A human rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has threatened to write a Freedom of Information Act, FIOA, request to the attorney general of the federation to force the disclosure of the identity of a politician who has illegally received millions of dollars from public funds.

Writing the FOIA request is one of the options being considered by the group after a similar request to the Fiscal Responsibility Commission failed to yield results.

The other option open to the group, according to its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, is to head to the courts to force the commission to disclose the identity of the politician.

HURIWA had on August 12 written a FOIA request to the Fiscal Responsibility commission demanding that it name the politician which its chairman, Aliyu Jibril Yelwa, accused of receiving money illegally from government coffers.

Yelwa had in an interview with Daily Trust published in its August 6 edition alleged that a top politician had been receiving money in foreign currency from a federal government agency without doing any work.

Although he did not name the politician, Yelwa told the newspaper that the funds illegally taken by the politician were from non-remitted operational surplus of the agency and that the pilfering had gone on for a while.

Yelwa said that the managing director of the agency who was also not named told him that the politician collects the money in dollars and that “the person will collect it and even ask “is this all that you have gathered?”

In its request to the commission signed by Onwubiko, HURIWA stated that “this allegation is a serious issue which should not be swept under the carpet” and demanded that “the alleged agency and its managing director, together with the said private person be disclosed to all Nigerians by writing as the direct response to this freedom of information request to your good self and offices”.

“We write this in good faith, hoping that you will grant our request, and failure to disclose this information within 7days, we shall have no option than to seek the necessary  legal means to compel compliance to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act as provided in Section 1(3) and Section 4,” HURIWA concluded in its request.

However, in an eight page response to the group’s demand signed by its FOI officer Charles Abana , the commission refused to disclose the name of the said politician, claiming that under the Act setting it, it was not obliged to disclose the identity of persons under investigation.

“I can confirm to you that the Fiscal Responsibility Commission will withhold the information you have requested because we consider that the exemptions under the following Sections of the F.O.I Act, 2011 apply to your requests. They are Sections 14(1)(e) and Section 12(1)(a),(i),(ii),(iii)(iv)(vi);(4),”  the commission asserted.

Section 14(1) of the FOI Act of 2011 states that: “Subject to subsection (2), a public institution MUST deny an application for information that contains personal information and information exempted under this subsection includes…” and “information revealing the identity of persons who file complaints with or provide information to administrative, investigative, law enforcement or penal agencies on the commission of any crime.”

“Section 2(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission Act states: “the Commission shall have power to: compel any person or government institution to disclose information relating to public revenues and expenditure; and; cause an investigation into whether any person has violated any provisions of this Act”.

In essence, the commission claiming that it was investigating the politician accused of corrupt practices and, using the law, exempting itself from disclosing his identity.

“Pursuant to the above stated power/responsibility of the Commission, it embarked on an on-going investigation of some of the Scheduled Corporations under its purview. The said on-going investigation is aimed at establishing if any person has committed a punishable offence (which is criminal in nature). At the conclusion of the said investigation, the law requires the Commission to forward a report of the investigation to the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution-which cannot be directly undertaken by the Commission”, the commission said.

It explained further: “If the Commission is satisfied that such a person has committed any punishable offence under this Act violated any provisions of this Act, the Commission shall forward a report of the investigation to the Attorney-General of the Federation for possible prosecution.

However, Onwubiko has reacted angrily to the commission’s position, accusing it of protecting the politician and covering up massive corruption in the public space, the same malaise it was set up to fight.

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“We are still in a state of shock that this commission can so recklessly promote corruption by refusing to name and shame the corrupt government official,” Onwubiko said.

“We then wonder how the fiscal Responsibility Commission in total breach of the constitution is masquerading as a respecter of nebulous provisions of the FISCAL Responsibility Act to conceal the identity of a corrupt government official,” he stated further.

Onwubiko said that the group was still studying the commission’s response to its request and was considering writing a new petition to the office of the attorney general to enable it get the information it demanded of head for the court.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has said that he would sign the death warrants of convicts who killed their victims.

Oshiomhole said this in Benin on Thursday when members of the Conference of Non-GovernmentalOrganisations, CONGOs, paid him a courtesy visit.

He said that signing convicts’ death warrants was a signal to other criminals that the state will not condone any form of criminality, adding that the non-execution of convicted criminals in the last 15 to 20 years had not led to reduction in criminality in the state.

