The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, on Wednesday said the ministry needs N30 billion appropriation annually to offset judgment debts burden incured since 2017.
Malami also revealed that the Federal Government judgement debt totals N150 billion today.
The AGF spoke in Abuja during 2020 budget defence of the ministry before the Senator Opeyemi Bamidele-led Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
He said the staggering figure arose from bad cases, damages, contract failures, and fines against human rights abuses which the ministry has failed to meet.
“The Ministry of Justice was mandated to take inventory and explore avenues for the payment of judgment debts which have become problematic.
“This has arisen because it was only in 2017 that the sum of N10bn was disbursed for the payment of judgment debts as appropriated.
“As it stands, the sum of over N150bn remains unpaid, prompting beneficiaries of this sum to keep mounting pressures on the ministry.
“Distinguished members of this committee are hereby respectively requested to intervene on this long standing vex issue by appropriating the sum of N30bn annually to mitigate this challenge.”
The minister urged the Senate committee to approve 2.5% commission for those involved in the recovery of looted assets.
“May I humbly disclose that we are progressively making vital recovery of our looted funds stashed abroad.
“However, let me affirm that the legal procedural requirements for these recoveries are altogether taxing and cumbersome.
“Besides, most times we have to engage the services of well-grounded lawyers and consultants to effect recovery which were promptly deposited at Federal Government treasury.
“To smoothen our operations in this regard, it was deemed expedient to establish asset recovery unit in my office.
“So far, their efforts are quite salutary even in the face of zero requisite commission from recovery.
“I would like to reiterate my earlier request to the effect that about 2.5 per cent of recovered looted money should be earmarked to the asset recovery unit to service logistics, operational cost, payment to private lawyers and consultants,” he said.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, had earlier said the Senate’s motive wasn’t investigation but an intent to hear directly from stakeholders who are in charge of the agencies.
“So far I want to assure you that from what we are hearing, the Ministry has been on top of the situation.
“The Committee is worried about the judgement debt profile of the country which keeps soaring by the day as there are no corresponding budgetary allocations to handle such and it is a matter of concern to the Committee. It is on record that the last allocation the Ministry got for judgement debt was in the 2017 Appropriation Act where the sum of N10 billion was appropriated.
“The Committee is deeply concerned with the failure of our government to service its judgement debt as expected, which has put our image before the international community at stake.
“The Committee would strive to ensure that budgetary provisions are made in order to offset the debt burden. I am bit talking about $9.6B of P&ID because as far as we are concerned, it isn’t a legitimate and credible debt.
“The Committee is mindful of the mounting challenges the parastatals and agencies have been facing in the last couple of years, especially in the areas of releases of appropriated funds.
“The Committee would ensure that all these issues are looked into in subsequent budgets of MDAs and be taken up with the leadership of the Senate,” Bamidele said.
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