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Presidency keeps mum over report of Buhari’s boycott of Thursday meeting with lawmakers

Niyi OYEDEJI
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Presidency keeps mum over report of Buhari’s boycott of Thursday meeting with lawmakers

THE presidency has kept mum over a report that President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to boycott his scheduled meeting with the House of Representatives tomorrow, Thursday.

The ICIR contacted Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President and his counterpart, Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to the President, none of them responded to the message sent to them. They also didn’t answer calls.

The House of Representatives had on Dec 1 summoned the president to appear before it over the recent killing of 43 farmers in Zabarmari community in Borno State.

The ICIR had also reported how Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representative disclosed that the president had already agreed to address the House regarding the state of insecurity in the country.

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But according to media reports, the president may no longer appear at the meeting already scheduled for Thursday.

The report notes that the president after meeting with APC governors and lawmakers on Tuesday decided to stay away.

The meeting led by Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, governor of Kebbi State who doubles as the Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum, had in attendance  Ahmad Lawan, Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as APC governors and the party’s caucus at the National Assembly.

Governors accuse lawmakers of trying to harass Buhari

Sources at the meeting revealed how the governors accused the lawmakers of attempting to embarrass the president with the invitation, adding that they already have an intelligence report that the lawmakers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may subject the president to ridicule.

Bello Masari, The Governor of Katsina State, who spoke on behalf of the governors said such invitation would not only affect the Buhari-led-administration but also the ruling party.

Masari, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, said such an invitation would hugely expose the president to the opposition’s attack.

The governors, therefore, appealed to the lawmakers to cancel the meeting.

While Femi Gbajabiamila was said to be quiet during the meeting, Ahmed Lawan,  the Senate President supported the idea.

Meanwhile, the minister of justice and attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN  has said that the National Assembly has no Constitutional Power to envisage or contemplate a situation where the President would be summoned by the National Assembly on the operational use of the Armed Forces.

The minister made this  statement on Wednesday.

According to the nation’s chief law officer, the right of the president to engage the National Assembly and appear before it is inherently discretionary in the president and not at the behest of the National Assembly.

 

 

Five years on, Buhari government yet to deliver on anti-corruption fight

Ajibola AMZAT
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Five years on, Buhari government yet to deliver on anti-corruption fight

DESPITE the pledge by President Muhammadu Buhari and his party,  APC to fight corruption in Nigeria among other campaign promises, the public record shows that this administration has not yet made a dent on corruption, one of the biggest problems stagnating Nigerian progress.

The ICIR examined the global corruption data published by Transparency International since 2003 and found that Nigeria has not recorded significant progress in the anti-corruption fight.

During his campaign ahead of 2015 election,  Buhari promised that “anyone who steals Nigeria’s money will end up in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons. We are going to make sure that Nigeria’s wealth belongs only to Nigerians”.

The president’s promise draws from the party manifesto  stating that it will “prevent abuse of executive, legislative and public offices through greater accountability, transparency and strict enforcement of anti-corruption laws whilst strengthening the EFCC and ICPC.”

Five years down the line, it is business as usual. Public officials and politicians still continue to misappropriate public funds with little or no consequence.

Many cases of corruption that had taken place under this administration are well documented in the media. Civil society and international organizations also have reported about unbridled corruption during the Buhari administration. Hence, the little progress made in the fight against corruption as documented by Transparency International.

According to Transparency International, Corruption can take many forms such as public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services, politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families, and corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals.

In 20o7 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo left office, the Anti-Corruption Index, ACI for Nigeria was rated at 22 out of 100.  The Anti Corruption Index gives numbers from 0 to 100, where 100 is the best index. When his successor, late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua died in office in 2010, the anti-corruption index of 24, and when former President Goodluck Jonathan left office in 2015, the index for Nigeria was 26.

Between 2016 and 2018, the index hovered 27 and 28 and by the end of Buari’s first term in office, the anti-corruption index is back at 26.

