Releasing the names of persons from whom the federal government
has recovered looted funds and assets may jeopardize ongoing
investigations, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said.
While the government released a list of sums of monies and assets
already recovered in the last one year, names of individuals involved were not
included.
"We have released the list of recovered loot, we know people
are are asking for the names, but releasing the names may jeopardize
ongoing investigations," the Vice President said today at the Presidential
Villa during a meeting with a delegation of the European Union led by the EU
Ambassador in Nigeria, Mr. Michel Arrion.
The Vice President also explained that the federal government is
engaging leaders and people of the Niger Delta regarding the spate of attacks
on oil installations in the area, an act he stated amounts to economic
sabotage. But besides reaching out to the people in the area, government is
also beefing up security he assured.
According to him, the focus of the Buhari presidency "is to
ensure that the man on the street in the Niger Delta receives the benefit from
all that is available there," while calling on the leaders in the region
to be accountable to the people.
Prof. Osinbajo added that government is working round the clock to
minimize the losses arising from the attacks, adding that "we are talking,
we are ensuring that we minimize losses and we are stepping up
security. We are also engaging the international oil companies, IOCs, to see
what options exists."
On economic issues, the Vice President restated government's
commitment to drive its diversification policy and encouraged investors from
European countries to take advantage of the situation especially in the
agro-allied/processing industry.
He restated the determination of the administration to ensure
that the ease of doing business ranking in Nigeria goes up by at least 20 steps
in the World Bank rating.
To this end, he said the President has approved
the composition of a Presidential Commission on the matter to be chaired by
himself, the VP, and Industry, Trade & Investment Minister, Dr. Okey
Enelamah as Vice Chairman. "In the next few months, we should be
seeing some changes," he promised.
Earlier Ambassador Arrion said he came to hold consultations
with the Vice President as a follow-up on President Buhari's meeting with
EU leaders during his visit to the continent, adding that "Nigeria
has a huge market we can invest in. It is also a place we can export
from."
Both the Vice President and the European Union Envoy also
discussed the EU trade deal with ECOWAS, the Economic Partnership Agreement,
EPA, which was also one of the main issues tabled at the meeting of West
African leaders over the weekend in Dakar.
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