Corruption: Why We Established Central Database On Assets Recovery, Malami

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has explained that the establishment of the Central Database is aimed at deepening the nation’s transparency and accountability in handling of recovered loots from corrupt individuals in the fight against corruption.

He spoke while launching the Central Database on recovered asset and the Central Criminal Justice Information System under the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which is sited within the Federal ministry of justice.

He said that the Database will ensure uniformity of process and real time access and information feeding.

According to the Minister, “It may interest you to know that the government identified the need for the deployment of technology, the need to establish the desired collaboration in true budget process.

“We had wanted for the first time in 2018 to factor the recovered assets into our budget line and it became practically impossible on account of a data that is reliable, a data that we can call with precision in terms of factoring into our budget arrangements.

“It with that challenge in mind that Mr. President sanctioned collaboration among the anti-corruption agencies and in deed sanctioned the deployment of technology for the purpose of having in place a system whereby the government can access data at any moment without necessarily having recourse to individual agencies.

“I’m in deed happy to report to you that for the first time, starting from 2018, that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, have succeeded in factoring recovered assets into the budget line operational arrangement of the Federal Government.

Also, he said that recovered assets are now for the first time dedicated and tied to particular projects, citing that the recovered assets from United States Ireland of Jersey were expressly and specifically appropriated in the budget and not only appropriated, but deployed into infrastructural development of Kano-Abuja Expressway, Lagos- Ibadan expressway and second Niger Bridge.
the country.

Further, Section 3(d) of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management (ATRM) Regulations, 2019 provides for a Centralized Database for storage of recovered assets.

The objectives of the Centralized Database for recovered assets are as follows: Centralized asset depository for easy coordination for all stakeholders with regards to asset management;

Provide timely access on all recovered asset within and outside Nigeria;

Assist in the collection and collation of data for statistical analysis on assets recovered by Nigeria;

Adequate record keeping to confirm the status of assets whether interim, seized or final forfeiture;

Strengthens the efficiency of the Anti-corruption Agencies and Law Enforcement Agencies by keeping records on recovered assets and making the records accessible and also avoid duplication of records of assets among agencies;

Prevents the re-looting of recovered assets as is often the case in the past;

assist citizens, civil society organisations and journalists as well as general public to monitoring recovered assets and disposal of the assets;

Serves as a reference point and source of information on recovered assets; and Assist researchers with research materials and other information regarding recovered assets.