Among the 180 countries ranked, Nigeria now takes  146th position, slipping from 136th place when President Buhari was first inaugurated.

The ICIR sent a message to the spokespersons of the president, Femi Adesina and Garba Shehu, asking for comment on the performance of their principal, none of them responded.

A renowned economist at Johns Hopkins University and a critic of Buhari administration, Professor Steve Hanke tweeted in November that  “Under Buhari’s “watchful eye”, corruption runs rampant.”

Similarly, in a statement issued by the president of the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) Abuja Chapter, Victor Ofili, the group condemns corruption in its entirety.

“As an advocacy organization whose ideals are grounded on the promotion of a just society, we strongly condemn corruption in its entirety. This global scourge has its tentacles spread across all the countries of the world in varying degrees and has consistently undermined growth and development particularly in Nigeria and other developing countries,” he said.

Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres  has noted in a tweet that “Recovery from pandemic must include measures to prevent and combat corruption and bribery.”

Here is a list of reports by The ICIR showing corrupt practices in public offices:

  1. Non-existing office of Buhari’s Chief Economic Adviser gets approval for N573.45m in five years
  2. COVID-19: Nigeria’s health agency inflates prices of infrared thermometers by more than 200 percent
  3. COVID-19: Nigeria’s health agency inflates prices of infrared thermometers by more than 200 percent
  4. COVID-19 Funds: NCDC spends N202 million on six items without procurement plan
  5. INVESTIGATION: COVID-19 response projects worth N534.98 million awarded to unverified contractors
  6. Erosion wrecks homes, livelihoods in Anambra as Ecological Fund Office fritters intervention fund

 

COVID-19: Nigeria’s health agency inflates prices of infrared thermometers by more than 200 percent

 

Fraud allegations rock NAFDAC

 

 

Non-existing office of Buhari’s Chief Economic Adviser gets approval for N573.45m in five years

Fraud in Ivory Towers: How millions went into private pockets at Federal University Lokoja

COVID-19 Funds: NCDC spends N202 million on six items without procurement plan

 

Erosion wrecks homes, livelihoods in Anambra as Ecological Fund Office fritters intervention fund

INVESTIGATION: COVID-19 response projects worth N534.98 million awarded to unverified contractors

What we are doing about kidnapping – Buhari

Vincent Ufuoma
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What we are doing about kidnapping – Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, says his administration is thinking very hard on the issues of kidnapping bedeviling major parts of the country.

Buhari disclosed this on Tuesday during a meeting with all the 36 state governors of the federation.

The president, who said all hands must be on deck to address the challenges of insecurity in the country, charged all the governors to improve on intelligence gathering by working together with traditional rulers in their respective states.

He said his administration is equipping the military to make it possible for them to fish-out bandits and kidnappers from their hiding places.

He gave assurances that the military would continue to get the support they needed to fight criminals.

“Security is important and we must secure the whole country. We are thinking very hard on the issue of kidnapping,” he said.

“We will make it possible for the military to get to the bandits and kidnappers and eliminate them.’

“I am not going to the public to speak about the vehicles and equipment we have ordered. What I can say is that the military received armoured cars and other equipment and they are training the trainers. More of such equipment, including military aircraft, will come in.’’

He explained that the closure of the nation’s land borders was partly an attempt to control the smuggling of weapons and drugs into the country.

“Now that the message has sunk in with our neighbours, we are looking into reopening the borders as soon as possible.’’

The country has been recently bedeviled with kidnappings, most especially in the Northern part of the country.

In late November, Philip Shekwo, Nasarawa State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was abducted by unknown gunmen who killed him and dumped his body a few meters from his residence.

Security operatives said they had arrested nine suspects in connection with the killing.

Shekwo was found dead hours after he was abducted by unknown gunmen from his residence on November 21, 2020.

