By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the World Bank to do all within its powers to facilitate the speedy repatriation to Nigeria of stolen funds still being held by Swiss authorities.
Speaking at a meeting with the visiting Managing Director of the World Bank, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati, the President said the repatriation of the additional $320 million US dollars in Switzerland, identified as illegally taken from Nigeria under the Abacha administration, would help to ease the current economic hardship facing the country.
The President assured Ms Indrawati that the present administration was taking appropriate steps to ensure that public funds are no longer stolen or misappropriated by government officials.
“We need the support of the World Bank for the repatriation of the funds. We are as concerned as the World Bank about accountability. If such repatriated funds have been misapplied in the past, I assure you that the same will not happen with us. $320 million is a lot of money and we will not allow it to be misappropriated or diverted,’’ she said.
In her remarks, Ms. Indrawati told the President that the World Bank was ready to use its knowledge, expertise and resources to help Nigeria achieve faster growth and development.
‘‘We will strongly support you to create jobs and ensure prosperity in Nigeria.
“We would like to know how we can help Nigeria to make the very important decisions, whether on micro economic policies and other sectoral policies that will make this economy to move forward to become a strong middle-income country to have a much more inclusive growth, to have a vibrant economic activity and creating job and eradicating poverty,” she said.
She said the Nigerian economy, like many other countries in the world, was now facing weak global economy, low commodity price in goods and oil price, challenge of climate change and insecurity.
