Seventeen organizations have indicated their interest in monitoring of the federal government’s spending of about $312million repatriated Abacha loot. In a bid to ensure transparency and probity in the utilisation of the recovered fund, the federal government on Thursday opened bids for consultancy service to monitor the implementation of the Abacha loots.

The bids submitted by the 17 bidders were publicly opened. The 17 included Triump Oil & Gas Nig. Limited, International Action Centre, GPM Associates, Phenai Penal Consults Ltd/Africa in Foundation Infrastructure, CLEEN Foundation, Olotu Lekan F. & Co., Anti-Corruption and Research Based Data Initiative, Public and Private Development Centre, and Arewa Community and Social Development Network in Nigeria.

The rest are Quadrante, IBLF Global, PPP Advisories Consortium, Restitution Impact Limited, Urban Project Prospects Integrate Services Limited, Centre for Social Justice, Foundation for Public Private Partnerships Nigeria, and Global Society for Anti-Corruption.

The $311m repatriated to Nigeria from the United States of America and the Bailiwick Island of New Jersey in April this year has already been designated to be spent on three ongoing projects: the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Abuja-Kano expressway and the Second Niger Bridge. Part of the terms and conditions contained in the tripartite agreement leading to the repatriation of the fund to Nigeria is that the spending of the funds on the projects must be monitored by non-governmental organisations.

The bids’ opening was conducted by the Bureau of Public Enterprise in collaboration with the Assets Management Unit of the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja. The next stage is the submission of financial bids by the pre-qualified bidders and participation in the bid opening exercise.