In a similar vein, 12 French students of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, were kidnapped while traveling to French village in Lagos. They were only released after a ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

In the Southwest, Oba Isreal Adegoke Adeusi, the Olufon of lfon in Ose Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo state, was killed in November by suspected gunmen in an attempt to kidnap him while returning from the state council of obas meeting in Akure.

The Ondo state security network, also known as Amotekun, said it had arrested some of his suspected killers.

Also, Sade Ale, wife of the Ondo state governor’s chief of staff, Olugbenga Ale, was kidnapped on her way from Lagos the same day the royal father was murdered by some suspected gunmen at Owena area, near Akure.

She regained her freedom following security intervention.

Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly inaugurates committee to investigate controversial spendings by governor’s office

Editorial
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Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly inaugurates committee to investigate controversial spendings by governor’s office

By Ekemini SIMON & Abasifreke EFFIONG

THE Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate controversial spendings posted in the Akwa Ibom State Annual Report of the Accountant General with Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31st December, 2019.

This action by the State House of Assembly comes on the heels of investigative report that exposed extra-budgetary expenditures among other controversial spendings by the office of the Akwa Ibom State Governor and Secretary to the State Government.

After the report, the Akwa Ibom State Government on Wednesday November 18, 2020 circulated a new annual report and audited financial statements for the year 2019 arguing that figures in the previous annual report were incorrect.

The State Government said that a “coding error” occured during the preparation of the report.

The new annual report and audited financial statements circulated to journalists in November by the State Government has however brought to the fore other controversial spendings.

Outstanding among them is an expenditure of N1.057 billion posted for constituency projects in 2019.

State lawmakers and constituents drawn from the 26 constituencies in the State had questioned the location of the said projects.

With the heightened tension over the controversies surrounding the 2019 annual report and audited financial statements, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly,  Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey announced at Plenary on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 the constitution of an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the 2019 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements of Akwa Ibom State Government.

The Speaker named the House Leader, Rt. Hon. Udo Kierian Akpan and Deputy House Leader, Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Aniefiok Denis, as Chairman and Secretary of the Committee, respectively.

The Speaker also announced the Chairman, Appropriation and Finance Committee, Rt. Hon. Uduak Odudoh and the Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Hon. (Dr.) Charity Ido, as members of the Ad-hoc Committee.

He said “The Committee is mandated to summon, where necessary, all relevant parties, agencies and persons, connecting and having anything to do with the said report”.

The Speaker directed the committee to conduct an in-depth investigation and report back to the House within one month.

Speaker Bassey noted “The committee is expected to conduct an in-depth, thorough, unbiased, dispassionate and conclusive investigation without leaving any stone unturned and report back to the House within one month”.

Ondo state governorship election tribunal holds inaugural sitting, dismisses two out of three petitions

Vincent Ufuoma
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Ondo state governorship election tribunal holds inaugural sitting, dismisses two out of three petitions

THE 2020 Ondo state governorship election petition tribunal, on Tuesday, held its inaugural sitting at the State High Court in Akure.

Justice Abubakar Umar, chairman of the tribunal, who disclosed that the tribunal has three petitions before it, asked all parties involved to give the tribunal all the support needed to enable them to succeed in the assignment.

Justice Umar, in his inaugural address, also appealed to the legal representatives to maintain a cordial relationship with the tribunal members,  adding that there should be no private or official communication between any member of the tribunal and legal representatives.

The tribunal chairman called on the legal teams to pursue their cases diligently, noting that video coverage of the tribunal proceedings is prohibited according to the law.

He also called on all media professionals to always abide by the rules of the law and the tribunal.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has dismissed two out of the three petitions filed before it for failing to file the pre-trial forms.

The political parties affected by the tribunal’s decision are All People’s Party (APP) and Action Alliance (AA), remaining Eyitayo Jegede of the People’s Democratic Party.

The tribunal subsequently awarded N100,000 cost against the petitioners in favor of respondents.

Jegede is challenging the election of Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the October 10 governorship election in the state.

