Anti-Graft War Should Start From National Assembly – EFCC Chair

 The newly appointed Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede has suggested that the fight against corruption should commence from the National Assembly. 

Olukoyede let this out while addressing the lawmakers, during his screening on Wednesday.

He said: “Let the fight against corruption begin from this hallowed chamber.

“If you are fighting corruption, you become the enemy of everybody.”

“Enforcement is a very strong tool in our hands and we are going to apply it very seriously.

“Without downplaying the importance of enforcement, there is what we call a transactional credit system. If we continue to allow Nigerians to buy houses, cars and other luxurious properties by cash because we don’t have an effective credit system, one thousand anti-corruption agencies will not do us any good and that is the reality.

“We must create an atmosphere to make sure that people have choices. If I don’t steal money, can I afford to train my children in school with good standards? If I don’t steal money, can I buy a car after I have worked for five years? If I don’t steal money, can I put a three-room bungalow in place after I have worked for 20 years?

“An average Nigerian does not own a home, when he has the opportunity, he would steal. Even if he does not have the opportunity he would create one.”

The new EFCC chairman also called on the judiciary to place substantive justice above technicalities when dealing with corruption cases.

He said: “We must encourage our criminal justice system to adjudicate in such a way that it will not drag for a very long time.

“Prosecution should not be allowed to last for a maximum of five years from the court of first instance to the Supreme Court. The Senate can work on that very seriously. If we make the administration of the criminal justice system really work, you will see the great work the anti-corruption agencies are doing.”

He said there was a connection between the low standard of living in the country and the rise of corruption.

“The savings of an average civil servant in Nigeria all through his service years cannot build the type of houses they are building and cars they are riding.

“The problem we have is just like the proverbial monkey that was locked up in a cage with a bunch of ripe bananas. The owner stood outside with a cane. The monkey would either eat the bananas, get beaten and be alive, or allow the bananas to get rotten and die of hunger.

“I will do more in the areas of blocking the leakages. We spend more money fighting corruption when we could have spent less to prevent it.” Olukoyede added.

The EFCC chairman noted that Nigeria lost a total of N2.9tn to procurement fraud in three years.

According to him, he did a survey between 2018 and 2020 on 50 entities in Nigeria; both human and corporate entities.

He said: “I picked just one scheme, one species of fraud, which is called contract and procurement fraud. I discovered that within the three years, Nigeria lost N2.9tn.

“When I put my figures together, I discovered that if the country had prevented the money from being stolen, it would have given us 1,000 kilometres of road, it would have built close to 200 standard tertiary institutions; it would have also educated about 6,000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N16m per child.

“It would have also delivered more than 20,000 units of three-bedroom houses across the country. It would have given us a world-class teaching hospital in each of the 36 states of the country and the federal capital territory.”

Supreme Court Constitutes Seven-Member Panel For Atiku, Obi’s Appeal Against Tinubu

 

The Supreme Court has formed a seven-member panel of justices to hear the appeals in the petitions filed by three presidential candidates challenging the outcome of the February 25 election.

The notices for the hearing were served on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; that of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi; and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Chichi Ojei.

The court notices signed by Zainab M. Garba in the office of the registrar, said by the Order 2 Rule 1 (2) of the Supreme Court’s Rules 1985 as amended, the notice is deemed as sufficiently served on the parties.

The list of panel members includes Justices Adamu Jauro, Uwani Musa Abba Aji, Lawal Garba, Helen M. Ogunwumiju, I.N. Saulawa, Tijjani Abubakar, and Emmanuel Agim.

Atiku’s appeal argues that the Presidential Election Petitions Court erred in dismissing his petition and failing to prove allegations of irregularities in the presidential election.

Atiku had pleaded with the Supreme Court to scrap technicality and grant his application for leave to tender fresh and additional evidence to support his claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted a forged document to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest the February 25 presidential election.

Atiku predicated his plea because presenting forged documents by any candidate, especially by a candidate for the highest office in the land, is a grave constitutional issue that must not be encouraged.

Peter Obi challenges the tribunal’s refusal to admit 18,088 polling units’ blurred results.

Ojei contends that Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, were disqualified due to invalid office nominations.

