The Africa Network for Environment & Economic Justice (ANEEJ) on August 17, 2018, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with several of its partners in furtherance of the Monitoring of Recovered Returned Assets Through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) project.
The preparatory meeting that took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, had in attendance six partner NGOs, which include BANGOF, CIRDDDOC, DEC, NISD, CSJ, together with key ANEEJ staff, Leo Atakpu, deputy executive director; Matthew Ayibakuro, director of policy and research; and Odia Honesty, accountant.
The meeting held to formally introduce partners to the MANTRA project, provide them the broader ACORN context of the project, deal with the feedback of the just concluded due diligence process and inform them of reporting requirements.
It was also to get the partners to sign the MoU for the partnership
In his address, ANEEJ Deputy Executive Director, Leo Atakpu, reiterated the purpose of partnerships with the MANTRA project and provided background to ANEEJ’s work in asset recovery from the 1990s. ‘‘Most of the issues concerning asset recovery in Nigeria involve a re-looting of returned assets. This project therefore seeks to nip such acts in the bud. We have opted to work with partners with track records in their respective areas in the sector so that we may cross the finishing line in the monitoring of returned assets well’’, Atakpu said.
Presentations made at the MoU signing ceremony included a theory of change, TOC, and Logframe of ACORN and an update on the MANTRA M & E process. Other presentations made at the preparatory meeting related to issues of due-diligence and Safeguarding Issues, Financial Reporting Requirements and narrative Reporting Requirements.
ANEEJ and partners agreed that partners are to submit activities and budgets based on their roles in the project to ANEEJ. ANEEJ is also to conclude M & E processes soon and provide more definite information to partners on the scope of their coverage on the monitoring of the Abacha loot. It was also agreed that ANEEJ should look at collaborating with CSJ on their programmes in engaging the 2019 electoral process. It was also agreed that ANEEJ should work with BANGOF and collaborate with YAF in dealing with participation in the 2019 electoral process around issues of anticorruption. Part of the broad outcomes of the Abuja meeting includes the fact that it was important for partners to have a clearer background and context of the project and the broad expectations and their roles in the execution of the project.