Joined in the petition by Jegede are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the deputy governor-elect.

Jegede through his counsel, Ifedayo Adedipe, is praying the tribunal should upturn the election saying that the election was fraught with massive irregularities such as vote-buying, intimidation of party supporters and pockets of violence.

The PDP candidate is also challenging the process that saw the emergence of Akeredolu as the flagbearer of his party.

According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akeredolu won the governorship election with a total of 292,830. He won in 15 of the 18 local governments.

Jegede polled 195,791 votes and won only three in Akure South, Akure North and Ifedore.

While Agbola Ajayi, estranged deputy governor to Akeredolu polled 69,127 votes to emerge the third winner.

Ghana Electoral commission shifts ‘timeline’ for declaration of presidential election results

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Ghana Electoral commission shifts ‘timeline’ for declaration of presidential election results

Ghana Electoral Commission (EC) says it has shifted its ‘timeline’ for the declaration of the winner of 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary election in the country.

This, according to the commission, is to enable proper collation of results at the constituency and regional collation centres across the country.

“…the EC will extend its intended timeline for declaring the 2020 presidential election results. The new timeline will be communicated shortly,” the commission disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday.

No exact time and date was announced.

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Major candidates in the presidential poll are the incumbent President, Nana Akufo-Addo and John Mahama. While Akufo-Addo contested for re-election under the NPP, Mahama, a former president remains the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The process of declaring a winner starts from the polling units where votes are counted and sent to their respective constituency collation centres. The constituency collation centre collates all presidential results from its polling stations and shares with the regional collation centres.

From the regional collation centres, all presidential results from the constituencies are collated and faxed to the national collation centre.

The presidential results are then collated, certified and publicly announced by the chairperson, who also serves as the returning officer.

Moreover, a presidential winner in Ghana must obtain not less than 50 per cent plus one of the total valid votes cast.

However, the commission emphasised the decision was to ensure the polling process is transparent and credible.

“…to ensure that the declared presidential results are 100 per cent accurate and reflective of the will of the people, the commission entreats the public and all stakeholders to exercise patience as the collation process continues in the presence of political party agents and election observers,” it added.

Beyond the explanation, the public was reminded of the constitutional mandate of the electoral commission as the only body empowered to declare results of the presidential and parliamentary election.

But reports have shown that at least 28 incumbent legislators under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost their seats to the opposition candidates.

Lai Mohammed replies US over Nigeria’s inclusion in religious freedom blacklist

Lukman ABOLADE
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Lai Mohammed replies US over Nigeria’s inclusion in religious freedom blacklist

LAI Mohammed, the minister of information and culture has faulted the inclusion of Nigeria in the United States religious freedom blacklist.

Mohammed in a statement on Tuesday in reaction to the blacklist argued that Nigeria does not have a policy of religious persecution.

“Nigeria does not engage in religious freedom violation, neither does it have a policy of religious persecution. Victims of insecurity and terrorism in the country are adherents of Christianity, Islam and other religions,’’ said Mohammed.

According to Mohammed, Nigeria jealously protects religious freedom as enshrined in the country’s constitution and takes seriously any infringements in such regard.

The ICIR had reported that the US, again, named Nigeria as one of the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) under its International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 guilty of tolerating religious persecution.

Nigeria was named among other countries including, Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, among others.

“No country or entity should be allowed to persecute people with impunity because of their beliefs. These annual designations show that when religious freedom is attacked, we will act,” said Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State.

Notwithstanding, in some parts of Nigeria, there have been several cases of religious intolerance most especially between Christians and Muslims resulting in killings, burning of churches and mosques.

 

Nigeria embassy in Germany sacks official caught demanding sex for visa in viral video

Vincent Ufuoma
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Nigeria embassy in Germany sacks official caught demanding sex for visa in viral video

THE Nigerian Embassy in Berlin, Germany, has sacked Martins Adedeji Oni, a security officer, who was caught in a viral video demanding sex in return for the renewal of visa.

