FG Picks NGO To Monitor Spending Of $311m Abacha Loot

The Federal Government has picked a civil society organisation,)CSO) CLEEN Foundation, to monitor the spending of the last tranche of $311m repatriated funds looted by the late Head of State, Gen. Dani Abacha, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) said on Thursday. The money, which was repatriated in February this year, was say to have been earmarked for three landmark projects – the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Abuja-Kano Expressway and the Lagos-ibadan Expressway. The Special Assistant to the AGF, stated that “the purpose of the involvement of the CSO was to increase transparency in the management of the recovered funds” He said the approval of CLEEN Foundation to carry out the monitoring of the spending of the fund came after a presentation made by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on the competitive bidding process involving 17 Nigerian and International civil society and business organisations. The selection process included the participation of the other two countries that signed the tripartite agreement for the return of the Abacha three stolen assets, United States of America and the Bailiwick of Jersey.