The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • How to tame corruption, by IGP, Akanbi, Agabi

    How to tame corruption, by IGP, Akanbi, Agabi

    The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, pioneer Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mustapha Akanbi and two others have suggested ways the nation could effectively tackle the problem of corruption.

    Abubakar and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Abiodun Layonu advocated an increase in the funding of anti-corruption and related agencies, while Akanbi and former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Kanu Agabi (SAN) argued that it required the support of all for the country to succeed in its bid to end impunity.

    They spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the public presentation of the maiden edition of the ICPC Law Report, a compilation of 21 cases (criminal and civil) which the commission successfully prosecuted and obtained judgments in its favour.

    Abubakar argued that for the nation to succeed in its anti-corruption efforts, agencies involved in anti- corruption activities must be well funded.

    “How do you fight corruption when you are not well paid; not well trained and not well motivated?” He said.

    The IGP observed that the fight against corruption was a difficult one, which required the commitment of all.

    He argued that success in the anti-corruption war requires the commitment of anti- corruption agencies’ personnel, who are daily, faced with temptation in the course of their duties.

    Akanbi urged public officers to operate with the fear of God and be committed to their duties.

     

     

  • Reps to intensify investigation of MDGs funds – Tambuwal

    Reps to intensify investigation of MDGs funds – Tambuwal

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has revealed that the House would intensify its monitoring of budgetary allocations to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    According to Tambuwal, effective tracking of budgetary allocation to the MDGs can steer the country towards the realization of the goals.

    Speaking at the 5th Annual Conference of Speakers of African Parliaments in Midrand, South Africa, Tambuwal said the House established a standing committee on MDGs to ensure that the strategy is translated into reality due to its importance.

    In a statement issued by his Spokesman, Imam Imam, the Speaker noted that meeting the goals have the potential of tackling many developmental challenges confronting developing countries.

    It reads: “We believe by adequate budgetary allocation to the programme and effective scrutiny and oversight to ensure full implementation of the budget, the MDG’s will be achieved even if not 100 percent.

    “It is in that spirit that the Nigerian parliament, the House of Representatives in particular, found it necessary to establish a standing committee on MDGs.

    “As representatives of the people, he noted, legislators were better positioned to champion the realization of the MDG’s, and called on other African parliaments to be involved in the formulation of the MDG strategy at the national level to allow formal and informal input from people at the grassroots and members of civil society groups.”

     

     

  • FG committed to boosting non-oil exports – Jonathan

    FG committed to boosting non-oil exports – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday maintained that the Federal Government would do all within its powers to facilitate and encourage the rapid diversification of Nigeria’s economy.

    He made the remark during a visit by the outgoing Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nigeria, Mr. Jaroslav Siro at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, he would leave no stone unturned towards moving the Nigerian economy away from dependence on crude oil exports.

    To this end, he said the Federal Government was actively exploring all avenues of boosting trade and economic relations with other countries in areas not related to the oil and gas sector.

    He said: “With current developments in the world, we are more interested in diversifying our economy, not in over-emphasizing oil and gas exports. Our intention is to move our country away from being a mono-product economy that depends primarily on oil exports. We are fully committed, therefore, to boosting non-oil trade relations with other nations.”

    President Jonathan commended Mr. Siro, who has served in Nigeria for over five years, for his efforts towards enhancing bilateral relations between Nigeria and the Czech Republic, which resulted in the tripling of the volume of trade between the two countries.

    Even as the Czech Republic does not import crude oil from Nigeria, the annual volume of non-oil trade between the two countries is currently stand at about $100 Million U.S. Dollars.

    Mr. Siro told President Jonathan that a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at further strengthening trade and economic cooperation between the two counties was currently being finalized.

     

     

  • CLO to minister: Explain your role in private jet scandal

    CLO to minister: Explain your role in private jet scandal

    The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Bayelsa State, on Thursday asked the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke to explain her involvement on the N2 billion allegedly squandered on hired private jet.

    Describing the allegation leveled against the minister as weighty, the CLO insisted that she owed Nigerians an explanation.

    The Chairman of the organisation, Chief Nengi James, who spoke in Yenagoa noted that keeping sealed lips on the matter would amount to “disgraceful admittance of guilt.”

    He said though the petition containing the allegation was before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the minister in the interest of public trust should within one week speak to Nigerians on the matter.

    “The CLO is concerned and demand an explanation within one week as silence may mean disgraceful admittance of guilt by a minister from the Niger Delta region,” he said.

    He said the group was concerned that her silence on the matter could destroy her advocacy for the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and the region’s chances in the bid to retain the presidency in 2015.

    He said: “We expected her to use her good office to ensure the passage of the PIB and not frivolous spendings.

    “We know that the move to ensure the passage of the PIB will attract attacks on her person but we were not expecting such level of fraudulent allegation.

    “To save the PIB bill, the CLO would insist that she explain her involvement within a week.

