Nigeria says it is willing to fully cooperate with the U.S. to ensure that government officials who steal public funds do not find a safe harbour in that country. Adebowale Adefuye, Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., told reporters in Washington D.C on Saturday, that a zero-tolerance to corruption remained a key feature of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Senior U.S. Government officials had confirmed the revocation of visas granted to some former government officials linked to corrupt practices.
U.S Government officials said the restrictions would be extended to families and cronies of such government officials. Adefuye described the development as most “welcome’’, citing the present administration’s stated determination to curtail tendencies that give the country a bad name in the international community. “I have not been officially informed (of the revocations) but if my opinion is sought, I will support any move to discourage corruption.
“They should not revoke only their visas but also that of their children and families not only in Nigeria, but also in Africa,’’ he said. The Nigerian envoy urged western countries to repatriate stolen funds to Africa, adding that a lack of political will and legal technicalities had made it impossible for such loot to return to national confers, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
“During my days in the Commonwealth Secretariat in London I used to tell the British, American and the French that one way you can help us is to make sure that those who steal our money do not use technical legalities to escape. “They must find a way of revoking their visas because when they steal that money, they take it to overseas countries to deposit in Swiss banks and the rest of them,” he said.
He recalled that at the level of Commonwealth nations, a scheme was launched to return stolen assets to Africa, but many states in the western hemisphere had not fully cooperated with that initiative. On the political situation in the country, Adefuye argued that there was stability, highlighting several government’s efforts to diversify the nation’s economy and boost its prosperity. He said Nigeria would not allow the negative activities of a few to rub-off its determination to improve relations with the international community.
Ahead of the 2011 polls, the ambassador said the current President had not made up his mind whether to contest or not, saying “President Goodluck Jonathan has every right to contest if he so desires”. He expressed confidence in the ability of the new helmsman at INEC to conduct credible elections next year. “On the international scene we want to remain an active player, Nigeria has always played a leading role in Africa and we regard it as a mark of destiny,’’ he said.
He outlined the four main objectives of the present administration as ensuring good governance and democracy, rule of law, diversification of the economy and strengthening the amnesty programme for Niger-Delta militants.