UK no longer safe for looters – Minister

 

The United Kingdom, UK, would no longer be a safe heavens for looters of African resources and treasury, the UK Minister for Africa and Department For International Development, (DFID), Rt Hon Grant Shapps has said.

Shapps said corruption, money laundering and culture of impunity

have done incalculable damage to Africa development so much that the UK government has to protect the integrity of its financial system by exposing those who want to cart away the resources of the continent.

Consequently Rt Hon Shapps said the UK government would provide all the necessary support for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for taking the lead in fighting corruption in the continent.

Rt Hon Shapps made the remarks Tuesday at Government House, Kaduna, at the launch of a 100 million pounds public sector accountability and governance programme initiated by the UK government to support Nigeria in its development agenda.

“Corruption in Nigeria also affects the UK directly. Where we have evidence, we will continue to take action to protect the integrity of the UK’s financial system and prevent its use for money laundering purposes “, Rt Hon Shapps who was accompanied by top British Embassy officials including its High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright said.

He said the United Kingdom government was committed to assisting Nigeria in increasing its security, stability and prosperity by ensuring that the war against corruption which President Buhari is waging is given maximum support.

He assured that the UK government would further assist in building Nigeria’s vital institutions to fight corruption and insecurity, stressing that no efforts would be spared in bringing punitive measures against those who are bent on carting away the nation’s wealth.

Addressing the gathering which includes the representatives of Kano and Jigawa state governments, the Minister said: “Nigeria matters to the UK. The UK is fully committed to helping Nigeria increase its security, stability and prosperity. Tackling corruption is imperative to that. We share and support President Buhari’s stated commitment to rooting it out.

“We will continue to provide capacity building and technical and investigative support to Nigeria to tackle corruption and are scaling up this support”, noting that

“we have an opportunity now to develop a comprehensive partnership across these areas; I hope that we can work together to quickly drive this forward”.

While stressing on the 100 million pounds Public sector accountability and governance programme support by the British government, Shapps said that the programme, “first is to build institutions that are accountable and able to meet citizens needs.”

He also stated; “to enhance scrutiny of public expenditure through parliamentary oversight and citizen engagement to hold government to account; and thirdly, to increase evidence of what works and what does so officials and citizen can make informed decisions about government’s activities”.

Shapps argued that; “to fight poverty you need lots of things . You need to end conflict. You need to make sure medicines and health workers are there. You need to ensure people have food. You need to ensure you have jobs”.

“But for all these things to happen, you need to end corruption. You need to make sure that the money is used well. That public services reach citizens-including the poor. You need to ensure that you have an environment that allows businesses to invest their money and create jobs-without unnecessary red tape. You need public institutions that make it easy for citizens to access services without having to pay bribe”.

The British Minister however noted that; “none of this can happen where corruption is allowed to thrive”, adding, “Corruption is bad for development, bad for poor people and bad for business”.

“Corruption takes away public trust in public officials and government institutions. Corruption distorts competitive markets and lead to reallocation of resources. If not tackled, corruption on a grand scale, and those that practice it, will ultimately destroy Nigeria.”

He pledged that the British government will continue to close collaboration with Nigerian authorities to ensure that the menace is eradicated, while insisting that “this programme will help government to open up and be more transparent.”

Mr. Shapps further stressed that the British government will continue to expose those Nigerians that carted the nation’s resources away to its territory illegally as punitive measure will be taken against them.

He said: “corruption in Nigeria also affects the UK directly. Where we have evidence, we will continue to take action to protect the integrity of the UK’s financial system and prevent its use for money laundering purposes.

“We will continue to collaborate closely with Nigeria authorities on this. There will be no impunity on our side and we will take action fairly and promptly against anyone commitment criminal offences in areas under UK jurisdiction. Where assets are recovered, we will take them to Nigeria as soon as we can so they can be used for the proper benefit of Nigerian development.

“We will ensure that British businesses operating in Nigeria do so in full compliance with the provisions of the OECD anti-bribery convention and the UK Bribery Act. We are committed to rigorous enforcement and expect the highest standards of business integrity from British business operation in Nigeria. This is the only right for good business but also should heal Nigerian business and authorities clean up their acts and meet the highest standards of business integrity.”

In his remarks, Kaduna state Governor Malam Nasril El-Rufai lauded the British Minister and his entourage, saying that the coming of the Buhari’s government in Nigeria was a divine intervention to correct all the ills that had plagued the nation in the past.

El-Rufai also commended the British Government for its role in ensuring a peaceful election in Nigeria, saying the present government in Nigeria would not let the international community down on the issues of development in the country.