“There are seven convicts whose cases are being reviewed. I will sign the death warrant of any of them, especially kidnappers, found to have killed any of their victims. I believe that those who kill by the sword should also die by the sword,” he told his guests.

On July 23, Oshiomhole signed the death warrants of four criminals. Three of them have been executed by hanging in Benin. The governor’s action was seriously criticized by anti-capital punishment advocates.

The governor also said that his government is considering a proposal to give life imprisonment to kidnappers who release their victims unharmed and without raping them.

He pointed out that the girl-child marriage was not an issue in the state, but that if the need arose, his government would make a law to protect the girl-child from underage marriage.

Earlier, the President of CONGOs, Jude Obasami, said although civil society groups condemn kidnapping and other crimes, Edo government should apply “human face” with regards to signing death warrants.

PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur

The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday inAbuja suspended the party’s forthcoming South west zonal congress slated for August 24.

This was part of decisions reached at the party`s 62^nd NEC meeting attended by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, some PDP governors and party stalwarts from across the country.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the party’s NEC took the decision to respect the order of a court.

The communique which was signed by the party’s acting national publicity secretary, TonyOkeke,stated “NEC acknowledged the service of a court injunction restraining the conduct of the South West Zonal Congress earlier scheduled for Saturday August 24, 2013”.

“In line with our avowed disposition to uphold the rule of law, NEC unanimously approved the postponement of the South West Zonal Congress,” the communique stated further.

It directed the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, to go through the court process and to set a new date for the congress when concluded.

The NEC also unanimously approved and ratified August 31 as the date for the party`s special national convention.

It commended the special congresses and convention planning committee, headed by former minister of Information, Jerry Gana for the efforts so far put in place to prepare for the convention.

The party’s former national secretary, OlagunsoyeOyinlola, had dragged the party before anOshogbo High Court to contest his removal from office and the court had declared that the office of Oyinlola was not vacant even though he was removed by an earlier court.

The nomination of Oyinlola’sreplacement, is one of the main issues planned for the now suspended South-West congress.

The NEC meeting came up two months after the last one held on June 20, even though the party’s constitution stipulates that NEC, which is its second highest body after its Board of Trustee, BOT, should meet every three months.

ICPC Chairman Mr Ekpo Nta with the pioneer Chairman of ICPC ,Justice Mustapha rtd at the Public Presentation of ICPC Law Report.

A lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Abiodun Layonu, has called for the introduction of a special “anti – corruption levy” of N500 to address the challenge of inadequate funds confronting anti-corruption agencies in the country.

Layonu, who was guest lecturer at the public presentation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC’s Law Report held in Abuja, lamented that insufficient funds was a major setback in the campaign against corruption.

He said that the levy should be a single one-off annual deduction on all existing current accounts having a balance of over N5,000.

This he said was one way through which every person would make contribution to the collective contribution to the collective fight against corruption.

“The resultant fund will be in billions to supplement the budgets of the anti-corruption agencies,” the guest lecturer said.

He further explained that the levy will be deducted with clear narrative by the banks and credited centrally to a specially dedicated and designated account and administered by a body set up for that purpose for the benefit of the anti-corruption agencies.

Layonu also recommended that the ICPC should have a share of the Education Trust Fund because of the commission’s education and public enlightenment mandate just as he said the agency should be able to receive direct funding from fines, penalties and forfeitures imposed after conviction.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, called for better partnership among all the anti-corruption agencies in the country and assured the commission of the readiness of the Police to partner with them.

In his opening remarks, the ICPC chairman, Ekpo Nta, said that the presentation represented a very important milestone in the annals of the commission in its fight against corruption

He said in producing such a Law Report, the ICPC had taken a bold step towards establishing that cases of corruption have actually led a lot of people to jail for various terms of imprisonment.

Among prominent personalities at the event werepioneer chairman of ICPC, retired JusticeMustapha Akanbi; former attorneys general, Kanu Agabi and Akin Olujimi; former acting chairman of the ICPC, Uriah Angulu; the secretary of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Emmanuel Aremu as well as judges from various courts.

The first female  head of service in the old Oyo State, Tejumade Alakija, is dead.