    “The minister should use her explanation to assure the people of the Niger Delta and the civil society groups of her innocence and confidence as the Petroleum Minister.

    “If she fails to open up and clear the air on the allegation, we are ready to mobilize the civil society groups in the region against her and call for her removal to save the home state of the President from disgrace.”

     

  • Arewa determined to restore peace in Kaduna – Chairman

    The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Thursday renewed its resolve to restore sustainable peace in the southern part of Kaduna State.

    The Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Aliko Mohammed, made the pledge while on advocacy visit to traditional rulers in the area.

    Mohammed said the forum was determined to ensure peaceful co-existence in Southern Kaduna and the state at large.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that he spoke at the palaces of the Agwam Bajju, Agwam Tyap and the Kpop Ham in Zango Kataf and Jaba local government areas.

    The chairman reminded them that as custodians of culture and traditions, the rulers played an important role as part of the machinery for ensuring communal harmony and peaceful co-existence.

    “This is one of the reasons why ACF had deemed it absolutely necessary to undertake this courtesy call on our traditional institutions in Southern Kaduna senatorial district of Kaduna state,’’ he said.

    He further explained that the visit would avail ACF the opportunity to pave way for future dialogue and exchange of ideas on sensitive issues affecting the northern states.

    “ACF always enjoins northerners to recognise the need for action to find effective ways of harnessing human and natural resources for the development and benefit of our people,’’ he added.

    Mohammed regretted that the north had witnessed more than its fair share of unpleasant ethnic and religious violence, and appealed to the royal fathers and the different communities to return to the “old ways.”

    “Nowhere in the world has violence ever been found to result in peace and progress, as such our northern communities cannot be an exception,’’ he stressed.

     

     

     

  • Warn Keshi on bonus row – Panel

    Warn Keshi on bonus row – Panel

    Warn Keshi on bonus row – Panel

    A probe panel on the Super Eagles bonus row has fingered coach Stephen Keshi as part of the embarrassment and said he should be warned.

    The African champions almost failed to turn up for the FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil in June after the players insisted they be paid more than what the broke Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) planned to pay them for two World Cup qualifiers in Kenya and Namibia.

    “Keshi was part of the problem as regards the bonus saga in Namibia. He stood to lose money if the bonus was slashed as proposed by the NFF and so he needs to be warned about his role in that ugly episode,” a top official told MTNFootball.com

    The panel will submit several ground-breaking recommendations to the country’s sports minister in Abuja Thursday afternoon.

    MTNFootball.com reports that among these recommendations are –

    – No more cash payments for match bonuses to the national teams as has been the case. Players and officials will be paid through their banks.

    – Draw bonuses should be abolished. Players will only be paid bonuses for winning a game, while participation fees will be paid for all national team engagements.

    – Coaches will negotiate their bonuses and will be paid a lump sum as qualification bonuses henceforth and not match bonuses. This is to ensure that the coaches are more professional in the discharge of their duties and have set targets to meet.

     

     

  • INEC, IPAC partner to monitor Anambra election

    The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) said on Thursday that the council would partner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the Anambra elections.

    National Chairman of the council Alhaji Yinusa Tanko told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the measure was to ensure that the election was transparent, free and fair.

    According to him, the election monitors will write a comprehensive report on their observations and submit to the appropriate authorities for remedies.

    “Our team will be on ground to see how the election is being conducted and look at the preparations of INEC and synergies and to make amends if there are shortcomings.

    “What we intend to do is to set up call contact in Awka in case of event of irregularities,’’ Tanko said.

    He said IPAC would collaborate with INEC and the police to ensure that irregularities were curtailed during the exercise.

    Tanko added that the team would also work with INEC during the election to ensure proper authentication of voters’ cards.

    He said each political party would have volunteers representing it on the monitoring team during the election to ensure that the people’s choice emerged.

     

     

  • Edo Library staff murdered

    A staff of Edo State Library Board, Mr. Ebowe Felix has been murdered by unknown gunmen in Benin City.
    Nation learnt that the gunmen stormed his private residence at 1, Inne lane, off Ehizomwangie Street, Off Eghosa Street, Erhunmwunse Road, Benin City, about midnight on Wednesday.
    It was gathered that the gunmen, on breaking into his apartment through the window, shot him on his head, abandoned him in the pool of his own blood and left.
    A tenant in the house, Mr. Osaro Abraham was wounded by the gunmen who also broke into his room, apparently to forestall possible challenge during execution of their dastardly mission.
    Narrating the tragedy, daughter of the deceased, Loveth Ebowe disclosed that when the gunmen started breaking the slide glass and burglary proof in the window of the sitting room, she woke up thinking the men were armed robbers.
    Loveth revealed that as her father ran to the sitting room to ascertain who  the invaders were, the gunmen jumped inside the house and in a commando-like fashion shot him at chose range.
    She stated that her father’s  killers  did not take anything away from the house as she heard them cautioning  themselves not to take anything.
    Loverth, however appealed to the state government, the police and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute a man in their neighbourhood who had earlier threatened to kill her father over a dispute between his family and her father.
    Nation investigations revealed that the said dispute which the elders in the street tried to resolved unsuccessfully was later taken to court.
    It was also learnt that the first hearing came up in Magistrate Court 1, Sapele Road, Benin City last Monday as the case was adjourned to today, Friday August 23, 2013.
    Contacted, his colleagues at the state library complex, Sapele Road, Benin City were in sorrowful mood as they expressed shock over the sad incident.
    Pointing to the deceased  chair and table in the library, they mourned that the library has remained quiet without the deceased who they described as a man of the people.
    Spokesman, Edo State Police Command, DSP Moses Eguavoen could not be reached for comment but police from Evbotubu division allegedly took the corpse to a mortuary in Benin City.

