The House of Representatives is to investigate monies allegedly looted by late Gen Sani Abacha but repatriated back to Nigeria from 1998 till date.
An ad hoc Committee mandated to carry out the assignment would be responsible for determining the source of the looted money as well as its utilisation till date.
In addition, the committee is to establish if and how much was paid to lawyers and consultants.
The House is also desirous of establishing if procedures were followed in the recovery or not, in addition to identifying all agreements entered into by the country and if the agreements were in accordance with the constitution.
Though yet to be constituted, the ad hoc committee has six weeks to carry out the investigation.
This followed a stiff opposition by most of the lawmakers to Federal government’s decision to directly distribute the latest tranche of $322m Abacha loot among most vulnerable Nigerians.
The lawmakers were angered by an alleged agreement (which they were not privy to) with the Swiss government on how the money was to be utilised.
The lawmakers’ anger followed a motion of urgent national importance by Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi), who said the Executive erred and breached the constitution by failing to remit the fund into the Consolidated Revenue Account (CRA).
Karimi in his submission noted that the Transparency International (TI) estimated that about $ trillion public revenue was snatched abroad by late General between 1993-1998, when he ruled the country.
He said following a plea bargain with the government by Abacha family in 2014, the loots were forfeited to the Federal government in exchange for dropping of all charges against Abacha’s son.
He said: “These Funds have been released to the Federation in several tranches by Swistzerland Government but without much disclosure to the public by Government.
“Recently, the Attorney General of the Federation signed an Agreement on behalf of the Government of the Federation on the release of the last tranche of $322m belonging to Nigeria.
“The Special Adviser to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Justice Reforms, Juliet lbekaku-Nwagwu was reported to have said that in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Switzerland Government and the Nigerian Government, the $322m will be paid directly to the accounts of the poorest Nigerians without recourse to the National Assembly.
“By virtue of Section 12 (i) of the Constitution, no treaty between the Federal Government of Nigeria and any other country shall have the force of law except to the extent to which such treaty has been enacted by the National Assembly.
“Consequently, no Agreement or Memorandum of Understanding purportedly signed by the Federal Government with the Switzerland Government can have any force of law in Nigeria, except approved and enacted by the National Assembly.
“Cognizant that by virtue of Section 80(1-3) and 81 of the Constitution all revenue raised and received by the Federal Government shall be paid to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Section 80(3) stipulates that no such monies raised shall be withdrawn from the CRF unless the issue of such funds has been authorised by the National Assembly.
“As a result, no monies can be paid or expended without National Assembly approval”.
Karimi implored his colleague to adopt his prayers as resolution of the House that the $322m to be released by the Switzerland Government be paid to the CRF and be distributed to the federating units in line with the current revenue sharing formula.
Also that the Federal Government should come up with a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, earmarking the funds due to it from the Abacha loot to the completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex Project.
In addition, that the Federal Executive should present to the National Assembly immediately, how much has been released from recovered loot and how they have been expended.
The prayers were discarded for Abdulmumnin Jubrin’s amendment that the loot be investigated from 1998 to date.
In their contributions, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP, Abia), Sunday Adepoju (APC, Oyo), Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje (PDP, Abia), Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta), Rita Orji (PDP, Lagos), Abubakar Adamu (APC, Niger) and Johnson Agbonayinma (APC, Edo) argued that the money should be paid into the CRF and then be used for the completion of Ajaokuta Steel company.
They also argued that the agreement with the Swiss government was void and of no consequence as it was not endorsed by the National Assembly.
They also said the Swiss government has no right to dictate to Nigeria how to spend its money.
Kayode Oladele (APC, Ogun) cautioned that the Swiss agreement was not entirely out of place but that the fund should be routed to the CRF.
Ahmad Keita (APC, Katsina) disagreed with his opposing colleagues saying it was reported in the past that recovered loots were relooted whereby most Nigerians were denied benefits of the repatriated money.
He wondered why his colleagues were complaining about the decision of the Executive, saying , “The federal government is doing the right thing and people are shouting here.
“Agreements are agreement, yes we aren’t under the Swiss goveternt but if we are trying to recover the money, there must be agreements”.
His colleagues shouted him down but he remained resolute in his argument saying “If the government is trying to do something for the most vulnerable, it is not wrong. If this opposition continues, we might end up not getting it again”.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara said there is a need for more clarification on the Nigeria – Switzerland Agreement on the loot and called for Jubrin’s amendment that was unanimously adopted.