*Urges probe into undue delay of the release of looted fund
publish the names of the contractors that are handling the projects and the locations of the projects in Bayelsa State.
IDI, a developmental initiative platform established by the Nigerian elite in the diaspora further enjoined President Tinubu-led administration to probe into the undue delay of the release of the one million United States Dollars (USD1m) estimated to be one billion, six hundred million Naira (N1,600, 000, 000) by the former Governor of Bayelsa State, late Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha grossly looted during his regime.
Sir Nicholas Ovie, Director of Media and Communications of the Integrity for Development Initiative (IDI), made this known in a press statement during the weekend.
According to Ovie, the looted fund by the former Alamieyeseigha was confiscated and repatriated by the US government to Nigerian under former President Muhammadu Buhari, and both counties agreed to use the said fund for the execution of standard health projects in each of the eight local government areas in Bayelsa State.
"The recovered loot came into Nigeria after the erstwhile Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), in agreement with the American government that the repatriated loot would be used for the health projects in Bayelsa State.
"It is instructive to note that the repatriation accord, which was duly signed by the two countries on February 16, 2023, in Abuja, has not been obeyed by the Nigerian government."
The group equally recalled with utter dismay that the project that was advertised in National Newspapers by the Federal Ministry of Justice through an Expression of interest for service providers to be engaged has not commenced to date.
He added: "The IDI as a body has eulogized the economic transformative ideas of President Bola Tinuto, seeing that the country's economy, which has been unbalancing because it was built on the flawed foundation of over-reliance on revenues from the exploitation of oil by the past governments, is stabilized.
He said the National leader of IDI, Professor Elliot Olufemi has acknowledged and appreciated the uneasy fight of the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu to rid of corruption, crime, and criminality in Nigeria; imploring Nigerians, especially those engaged by the President in his government, to accept responsibility as a duty and reject the convenient attitude of playing the victim.
In his words, Professor Olufemi opined that it's only unpatriotic acts and injustice that have undermined our progress as a nation and suggested that a nation independent from corruption, tribalism, disunity, and religious disharmony be built for a united and prosperous Nigeria.
"The IDI boss revealed that the body has resolved to send a delegation to Nigeria to incident the matter with the country's anti-graft agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC should investigate the Ministry's concerns to release the funds with immediate effect, as it has been confirmed by the United States authority that the funds are with the Ministry of Justice of Nigeria under the Central Bank of Nigeria.
"He vowed that the body would stop at nothing to recover the funds from any individual group or authority and use them for the purpose it intended.
"The Nigerian neurologist averred that those who may intend to divert the funds would be made to face the full wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others who attempt to indulge such crude inclination. The group is also calling on the Federal Ministry of Justice to publish the names of the contractors that are handling the projects and the locations of the projects in Bayelsa State," he concluded.
