Apparently referring to the inability of the courts to live up to expectations, President Muhammadu Buhari observed Sunday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the ongoing fight against corruption would be a futile venture if there is no proper reform of the judiciary.
To underscore the President’s stance, some laws in Nigeria have become obsolete, having been in use since 50 years ago when the country gained independence and are in dire need of amendment by the National Assembly. For example, the punishment for those who manufacture fake products is just two years in prison.
Using himself as an instance, the President said he had been a victim, given the fact that he was in court for many years seeking justice following the irregularities that characterised the electoral process, all to no avail.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in Ethiopia, the President, who lamented that the judiciary had been his main headache in the ongoing fight against corruption in Nigeria, assured that the anti-graft war could be effectively tackled with the strong support of the judiciary.
According to him, far-reaching reforms of the judiciary remained a key priority for the present administration.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, quoted President Buhari as saying: “On the fight against corruption vis-à-vis the judiciary, Nigerians will be right to say that, that is my main headache for now. If you reflect on what I went through for 12 years when I wanted to be the president, I attempted three times and on the fourth attempt, through God and the use of technology, it was possible for Nigerians to elect an APC candidate as President.
“In my first attempt in 2003, I ended up at the Supreme Court and for 13 months I was in court. The second attempt in 2007, I was in court close to 20 months, and in 2011, my third attempt, I was also in court for nine months. All these cases went up to the Supreme Court until the fourth time in 2015 when God agreed that I will be President of Nigeria.”
President Buhari assured members of the Nigerian community that with the support of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, he would continue to do his best to improve the nation’s justice administration system.
On urban development and infrastructure, President Buhari announced that the Federal Government had ordered a review of several railway transport projects signed by the previous administration with the Chinese government.
“The Chinese government was very generous to Nigeria on the projects signed with the previous government because they agreed to pay for 85 per cent of the project.
“But the Nigerian government was unable to meet up with its counterpart funding of 15 per cent, so the Chinese government was unable to make any impact on the project,’’ he said.
The president said he had directed the ministers of transportation, finance, power, works and housing, to revisit the agreements and explore ways of re-approaching the Chinese government for assistance.
He added that the Chinese government had indicated interest to assist Nigeria on project financing through its Export-Import Bank.
Commenting on the proposed N6.077 trillion 2016 budget submitted to the National Assembly, the President said, for the first time in Nigeria, the budget would be largely financed from non-oil revenue.
He identified the collapse of the international oil market and oil theft in the Niger Delta as the main reasons for projecting more revenues to fund the budget from the non-oil sector.
“The theft of the oil market by some Nigerians that happen to live there who feel that the oil belongs to them and not the country is an irritating thing for those of us who participated in the civil war for 30 months in which at least two million Nigerians were killed,’’ he said.
The president also said that the proposed budget would focus on increasing efficiency and transparency in government operations and the blocking of leakages from revenue generating agencies.
He added that the recovered assets of the country would also be used to reduce the budget deficit.
EFCC to quiz ex-service chiefs as Amosu remains in custody
…other serving, ex-top military officers to join him today
…They should refund or face trial – Presidency source
The immediate past Chief of Air Staff Adesola Amosu, who spent the weekend in the custody of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is still there, with others set to join him beginning from today in the ongoing investigation over alleged inflation of arms contracts.
Amosu was arrested Wednesday night at about 9pm and has since been detained by the anti-graft agency.
A highly reliable source within the Commission told our correspondent last night that Amosu and another retired air vice marshal, who responded to a summon by the EFCC on Tuesday, are still in custody and that others are expected to join him.
“Amosu and his colleagues are still with us and I don’t foresee him going home for now because others are expected to join him this week. Their co-operation with us will largely determine how long they will stay with us,” the source disclosed.
Whoever refunds any money traced to him/her will not be prosecuted “since we are only interested in recovery of the public fund in their hands.”
According to this Presidency source, “The primary goal of our investigations is to recover every kobo in the wrong hands and once this is done, I don’t see them being charged to court. But those who think they are smarter, no matter their stature, will be prosecuted.”
President Muhammadu Buhari directed EFCC to probe 18 top officers of the military, comprising both retired and serving personnel, on January 5, 2016, as part of the ongoing efforts to unravel the $2.1 billion arms scandal.
The spokesman of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached to speak on the issue at the time this report was filed.
Those who took bank loans must pay back – Emir Sanusi
…As Fidelity Bank partners Kano SMEs on loan facilities
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammad Sanusi II, has called on individuals and corporate entities who took loan facilities from banks to repay the money as a matter of grave importance.
Emir Sanusi stated that the attitude of not repaying bank loans and within the agreed period was no longer tenable, even as he called on the people to shift from olden days financial engagements to the most developed, which was the only way to develop together with other parts of the world.
Muhammad Sanusi called on the people to look inward in the present diverse economic potentialities and belong to a segment that will drive the country’s modern economy and shield it from economic and financial collapse.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Fidelity Bank Plc (North), Muhammad Balarabe, has assured the public of the bank’s readiness to find ways to engage Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) in the northern region.
Speaking during the northern regional conference at Meena Events Centre, Kano, Balarabe explained that Fidelity Bank’s management decided to host SMEs at a conference to hear first-hand what needs to be done to move them forward.
According to him, the bank considered it a call to duty at this tough time of economic and financial squeeze to proffer alternatives to the citizens of the country to help them to be self-sustaining and increase the nation’s revenue and GDP.
