The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN) has enjoined  Nigerians to use the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to get information about assets declared by anybody mostly public officers at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

He further said that it was impossible for the government to say exactly the  amount of stolen funds stashed abroad.

The Minister, yesterday, made this known during a media parley on Open Government Partnership (OPG). He said that “I think Nigeria is one of the limited numbers of nations that have, as a matter of obligation, passed the Freedom of Information Act.

Malami said Section 1 of the Act gives powers to individuals, corporate bodies and personalities to apply for information and have it made available by public institutions without any restriction.

“Section 1 of the Act vest powers in individuals, corporate bodies, and personalities to apply for information and have it made available without restriction.

“What I am saying in essence is that it is not only a policy statement, but a demonstration of legislative commitment and legislative action on the part of Nigeria as it relates to transparency of the process; not only restricted to the Code of Conduct Bureau, but in all circles of government.”

“I want to state that it is impossible to give you a clear cut figure but particularly against the background of complexities of issues associated with the recoveries,” he said. “Investigative processes are ongoing; it keeps changing by the minute, changing by the hour, changing by the day, depending on the prevailing circumstances.

“So, against the background of the complexities, against the background of the dynamics of the processes, and against the background of differences in law, it is not a position over which one can give categorical commitment which figures. But, that does not mean we do not have an idea of it on case-by-case basis. There are cases that are pending in court. There are cases that are subject to compromises and concessions with parties.

“So the heads are multiple, the approaches are different, the jurisdictions are dynamic and such categorical disclosure of figures is impossible at this hour because it all depends on the angle that we are to look at it,” Malami said.

Also at the event were the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Ekpo Nta, and a representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Babachir, Mohammed Nakoji.

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and representative of the Chairman of the CCB, Sam Saba, Dr Ademola Adebo also attended the event.