THE Presidency has stated that aside going after Ni­geria’s stolen resources outside the country in a bid to reclaim them, Presi­dent Muhammadu Buhari is also determined to re­cover government assets still in the hands of of­ficials of the immediate past government.
Some looted funds have so far, been traced to Switzerland and the United States of America.
Presidential sources, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that a number of former government officials were still in pos­session of vehicles, build­ings, generator sets and other entitlements that came with their previous positions.

“Despite vacating their offices almost three months ago, many are yet to return these govern­ment properties,” one of the sources said.
The official stated that the attitude of the former aides induced the presi­dent’s decision to set up a committee made up of civil servants and secu­rity agents, to recover public assets from former political appointees still holding on to them.

Confirming the devel­opment, the Senior Spe­cial Assistant, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “That is precisely the case. Even here at the Villa, there are cars and other property belonging to the government, which are yet to be returned.”
Shehu, however, as­sured that the aim was not to embarrass anyone, adding that the Buhari ad­ministration would soon begin to demand for the return of the assets be­cause they belong to gov­ernment.

“The properties belong to the Nigerian people. We are not trying to hu­miliate anyone by asking them to return their cars or houses”, he said.
On whether state and local governments were facing similar challeng­es, he said he was not in a position to confirm or deny this. However, he stated that he would not be surprised if that was the case, as the attitude of holding on to government property even after leav­ing office, must be a natu­ral outcome of the culture of impunity that had pre­vailed in the country over the years of PDP’s rule.
He reiterated Presi­dent Buhari’s commit­ment to running an aus­tere government that would save the Nige­rian people millions of naira in public funds, saying: “Imagine how much the country would save by retrieving and re-using these govern­ment properties instead of purchasing new ones for new government of­ficials.”