By Ebere Agozie
The Federal Government will partner with the Bayelsa Government to ensure implementation of projects from the proceeds from returned assets of the state.
Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the Solicitor General of the Federation made this known on Friday at the opening of bids precess for the recruitment of the Civil Society Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations for projects under the Bayelsa returned assets.
The Solicitor General who was represented by Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Justice Sector Reforms said the CSOs chosen would be for both implimentations and monitoring of the projects.
“We have two lots that organisations bided for, lot one is about the recruitment of the Non-governmental organisations that will be responsible for the implementation of the projects.
“Lot two is for the civil society organisations who will monitor and supervise the projects.
“These assets are loots reclaimed from the former governor of Bayelsa State, Mr Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and returned to Nigeria by the United States.
“These assets, worth about nine hundred and fifty-four thousand US dollars were recovered and returned to Nigeria in February.
“We signed an agreement with the United States to specifically use the proceed for the renovation of primary health centres in Bayelsa.
“These projects include identifying, in collaboration with the Bayelsa state government specific health care centres across the state that will be renovated for the benefit of the Bayelsa people”.
She said that the Nigerian government agreed to use a third party instead of using any of the government parastatals whether at the federal or state level to implement the projects.
“The whole idea is to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Again, it will also empower our CSOs and NGOs in this country to be able to do those things that will ensure that citizens actually benefit from these assets,” she added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the United States had in February signed an agreement with the Nigerian government for the return of the stolen assets.
Alamieyeseigha, was governor of Bayelsa between 1999 and 2005 and died in October 2015.
He was arrested in London in September 2005 over corruption allegations but managed to jump bail and returned to Nigeria.
He was removed from office by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in December 2005 to face trial.
Although he was later pardoned by the then President Goodluck Jonathan administration, Alamieyeseigha was convicted on July 26, 2007 by the Federal High Court after he pleaded guilty to corruption charges and conceded to the forfeiture of assets confiscated from him.
Based on mutual cooperation, funds traced to him in the United Kingdom and the United States were also confiscated. (NAN)
