President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated his commitment to trace Nigeria’s stolen oil funds to foreign banks where they are stashed and recover them. Buhari, made the vow while receiving visiting United States Congressmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
According to a statement released by Special Adviser to President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Buhari acknowledged the cooperation his administration was getting from the international community in gathering intelligence for tracing and recovering stolen national resources. “We are getting cooperation from the international community, including information on ships that take crude oil from Nigeria and change direction or pour their contents into other ships mid-stream. Some monies were paid to individual accounts. We are identifying the financial institutions and countries that are involved. I have been assured that when we get all our documents together, the United States and other countries will treat our case with sympathy,’’ the President told the US Congressmen led by Representative Darrel Issa.
Buhari also said his administration would welcome more regular meetings of the Nigeria-United States Bi-National Commission. “President Buhari noted that the Commission could serve as a more useful platform for the promotion of bilateral trade and economic relations as well as joint cooperation in the war against terrorism,” Adesina said.
On his part, Issa assured President Buhari that the United States will support Nigeria in fighting Boko Haram by providing training, intelligence and military platforms. “We look forward to helping you in many ways to end the Boko Haram insurgency and the theft of crude oil in the Gulf of Guinea,’’ he said.
By Olisemeka Obeche
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