In response, Tinubu requested the court to hold that Atiku’s petition was an abuse of the court process and lacked merit, while he described Obi’s petition as a festival and lacking in merit.

Recall that the Court fixed Monday, October 23, 2023, for hearing of the appeal filed by Atiku.

‘We Know Where Our Shoe Pinches, Nigeria’s Destiny Not In World Bank’s Hands’ — Akpabio

 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the World Bank does not understand the country’s challenges, hence, Nigeria’s destiny is not in its hands.

For years, Nigeria has been a recipient of the bank’s programmes and loans.

Akpabio who spoke in Akwa Ibom State on Thursday at a retreat on fiscal policy and tax reforms organised by the Senate for lawmakers said, “I believe that our destiny is not in the hands of or the fine print of the World Bank. The bank may mean well and can be of help to us, but they have not worn our shoes and they do not know where it pinches.

“It is our walk not their own, so while they talk, let us walk the walk. We wear the shoes and we know where it pinches.

“Every major national development was based on a road map designed by citizens of the respective countries.”

He added that the Senate would not welcome people who “whine” and do not believe that the country would progress.

“The senate has no place for people who whine or do not believe in the greatness of our country.

“The hallowed chambers of the senate are for those who believe that every setback in our country is a setup for a comeback.

“Today more than ever before we must come together in optimism to toe the road map of Mr President and where we consider that changes may be appropriate, work with the executive to perfect the document,” Akpabio said.

Enrol Your Children In Schools Or Go To Jail – Senate Warns Parents

 The 10th Senate, under the leadership of Godswill Akpabio has passed for the first reading of a bill that will provide a fine of N50,000 to parents who default in providing their children with primary and secondary school education.

However, the bill proposed by Senator Orji Kalu titled: ‘Compulsory free Universal Basic Education Act 2004, Section 2’ states that every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.”

The act further states that “Every parent shall ensure that his child or ward attends and completes his primary school education and junior secondary school education by endeavoring to send the child to primary and junior secondary schools.”

“The Act further states that stakeholders in education in a local government area shall ensure that every parent or person who has the care and custody of a child performs the duty imposed on him under section 2(2) of this Act.”

“On a second conviction, a fine of N2,000 or imprisonment for a term of one month or both; and on subsequent conviction, to a fine of N5,000 or imprisonment for a term of two months or to both.”

The Senate, however, in its amendment, proposed N50,000 fines, instead of the N5,000 previously stated in the Act.

The amendment states: “Section (4) (b) of the Principal Act is amended by deleting N2,000 and inserting N20,000. Section (4) (c) of the Principal Act is amended by deleting N5,000 and inserting N50,000.”

It added: “Section 3(2) of the Principal Act is amended by deleting N10,000 and inserting N100,000.”

It stated: “A person who receives or obtains any fee contrary to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N10,000 or imprisonment for a term of three months or to both.

“Every parent shall ensure that his child receives full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude by regular attendance at schools.”

However, the Senate proposes, N100,000 in replacement of the N10,000.

The Senate proposed: “Section 3(2) of the Principal Act is amended by deleting N10,000 and inserting N100,000.”

Organized Labour Gives Govs Ultimatum To Effect N35,000 Minimum Wage

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday issued a two-week deadline for Governors to commence negotiations on the N35,000 wage award for workers in their states.

The Organised Labour unions are making the demands in line with the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Federal Government (FG).

Recall that the national leadership of the NLC and TUC on October 1 reached an agreement with the FG to pay N35,000 to all federal workers beginning from September, pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law.

The resolution provided that the wage award would be paid to the federal workers for six months while states were encouraged to extend the same benefit to their workers.

Labour had cancelled its nationwide strike scheduled for the 3rd of October, 2023 with the promise that the wage awards would be implemented.

Meanwhile, the State chapters of NLC and TUC disclosed that they have written to Governors to fast-track the necessary protocols and implement the award meant to assuage the subsidy removal pains.

According to the unions, the deadline for payment of the wage award would expire in the next two weeks.

The Kano State NLC Chairman, Kabiru Inuwa speaking with Punch revealed he had written to the state government to demand the immediate implementation of the N35,000 wage award in the state.

