FEDERAL government has accused foreign countries of
frustrating its efforts toward eradication of corruption and the
repatriation of ill-gotten wealth in their respective countries.
The minister of foreign affairs, Ambassador Oluyemi
Adeniyi who revealed this at a ministerial press briefing yesterday,
explained that very few of them are willing to listen and discuss with
Nigeria in its quest.
According to him, it is unfortunate to observe that
Nigeria's quest for financial resources to ensure sustainable economic
recovery and development has always received a set-back from such foreign
countries to which looted funds have been traced.
To this end, he said: �Nigerian diplomats have played
vanguard roles in the conclusion of an international convention on the
eradication of corruption and the repatriation of the proceeds of corruption
adding: �some progress has however been made in contacts with a few
countries,'' he noted.
He explained that at the inception of the democratic
regime of Obasanjo, the resuscitation of the economy for the wellbeing of
the Nigerian people was identified as a cardinal challenge.
The Obasanjo administration, he said, acknowledged that
for desired economic growth to take root, the resources of the country would
have to be effectively harnessed for investment in the productive sectors to
stimulate the economy.
In addition, he pointed out, efforts are going to be
focused on the contribution which international cooperation can make to the
growth of the economy, in which several sources which include official
development, assistance, trade with other countries, exploring multilateral
interventions as well as working for the repatriation of the immense fortune
of Nigeria looted and stashed away in foreign countries were identified.
Ambassador Adeniyi explained that his ministry has
embarked upon a renewed programme of strengthening bilateral economic
cooperation with other countries through the resuscitation of joint economic
cooperation agreements and carrying out vigorous implementation of the
agreements.
The ministry, he said, is jointly working with other
ministries in the area of multi-lateral trade negotiations of the World
Trade Organisation aimed at opening markets of developed countries to
products of export interest to Nigeria.
"To this end, every opportunity is taken to publicise government's
economic reforms, particularly in the areas of governance service delivery,
fighting corruption and enhancing transparency in government�s procurement
etc.,'' he added.