Alakija, daughter of the late Ooni of Ife, Adesoji Aderemi, was confirmed dead by her younger brother, Adelowo Aderemi,  in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN in Ibadan on Friday.

He said Alakija died on Friday morning at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, after  a brief  illness at 88 years.

Born on May 17, 1925 in Ile-Ife, Alakija attended Aiyetoro Primary and Central School, Ile-Ife, between 1933 and 1937 as well as  Kudeti Girls’ School, Molete, Ibadan.

She obtained a  B.A Honours (History) at Westfield College, University of London, England, between 1946 and 1950.

Alakija then proceeded to Oxford University  where she bagged  a post-graduate diploma in Education between 1950 and 1951.

As a graduate teacher, she joined the Nigerian civil service  and was posted to Queen’s School,Ede, and later to the new Government Girls’ Secondary Grammar School between 1951 and 1953.

In 1953, Alakija founded a Girls’ Secondary Grammar School at the invitation of the Anglican Mission in Ijebu-Ode Diocese.

She later became an assistant secretary (Finance) at the ministry of works  and then training officer-in charge of the Western Region Public Service Training Programme between 1960 and 1962.

The deceased  was the assistant secretary in the ministry of trade and industries in the region between 1962 and 1964 and was later appointed secretary of some  important commissions.

She served in the committee on development of training in the Western Region Civil Service and the committee on technical education in Western Nigeria.

Alakija became the chief investment officer in the ministry of trade and industries between 1969  and  1972.

She served as deputy permanent secretary to the ministry of health between 1976 and 1978 and as permanent secretary, ministry of education,  between 1978 and 1979.

Alakija also served as head of service in the old Oyo State and voluntarily retired on  September 30, 1983.

Members of the Boko Haram sect have killed 44 persons and injured several others in a fresh retaliatory attack on innocent civilians in Borno State.

The insurgents numbering about 50 stormed Dumba village on Tuesday night while residents were still asleep, setting fire on houses and reportedly slaughtering 44 persons.

Dumba village is on the outskirts of Baga town, in Kukawa local government area of the State.

A member of the team of rescue officials mobilized to the area said the village has been deserted as people are now taking refuge at the Baga central primary school.

‘’As I am speaking to you now, Red Cross officials and the Doctors Without Borders are attending to the injured victims’’ he said.

Another source told journalists that the assailants horridly gorged out both eyes of some of their victims and mutilated the bodies of others.

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has also confirmed the incident, adding that its officials have been mobilized to the area to access the situation.

The Joint Task Force, JTF, is yet to confirm the situation.

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In another development, two Boko Haram suspects who disguised as females have been arrested in the Jimtilo ward of Maiduguri Metropolis.

They were unfortunately later lynched by an angry mob as they tried to escape. Their corpses were later dumped in Hausari ward in the town.

It was gathered that the two suspects were on their way to Maiduguri to unleash terror attack, but they ran out of luck as they were intercepted by vigilante youths at Jimtilo, which is about 8kilometres away and also a western entrance point to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The International Center for Journalists ICFJ is an Engagement Fellow to be based in Nigeria for 10 months starting from October 1st, 2013 to help the Centre’s innovative health journalism project.

The Fellow will work with other ICFJ Fellows both in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, as well as local and international technologists, to ensure that its journalist partners produce health stories that engage audiences.

“We are looking for a media professional, with deep roots in newsrooms, who has managed complex digital innovation projects and teams, and who has a demonstrable track-record for creating ways for audiences to engage with the news,” the ICFJ said in a recent announcement.

The successful candidate will have to  demonstrate:

–         Experience working in newsrooms

–         Experience creating digital and/or mobile news media

–         Experience managing digital production teams, while working to tight deadlines

–         Experience integrating social media into news media

–         Success in achieving measurable audience engagement

–         Success at replicating or repurposing technologies to answer local needs

–         Strong leadership qualities

–         Strong project and time management skills

–         Experience in Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa is strongly preferred

–         Training or coaching experience is a plus

The Knight International Journalism Fellowships are designed to instill a culture of news innovation and experimentation worldwide. The goal is to seed new ideas and services that deepen coverage, expand news delivery and engage citizens in the editorial process.

It is a program funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation that builds on past successes in the Knight program, which has a strong record of achieving impact.

Fellows work in countries where there is a good opportunity to create the news media of the future. With additional support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Knight Fellows are empowering journalists in sub-Saharan Africa to use the latest digital tools to tell compelling stories on health and development issues.