Inuwa said, “We have written to the government requesting for the payment of the wage award to workers in the state and we are still waiting for the government to respond.”

He noted that the deadline given by the NLC to the federal and state governments to implement the wage award and other welfare packages for the workers would soon expire.

He expressed the hope that the state government would pay the wage award before the expiration of the deadline.

Inuwa added, “The ultimatum given to both state and federal governments will expire by the end of this month, so we hope the government will start the payment before the end of the deadline.”

Ibrahim Fika, Gombe State NLC Secretary, on his part, said the 30-day ultimatum, which is now remaining two weeks, applied to workers in state governments.

“The ultimatum says the state councils should negotiate with the state government. So it applies to us,” he said.

The Rivers state TUC Chairman, Ikechukwu Onyefuru, said it would fully comply and implement the ultimatum given to FG

He stated, “State unions are subject to national directives and the 30-day ultimatum was issued by the national body to the Federal Government and directed all state chapters to also issue demands to their respective state governments and implement the same.

“This means that if any state peradventure decides to jettison that directive, such a state is already in breach of the national directive.

“So what I am saying is that it is a national directive, and the respective states have been served and it is expected that they will respond.’’

The Chairmen of the NLC and TUC in Benue State, Terungwa Igbe and Gideon Akaa, disclosed that they had written to the state governor on the wage award for workers.

Igbe said, “The union has written to the state government about the wage award, and we asked for N35,000. But we have yet to receive a response from the government. Well, I cannot say for now what we will do if the government fails to pay; it all depends on their response.’’

But the Niger State NLC chairman, Idrees Lafene, stressed that workers might demand more than N35,000 from the state government given the spike in the cost of living.

He disclosed that discussions had gone far on the wage award implementation, and they were optimistic that the government would yield to their demands.

“Yes, we’re still on the negotiation table and we are asking for more; we’re asking for more than N35,000 and the discussion has gone far,’’ he stated.

Tinubu Needs To Put His Minister In Order, Threat To Sue UN Puts Nigeria In Bad Light — Ex-Diplomat On Kennedy-Ohanenye’s Comment By Ololade

 

Former deputy special representative of the United Nations (UN) secretary-general for Somalia, Babafemi Badejo, says Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the minister of women affairs, should be more coordinated.

The ex-diplomat spoke on Tuesday in reaction to the minister’s threat to sue the United Nations for allegedly mismanaging donor funds meant for Nigeria.

The minister said if the global body does not furnish her ministry with the necessary records on or before November 15, she would take legal action.

She had said: “I stand here as the minister of women affairs to demand from the UN, the account of all the monies they sourced from donors in Nigeria’s name. We want to see the account of what they did.

“If you don’t give us this account, at least let Nigerians see what is going on, then you [UN] apologise to them.

“From 16th of October to November 15, if we don’t get those reports for Nigerians to see, we are heading to court. [They have] from 16th October to November 8.

“They will get our pre-action letter that is to prepare that by 15th we are heading to court and I am promising Nigerians that by 15th you will hear the lawsuit number.”

Reacting, Badejo said while it is “very proper” for the minister to ask for “accountability and transparency”, her approach can “portray Nigeria in a bad light.”

While maintaining that the minister should have been apprised of the importance of diplomatic and functional immunity that the UN and its officials enjoy, he said President Bola 6 Tinubu “needs to have his ministers coordinated and appropriately socialised into their respective duties.”

“Experience shows that some UN officials are corrupt, and some have accordingly been jailed. However, there are laid down arrangements for such requests by a sovereign nation. Not following the laid down procedure and embarking on media grandstanding can only portray Nigeria in a bad light. Nigeria is telling the world that it lacks the requisite leadership and structures for appropriate operation in the community of nations.

“The United Nations system’s counterpart in Nigeria is the ministry of foreign affairs. Even, if the minister of foreign affairs, after exhaustive dialogue within his department of international organisations has decided on the need to request for transparency from the UN, it is expected that he would take the case to the federal executive council (FEC) before articulating, if at all, such a weighty position at a media show.

“In which court is our minister of women affairs intending to embark on her frolic? What would be the charges? What is the expected outcome of such a litigation process?

“The minister of women affairs will do well to address corruption in her ministry by collaborating with the ongoing probe, by at least one of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies,” the statement read.