  • Why Boko Haram is yet to be fully wiped out- Maku

    The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku has  urged Nigerians not to expect sudden end to the insurgency of Boko Haram in the country.

    Speaking to State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, he pointed out that some countries facing similar terrorists attacks have been battling with the menace for several years.

    Even as they have been dislodged from their bases, he said that it will take some time before Boko Haram, which is adopting gorilla style of attacks, to be fully wiped out.
    Maku said: “Every operation against a guerrilla styled insurgency is not something that can be contained over night. In Iraq we are still having occasional attacks after the Americans left just as we are having in Pakistan and other places.”

    “The presumption by Nigerians is that the incidence will end tomorrow. No. We are regaining territories; we are regaining confidence and stability. What the insurgents are doing is to go to remote places and start striking at innocent people like they did recently at Danboa.”

    He continued: “That shows the desperation of these people. We must be proud of our security forces. As we clock three months of the state or emergency, the military has just announced the creation of a new division which means that the operation would further go up from what it is.”

    “It will be more orderly and the military will gain further control which was shared with other security services. This also show the emphasis by the military to ensure complete success. What is significant is that not only in Nigeria but internationally the performance of our military has been commended.”

    “The criminality of these insurgents have also come under international opprobrium when the International Criminal Court accused them of crime against criminality. One of the fall outs of the declaration of state of emergency is the increase confidence by member of the public to come out clearly to interface with the security forces in identifying some of the hide outs of the criminals and murderers involved in the terrorist attacks on innocent Nigerians. You have very crucial roles being played by youths in the area.”

    On the claim that Shekau has been killed, he said: “Relating to the story that we have read, I think it is better we leave it at that. These people are on the run and we will allow the military to tell the story. The military said that it would appear that in one of their operations, the leader of the insurgent was mortally wounded and they were rushing him from place to place and they believe that he could indeed be dead. There is no question of losing confidence. It should give us more confidence.”

    “What it means is that the security forces are closing up on some of the king pins of this murderous group that has denied thousands of Nigerians their lives. Some of the key leaders have been pronounced dead. I think that rather than losing confidence, we should continue to pray for the military and continue to hope that in the end they succeed and they are succeeding.”

    “What is remaining is for the media to support the military. It is the most important thing we need in Nigeria because if there is no peace in the northern part of the country there won’t be peace in Nigeria.

    “Economic activities in Borno and Yobe have resumed significantly in the aftermath of the activities and the good work being done by the special operations forces. Today leaders of the insurgents are running from pillars to post because the area is no longer conducive for them as it used to be.” He added

    Maku also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council  approved the domestication and ratification of three UN treaties on arms, terrorism and hostage taking.

    The ratification, he said was sequel to memos brought to the Council by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru.

    According to him, the Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke was therefore mandated to prepare the final documents for the ratification.

  • AFROBASKETBALL 2013: D’Tigers dunk-off Mali 74-59

    Nigeria’s senior male team, D’Tigers began its quest for the African Basketball title after they defeated Mali 74-59 points.

    The Coach Ayo Bakare team despite starting their opening game on a shaky note, made amends rediscovering its form to win the second and last quarter of a keenly contest game decided at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, Abidjan.
    The first quarter of the game saw D’Tiger trailed by 4points to Malians after it ended 14-18.
    The second quarter saw a better performance from the Olumide Oyedeji and Ike Diogu star D’Tigers after they won it 17-9 to put half time score at 31-27points in favour of Nigeria.
    The Malian then made Nigeria pay for their inconsistency at shooting from the rebound in the 3rd quarter wining it by 16-19points.
    D’Tigers then showed the championship stuff they are made of dunking-off the Malians in the last quarter of the game with 27-13 points to win their game of the championship by 74-59 points.
    The result meant Nigeria go second on the Group C table behind Cameroon who thrashed Congo 74-43 in the first game of Wednesday, to have a point difference of +31 as against D’Tigers +15.