By Emmanuel Elebeke

THE Federal Government has called for the support of the United Nations, UN in fighting corruption, which it said is as dangerous and devastating as the fight against insecurity.

The Minister of Information and Culture, made the request yesterday, while receiving the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa, Mr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, who paid him a courtesy visit on Friday in Abuja.

He told the UN envoy that the Federal Government had set up an inter-agency Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR) as part of its efforts to strengthen the ongoing fight against corruption.

Mohammed disclosed that the PCAR, which was set up on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Council Against Corruption and will over-sight the anti-corruption agenda and coordinate asset recovery process.

The Minister said the PCAR, which is headed by the Vice President, is coordinating the collation and categorization of recovered assets from 2015-2016; verifying the records and status of physical assets such as buildings recovered under previous administration and setting up the framework for Management of Recovered Stolen Asset to avoid re-looting and mismanagement of asset as was experienced in the past.

He said the creation of asset register for recovered stolen assets and other government assets to avoid a situation where former or even serving public officers carry away government assets like vehicles, computers etc. sometimes in multiples is also part of the mandate of the committee.