Nigeria Government launches Database and CCJIS tools for recovered loots

To enhance the transparency over the fight against corruption in the country the government of Nigeria has launched two tools - the Central Database on Recovered Asset and the Central Criminal Justice Information System (CCJIS), according to a news report by This Day.

The tools, offshoot of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations, 2019 and the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, were to give a bite to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration's war against corruption by preventing the re-looting of recovered assets and win international collaboration towards checkmating illicit financial flow and other crimes.

The scheme, which was unveiled by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in the presence of critical stakeholders, was aimed specifically at bringing into one central platform, recovered loots by the various anti-graft agencies in the country.

"What we are witnessing today is a product of our commitments, as a government towards the fight against corruption with particular reference to our membership of international organizations, inclusive of Financial Action Task Force, Open Government Partnership targeted at deepening transparency within this context of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

"The database that will be put in place will ensure uniformity of process and real-time access and information feeding," he said.

The minister, who noted that without the central database it would be difficult to know the exact figures of recovered assets disclosed that since 2018, Buhari has included recovered assets in the budget, adding that they are tied to specific infrastructural projects, including the Kano-Abuja Expressway, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and 2nd Niger Bridge, amongst others.

Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, Ugonna Ozurigbo, who represented the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the occasion, noted that asset tracing, recovery, and management is a core value of good governance.