The former diplomat called on Kennedy-Ohanenye to “make a big difference” in her ministry by building processes to empower women and “reduce national poverty.”

Akpabio Has No Hand In Your Dismissal — Aide Tells Abbo

 

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has refuted allegations that he played a role in Senator Elisha Abbo’s removal from the Senate.

Information Nigeria had reported Abbo claimed that Akpabio was behind his removal from the Senate, asserting that he, along with four other senators, was targeted for removal because they worked against Akpabio’s emergence as Senate President.

Reacting to the claim, Eseme Eyiboh, media aide to Akpabio, said it is uncharitable for Abbo to pour his frustrations on the senate president.

His words: “It is only a diseased and uninformed mind that will not believe that the outcome of any court proceeding is a function of the evaluation of facts and evidence within the province of the rule of law.

“Democracy is founded in the rule of law, so for anybody to accuse one of the strong agents of democracy and governance in the mold of Senator Godswill Akpabio, such an individual must be a monument of self-pity and his swansong a discordant escape from reality.”

Eyiboh added that Akpabio does not harbour any ill will against any of the senators and he has since moved on from the election that brought him into office as Senate President.

Those Against Olukoyede’s Appointment As EFCC Chairman Are Traducers – VON DG

The Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, has condemned criticisms surrounding the appointment of Olanipekun Olukoyede as the new chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a statement on Sunday in Abuja, Okechukwu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that the appointment of Okukoyede is a game-changer in the fight against corruption.

The VON boss appealed to those against Olukoyede’s appointment to sheath their swords, and allow the new ant-graft czar to settle down and work for the nation.

Okechukwu said that it was not unusual for controversy to erupt after the appointment to an important and strategic office like the chairman of EFCC, without regard to whether the appointment conforms with extant laws.

He said: “One has carefully taken a cursory analysis of the raging debate and came to the inevitable conclusion that Ola Olukoyede’s traducers had forgotten the famous and ageless maxim of the foremost physician of all time, Albert Einstein.

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

“Olukoyede’s appointment was a remedy as EFCC was formed to provide an alternative for higher performance in waging the Herculean anti-graft war crusade.

“Therefore, his appointment from the fraud angle of the noble legal profession is an appropriate alternative for reforms. Doing otherwise is akin to doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

He added: “As the intendment of the law is that emphasis should be laid on cognate experience. The reforms contemplated by the Renewed Agenda of President Tinubu can only be achieved under an informed insider with requisite legal tools, not a learner. That, to me, is the essential thrust of Olukoyede’s appointment.

“Having served as a member of the Technical Committee of the Presidential Advisory Council on Corruption, as well as a member of the Technical Committee on the Repositioning of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), he should, with fine combs, fish out billions of dollars stashed abroad, and bail Nigerians out of the economic quagmire and debt burden; for common sense dictates that it cannot be only Gen Abacha’s loot.”

Nigeria Becoming A Carcass, Leaders Unpatriotic – Moghalu Says As FG Seeks World Bank Loan

Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Kingsley Moghalu has kicked against the Federal Government’s plan to borrow from the World Bank.

It was reported that the Federal Government was engaging the World Bank on a fresh $1.5 billion loan.

The objective of the loan is to strengthen systems for improved delivery of basic education and primary health services in participating states.

Reacting, Moghalu via X said Nigeria is becoming a carcass, “and our political class its scavengers.”

“There is a real problem when Nigeria is set to borrow another $1.5 billion from @WorldBank for budget support, and SUVs worth N160 million each are reportedly to be bought for 360 members of the House of Representatives. We are not yet serious as a country.

“Nigeria is becoming a carcass, and our political class its scavengers,” he wrote.

Moghalu added that: “If I were President of Nigeria or Governor of a State, no government official will drive a foreign made vehicle at government expense (procurement) when we have local alternatives. That is one demonstration of patriotic leadership and commitment to cutting the cost of governance.”

Redeem Your Image With Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa Guber — PDP To INEC

 

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Sunday, advised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to use the November 11 governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States to redeem its image.

