ANEEJ IS PANELIST AT FG CONFERENCE ON ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS AND ASSET RECOVERY
The Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice, ANEEJ, will feature as a panellist at a Conference on Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery, being organised by the Federal Government for sustainable development in Nigeria. The 3-day conference is billed to kick off from the 5th of June 2017 and is a stakeholder global platform to exchange practical knowledge on implementing policy measures to effectively tackle Illicit Financial Flows and Strengthen Asset Recovery.
It will also serve as a high-level forum to consolidate advocacy and sensitization on the need for greater international cooperation and political commitment to address the IFF Challenge and strengthen measures for the repatriation of Illicit Assets to countries of origin. The working language for this conference will be English. However, since illicit financial flows and issues of asset recovery have become global concerns, organisers will endeavour to translate proceedings in French.
ANEEJ executive director, the Rev David Ugolor will be on the Management and Application of Returned Assets for SDG and Human Rights, under the distinguished chairmanship of the very well-respected Maryam Uwais, Special Adviser to the President on Social Protection.
The Rev Ugolor is Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice(ANEEJ), National Coordinator of Nigerian Network on Stolen Assets(NNSA) and former Chairman Publish What You Pay Campaign. He is an Anti-Corruption and Governance expert trained at the Sussex Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex, United Kingdom. David Ugolor has a Master degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Benin and Master of Arts(MA) on Corruption and Governance, University of Sussex. As the National Coordinator/Convener of the Nigerian Network on Stolen Asset David Ugolor coordinated the first civil society monitoring of the recovered Abacha Stolen Assets in 2004 from the Switzerland and also participated in the Prep Meetings of the United Nations Conference for Financing for Development in New York and also conveyed a side meeting on the opportunities and challenges of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption(UNCAC) at Monterrey, Mexico in collaboration with the Norwegian Forum on Environment and Development. Rev Ugolor also participated actively in the Prep Meetings during the negotiation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Vienna, Austria with a particular focus on Chapter 5 which deals with the issues of Asset Recovery. David Ugolor is also representing Civil Society in the ongoing MOU negotiation between the Nigeria and Switzerland Government on how to return the US$321 Million of Abacha Loot to fund Social Investment Project in Nigeria and was part of the high-powered delegation to the Meeting on Asset Recovery and Management organized by UNODC and Ethiopia Government under the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Justice Malami Abubakar. Rev Ugolor with over two decades of experience on anti-corruption and governance policy work and also have managed several international development agencies projects from UNDP, USAID, DFID, Norwegian and German Government.
ANEEJ has been at the forefront in calling for investigations into investigations and possible prosecution of any Nigerian implicated in the Panama Papers Scandal of May 2016. In addition, ANEEJ has called for a publication of a list of beneficial ownership of all companies and property in Abuja, using modern technology to sustain the process.
Agenda for the IFFAR conference can be accessed from here: AGENDA ENGLISH VERSION