In November, Oni was seen in video footage on social half-naked in a hotel room arguing with a lady who accused him of demanding sex from females who applied for passport renewals.

Following the allegation, Oni was suspended while Yusuf Tuggar­, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, ordered an investigation into the incident.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, the embassy said it found Oni guilty of the allegation.

“Mr. Oni was suspended from duty on 17 November after reports emerged that he had curried sexual favours in return for help with the renewal of a passport,” parts of the statement read.

“The Embassy immediately established an Investigation Committee to examine the allegations and any related issues, and to make recommendations for action.”

The statement added that the embassy found Oni culpable of violating extant codes after the committee took testimonies from the accused and other witnesses involved in the incident.

“The Investigation Committee interviewed Mr. Oni and other witnesses as part of a thorough examination of these very serious charges.

“It concluded that Mr. Oni was culpable and in violation of all the relevant codes.

“As a result, Mr. Martins Adedeji Oni’s contract with the embassy as a Local Staff has been terminated.”

While thanking the public for exposing the unethical former employee, the embassy stressed its zero-tolerance policy towards all abuses of office, and especially of sexual misconduct.

“The Embassy is grateful for the help of the public in tackling such abuses. As public servants, we pledge to follow all due processes as part of our continuing commitment to deliver the highest ethical & professional standards in all our operations, also at Consular & Immigration.”

FG adjusts petrol pump price to N162.44 per litre, new price takes effect December 14

Amos ABBA
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FG adjusts petrol pump price to N162.44 per litre, new price takes effect December 14

ON Tuesday, the Federal Government announced a reduction in the pump price of petrol from N168 to N162.44 per litre which is set to take effect from December 14.

Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment disclosed this at the end of a meeting with labour union leaders.

Following the decision of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC to increase the ex-depot price of petrol from N147.67 per litre to N155.17 per litre in November which is currently being sold at N168 at fuel stations.

The ex-depot price is the price at which the product is sold by the PPMC to marketers at the depots.

Ngige said a technical committee has been set up to ensure price stability in the industry which will send in their report on January 25, after appraising the market forces and other things that would ensure stability in the industry.

“Our discussion was fruitful and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC which is the major importer and marketers of petroleum products and customers have agreed that there will be a slide down of the pump price of PMS and that the price cut will get us about N5 per litre and that the price cut will take effect from next Monday, a week today,” he said.

Ngige explained that the price reduction was not meant to suspend deregulation because it did not affect the price of crude oil but on areas where the NNPC as the main importer had agreed that it could cut costs like freight and demurrage costs.

He said the new price slash was a product of  a meeting by joint committee of the NNPC and labour representatives, which looked into ways of cutting costs.

On electricity tariff,  both parties agree to stand down until January 25, to enable the special committee dealing with complaints conclude their deliberations.

Police release lawmaker representing Odododiodio over shooting incident

Olugbenga ADANIKIN
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Police release lawmaker representing Odododiodio over shooting incident

NII Lante Vanderpuye, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Odododiodio Constituency Ghana election who was arrested last night has been released.

He was accused of  gun shooting around the Modark hotel where the incumbent lawmaker was involved in an incident that resulted into a clash between supporters of the NDC and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He was arrested alongside other suspects who lodged with him at the hotel.

According to his lawyers, no charges have been levelled against him but other suspected individuals are still in police custody.

Odododiodio constituency is one of the flashpoints identified during this election by the security agencies.

Prior to the collation process, some NDC party loyalists were seen celebrating victory even though the electoral commission was yet to announce the final result.

The jubilations stretched all through the night that it caught the attention of security operatives including the immigration officers.

The election has been described as a contest majorly between NDC and the NPP candidates. While the incumbent president is contesting under the NPP platform, his major rival, John Mahama is a candidate of the NDC.

As of the time of filing this report, the electoral body is yet to declare winner of the elections.

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