It also urged the electoral body to replace the Imo Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sylvia Agu, to avoid a repeat of the electoral chaos recorded in Adamawa State during the last governorship election.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, at a press conference, in Abuja, said: “The PDP has noted the statement by INEC Chairman that INEC will make full use of its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and the INEC Result Viewing, IreV, portal for uploading and electronic transmission of results in the November 11, 2023 governorship elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.

“The PDP has reviewed issues relating to the conduct of the November 11, 2023 elections in the three states and states as follows:

“The PDP notes that the INEC Chairman has confirmed that the use of BVAS and IREV in this election and even in previous election is a mandatory statutory requirement of the law

“The PDP holds INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, directly responsible and accountable to his pronouncements and that INEC is bound by Law to electronically transmit results directly from the polling units using these technologies.

“The PDP is fully prepared for these elections and in line with the commitment of INEC will not accept any other means of transmitting results in these elections except as this manner pronounced by the INEC Chairman in line with requirement of Electoral Act, 2022.”

Ologunagba stressed that the PDP has commenced training of its polling agents at all levels to ensure total compliance to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Guidelines and Regulations especially as confirmed by the INEC Chairman.

The PDP Spokesman said the Party remains confident of victory in the three states because all candidates in the affected states; Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo) and Dino Melaye of Kogi, have proven track records of public service and are popular with their people.

On the demand for the sack of the Imo State REC, he said: “The PDP for the umpteenth time, demands for the immediate removal of the Imo State INEC REC, Prof. Sylvia Agu.

“The PDP and other political parties had written several letters to INEC. Recently the political parties including the PDP, LP, YPP, ADC, AA among others staged a peaceful protest to INEC demanding for her immediate removal.”

According to him, the PDP does not have confidence in the ability of Prof. Agu to be fair to all parties contesting in the November 11, 2023 governorship election.

This, he explained, was based on her conduct in the 2023 National and House of Assembly elections where “she allegedly manipulated and brazenly assisted the APC in rigging the elections.”

Ologunagba, a lawyer by training also alleged that Agu is a direct relation of a national officer of the APC and there are allegations that she is being further compromised to assist the APC to rig the November 11 governorship election in Imo State

He noted that her continued stay in office as Imo REC is provocative, inciting and amounts to testing the willof the people of Imo State and daring them to do their worst.

Ologunagba further said, “INEC has a lot of RECs from which the INEC Chairman can choose to replace Prof. Sylvia Agu and avoid a scenario that could be worse than what happened in Adamawa State governorship election where INEC refused to change the compromised REC.”

SUVs Remain Property Of N’Assembly, Except Members Pay For It After Their Tenure Expires — Reps

 

The House of Representatives, on Sunday, reacted to reports on the procurement of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for the 360 members of the lower chamber.

Recently, reports appeared on social media that the leadership of the green chamber purchased SUVs for all members of the house valued at N160 million each, totalling N57.6 billion for the purchase of the vehicles.

Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the House, confirmed via a statement that the green chamber is in the “phased process of procuring and distributing operational vehicles to honourable members.”

He said reports on the vehicle procurement “carry varying exaggerations.”

While adding that the vehicles are not personal gifts to the lawmakers, he said that the vehicles remain the property of the National Assembly within the four-year tenure of members of the house.

“It is important to make a few clarifications. The vehicles to be allocated to the offices of honourable members are utility operational vehicles tied to their oversight functions in the discharge of their duties in the standing committees.

“They are not personal vehicles gifted to honourable members. For the duration of the 10th assembly (2023 – 2027), the vehicles shall remain the property of the national assembly.

“At the expiration of the tenure of the 10th assembly in 2027, should the extant assets deboarding policy of government still be in place, honourable members may have the option of making payment for the outstanding value of the vehicles to government coffers before they can become theirs, otherwise it remains the property of the national assembly.

“No matter how remote the location is, as long as there are Nigerian citizens living there, they deserve highly mobile representatives who can see first-hand what they are going through, and ensure government interventions, programmes, and policies are carried out effectively. This can only be possible with functional and reliable off-road vehicles.

“The vehicles are work tools and not status symbols — honourable members are diligent and patriotic elected representatives and not entitled.

“The anticipated allocation of vehicles will contribute to improved representation, constituency outreach and oversight functions,” the statement read.