will form a cardinal plank of his policy
direction.”
He said further, “So far, he has made several
pronouncements that set the tone of his commitment to
strengthening anti-corruption agencies to go after anyone
who has questions to answer.”
“The president’s resolve was enough signal to all of us,
members of his cabinet and the citizenry, that an end has
come for the old ways of doing things. Currently, many
people who have been indicted in one form of corrupt
practice or another are being prosecuted in our courts.
That, I believe is the way to show leadership and take
responsibility.”
“Another important factor is what I refer to as the force of
example. There is very little any leader can achieve if he
talks the right political talk without offering personal
examples.
In these days of internet and social media revolution,
citizens often spend time to scrutinize the reputation and
activities of any leader to find out if they are consistent
with what he or she stands for in the media. Essentially
leaders must practice what they preach if they expect to
be taken seriously both by those within their organisations,
state or country or outside,” he added.
“They should be held accountable. Leadership is expected
to do three simple things, perhaps four: upholding the
primacy of leadership and political will, insisting on the
force of example, enforcing the urgency of incentives and
the necessity of sanctions and finally by leveraging on the
power of partnership,” he said.