Applications should be sent to Code4Africa@gmail.com

The Nigeria Police Force has said that its International Police, INTERPOL unit has arrested a Nigerian fraud suspect, Itumo Anthony Chidebere, in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, UAE, for allegedly defrauding a businesswoman of about $2 million.

A statement issued by deputy force public relation officer, Frank Mba stated on Wednesday inAbuja that the unit in conjunction with its counterpart in Abu-Dhabi made the arrest.

The suspect, an indigene of Ebonyi State, was said to have fled to Dubai, after allegedly defrauding the unnamed businesswoman in June last year.

Disguising as an estate broker, the 35-year-old suspect was said to have swindled his victim on the pretense that he was going to buy her a house in Dubai but disappeared after collecting the money.

Mba stated that Nigeria INTERPOL unit was making efforts with its UAE counterpart and the federal ministry of justice to facilitate the extradition of the suspect to Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has commended the unit for the arrest and other successes recorded in international anti-crime operations.

He reaffirmed the determination of the Force to bring to justice all criminals connected with international crimes, promising to strengthen the bond between the Nigeria Police and their counterparts in other countries in resolving all trans-border crimes.

Abubakar also advised Nigerians in the Diaspora to steer clear of fraud, drug trafficking and other crimes, noting that engaging in criminal activities could bring the image of Nigeria to disrepute

Robert Mugabe was Thursday sworn in for seventh time as Zimbabwe’s President and leader for another five years term in the face of criticism from opponents that his election victory in July was deeply flawed.

He took his new oath of office before Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku at a ceremony in a 60,000-seat football stadium in Harare witnessed by thousands of cheering supporters, diplomats and delegations from the region.

The inauguration which was delayed by a court petition filed by his main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, over allegations of widespread electoral fraud was celebrated with a public holiday to allow supporters of the 89-year-old to attend the inauguration.

Mugabe won the election with 61 per cent of the total votes against the 34 per cent received byTsvangirai’s party on 31 July.

Announcing his victory, the 89-year-old said that his party had won “a resounding mandate” from voters to complete a sweeping “black empowerment” programme taking over foreign and white-owned assets.

Earlier, international bodies and countries including Britain and United States, the Movement for Democracy Change led by Tsvangiraiand the Zimbabwe Election Support Network claimed that the election process was fraudulent.

But the African Union said that any irregularities were not enough to overturn the margin of victory.

“I have grave concerns over the conduct of the election, and the flaws highlighted in the South African Development Community (Sadc) and African Union observation missions’ initial assessments,” UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement on Thursday.

However, all the claims were dismissed by constitutional court on Tuesday, declaring Mugabe’s re-election free, fair and credible.

Tsvangirai, boycotted the inauguration. His spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka, told AFP that expecting him to attend the ceremony “is like expecting a victim of robbery to attend a party hosted by the robber.”

Mugabe served as Zimbabwe’s first post-independence prime minister between 1980 and 1987, and has held office as president ever since thus remaining African oldest leader.

The Plateau State House of Assembly has discovered about N3 billion unspent Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P, funds in the state since January 2012.

The chairman of the House ad hoc committee on the Subsidy Reinvestment and EmpowermentProgramme, Dalyop Mancha, who disclosed this to newsmen in Jos, said it discovered that both the state and local governments attracted fund from the SURE-P since January 2012, which the two tiers did not disbursed to the beneficiaries.

He said the commissioners for finance, local government and chieftaincy, the state accountant-general, state and zonal coordinators of SURE-P and the director-general, research and planning, Plateau Government House, had appeared before the committee over the issue.

According to the chairman, the finance commissioner told the committee that the state started receiving monthly allocation of funds from the programme in January 2012, but a special account was created for it in April 2012.

“He said the funds are intact and that the account has so far received the sum of over N3 billion arising from a monthly allocation of N218 million,” Mancha said.

The legislator also disclosed that the commissioner for local governments told the committee that funds received from the program me since April 2012 was kept in a local government SURE-P account.

He said the commissioner blamed the non commencement of the programme on late submission ofprogramme by committees’ setup in local governments for purpose.

He said the committee had recommended that the state and local governments should put in place mechanisms for the commencement of the programme to catch up with other states.