Balarabe stated that the aim of the programme was to ask what would be done in agriculture and their vendors and what the available MSMEs will be doing differently with the financial and technical assistance from Fidelity Bank to grow and be sustainable, adding the bank was committed.
Balarabe described Kano as the last resort for diverse produce to empower about 500,000 entrepreneurs across the region.
ICPC probes NTDC boss over suspicious spending of N600m
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) is investigating the Director-general of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo, over questionable spending that amounted to over N600 million in the last two years.
Mbanefo is also being questioned by the anti-corruption agency for allegedly recruiting some 50 staffers of the organization without following due process.
ICPC embarked on the probe after it received a petition written by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service (AUPCTRE) and workers of NTDC, indicting Mbanefo of the offences.
According to the AUPCTRE and NTDC officials, the embattled DG has to explain the sudden disappearance of ‘N38.3 million financial assistance’ from Heritage Bank, Keystone, and Aso Savings, Standard Chartered Bank, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), and Ondo State as well as UAC Property.
She is also expected to explain why she employed 50 workers at the NTDC “without regards for public service procedure and Federal Character Principle.”
Mrs Mbanefo, who assumed office as the head of Nigeria’s apex tourism body in July 2013, is also being accused of mismanaging N12 million meant for the launch of “Fascinating Nigeria” and for “blowing N81.7 million” on empowerment programme in 2013 and the sum of N38.5 million in 2014.
The 1986 graduate of Law is also accused of misusing N52,014,821 released to NTDC as capital budget from March to July 2014, while she is expected to explain the whereabouts of N342,654,807 overhead budget of her organization from February-September 2014.
The petitioners are also not happy with her for the alleged withdrawal of N35 million meant for Tour Guide Training after SURE-P had organized and sponsored the same programme, just as she was said to have misused N14,720,000 on Notting Hill Carnival in 2013.
Confirming this development, a top official of the ICPC said, “The DG has been our guest in the past few weeks. She has been in and out of our office. We have quizzed her on some allegations bordering on mismanagement of funds and abuse of office.
“As a matter of fact, she is on administrative bail pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigation. If nothing is found against her, we will let Nigerians know at the end of the day.”
The petition reads in part:
“From March to July, 2014, the federal government released capital budget of N52,014,821, yet no capital project has been embarked upon.
“Again, from February to September 2014, the federal government released overhead budget to the tune of N342,654,807 for training and other logistics, yet no training was done, no office equipment were bought.”
The petition also slated the DG for pulling out of the ITB Berlin UNWTO Global Marketing event in March 2014 “without the knowledge and approval of the former minister and to the utter consternation of tourism stakeholders who were also in attendance.
“That in anticipation of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, you engaged the services of contractors to develop, market and execute the Nigeria Fans Village in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is also alleged that you obtained funds from some banks and corporate organizations to fund this project and that neither the Nigerian Embassy in Brazil nor the Nigerian Consulate in Sao Paulo had any knowledge of this project,” it added.
N1trn railway scam: Reps summon Amaechi, Sijuwade, Bello, others again
Members of the adhoc committee of the House of Representatives on failed rail contracts have summoned the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi; the Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) Seyi Sijuwade; former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Mohammed Halliru Bello, and former minister of transport, Senator Idris Umar, to explain their stewardship in the failed N1 trillion rail contracts.
The adhoc committee, headed by Hon. Ehoizuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, invited the major stakeholders to explain the roles they played in the awards of the rail contracts under investigation.
They are expected to appear before the adhoc committee Tuesday to give a detailed account of their roles while in office.
When contacted, the chairman of the adhoc committee, Hon. Agbonayinma, confirmed that all the stakeholders had been duly informed and they are expected to show up unfailingly on Tuesday.
Asked why Amaechi was invited despite the fact that he is barely three months old in office, Agbonayinma said “the minister of transport, Rotimi Amaechi, was also invited to tell us all he knows, though he just assumed office, but, you know, government is a continuum.”
He stressed further that “this 8th House is 100 per cent in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s crusade against any form of corruption.
“We are not out to witchhunt anybody but anyone found wanting in the course of this investigative hearing will be adequately exposed, although, as you are aware, not until it is proved by a competent court that such persons are guilty, you can’t say they are guilty.”
During the first day of the investigative hearing on December 10, 2015, a former chairman of the NRC board, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, had denied that any contract was awarded by the board during his tenure.
Tukur told the adhoc committee that the Procurement Act excluded the NRC Board from participating in the award of railway contracts.
“The Board which I chaired was never involved in any contract award and was never told or invited to participate in issues of contract award of financial disbursement,’’ he said.
He said that throughout his stay as the Board chairman of the NRC, no issue of contract award of any amount or tune was discussed or awarded by the Board.
Another former chairman of the NRC Board, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who is chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had earlier told the adhoc committee that he was not privileged to appoint any consultant or award contracts for the railway projects.
According to Baraje, all the paraphernalia and indices that would assist him carry out his work were all gone, adding that “we only played the role of inspection because the Procurement Act excluded the Board from participating in any contract.”
He expressed worry that “the country’s railway transportation system had suffered neglect in spite of playing critical role in the development of the economy.”
Baraje said that more attention should be given to the 25-year-old railway modernisation plan to boost transportation in the country.
Also speaking on the first day of the hearing, Senator Ladan Shuni, another former Board chairman of NRC, wondered about the essence of inaugurating a Board that lacked the capacity to oversight the award of contracts.
-Leadership
