Nigeria ‘working very hard’ to return to Egmont Group

A presidential ad hoc committee set up to facilitate the return of Nigeria to the Egmont Group on Wednesday submitted its report to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

TheCable had earlier reported that the anti-graft war was in jeopardy over the suspension of Nigeria from the Egmont Group.

Thereafter, the senate passed a law seeking to create an autonomous Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Agency – one of the reasons the country was suspended.

Speaking with journalists after submitting the committee’s report to Osinbajo, Chukwuka Utazi, senator representing Enugu north, said the country would return to Egmont Group after its recommendations must have been considered by the presidency.

Utazi explained that all the issues that led to the suspension of the country from the group had been addressed by the committee.

He declined to divulge the recommendations of the committee but said the vice-president would discuss details of the report with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The committee is a presidential ad hoc committee to re-position the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit and then restore Nigerian membership of Egmont Group from which was suspended on July 7,” the senator said.

“This committee is here today to present a report to the vice-president which he will in turn discuss with Mr President before any formal decision will be taken by the government.

“This committee has worked to ensure that everything that led to our being suspended from the Egmont Group was handled in that report.

“By the time this report would be considered by Mr President and the presidency, Nigeria would get out of the woods. The thing is that we have been suspended and we are working very hard to come out of such a situation.”

The senator said the passage of the law in July showed that Nigeria “was moving forward”.