We used ₦1 trillion recovered loot to uplift poor Nigerians – Sagay

By Kalu Onyemaechi

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay, has said ₦1 trillion recovered loot has been recycled to uplift vulnerable Nigerians.

According to The PUNCH, Sagay said this at a briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, adding that ₦1bn stolen funds had been recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

“Total recoveries are hovering around the ₦1tn mark, and even more remarkably, these recoveries have been recycled into the budget to uplift the oppressed and most vulnerable victims of corruption, namely, the young unemployed youths, young school children, who can now enjoy one free nutritional meal a day at school, extremely poor families who now receive the conditional cash transfer of ₦5,000 a month and women, youths, farmers, etc, who now receive interest free loans to capitalise their small scale businesses,” he said.

The PACAC chairman said asides from the recovery of loot, the committee trained anti-graft officers, prosecutors, and investigators to enable them to execute their duties effectively.

He added, “We have conducted over 60 activities, many workshops and seminars for the judiciary, from the magistracy to appellate courts. Other beneficiaries include prosecutors and anti-corruption agencies.

“These have resulted in these stakeholders having an improved understanding of their individual roles in the criminal justice system, both in its substantive and procedural aspects.

“The impact of these efforts is reflected in the increased number of cases filed and concluded and the improvement in the rate of conviction of looters.”