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Tag: Abuja

  • Nasarawa Chief Judge pardons 20 prison inmates

    Nasarawa Chief Judge pardons 20 prison inmates

    The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Justice Suleiman Dikko, has granted pardon to 20 inmates awaiting trial in Laifa, Keffi, Wamba and Nasarawa Prisons.

    Dikko pardoned the inmates on Thursday at the end of his four-day tour of prison formations across the state.

    He told journalists in Nasarawa that two of the inmates were from Lafia, 17 from Keffi, while one is from Wamba prisons respectively.

    He explained that the routine visit was part of his duties aimed at decongesting the prisons in the state and ensuring that inmates who were wrongly detained got justice.

    “Given the alarming rate of crime in the state, particularly in Mararaba-Abuja area, all hands must be on deck to ensure that justice prevailed.

    “The police and the state Ministry of Justice need to get more counsels in order to effectively prosecute the rising number of cases in the state,” he said.

    Read Also: Former Nasarawa Governor Akwe-Doma dies

    He urged the police, prison authorities and other stakeholders to rise up to their responsibilities by ensuring speedy administration of justice in the state.

    He advised the discharged inmates to exhibit good character and avoid committing crimes that would take them back to prison.

    Earlier, Dalyop Patrick, the Controller of Prisons in the state, said the four prisons had 1, 402 inmates.

    Patrick said 514 of them were convicts while 905 were awaiting trial.

    He appealed for more vehicles to take inmates to courts among others.

    NAN

  • UTME 2018: Candidates call for transparency in admission process

    UTME 2018: Candidates call for transparency in admission process

    A typical Computer-Based Test ( CBT ) centre for the Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination ( UTME ) scheduled to begin on Friday, March 9 nationwide.

         Some Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination ( UTME ) candidates in FCT are optimistic that the 2018 exercise would end in their favour, having prepared well ahead.

    The candidates, who spoke in separate interviews with our reporter at a Computer Based Test ( CBT ) centre on Thursday in Bwari, Abuja, also called for transparency in the admission process.

    Our reporter, reports that many of the candidates, who seem fully prepared for the examinations, are determined to gain admissions into their various higher institutions of choice.

    The computer-based testing ( CBT ) examination is scheduled to hold between Friday, March 9 and Monday, March 19 nationwide.

    Lucy Ibrahim, one of the candidates, told our reporter,  that she was writing the examinations for the second time, adding that her level of optimism remained unshaken.

    According to her, it is not the scores that concern her but the struggle for admission into her university of choice.

    “I scored 231 last year but I believe that I will score higher this time.

    “But my prayer is for my school of choice to admit me this year.

    “I am from Kaduna and I applied for Mass Communication in ABU.

    “I just hope that the process is transparent and fair, so that a good percentage of us can get the admission this year,’’ Ibrahim said.

    Similarly, Chibuke Okafor, another candidate told our reporter,  that his level of preparedness was high enough to give him the score he needed to make his admission dream come true.

    He, however, alleged that the entire admission process was discouraging and fraught with corruption.

    Read Also: UTME 2018: JAMB vows to fight malpractice, cautions against fraudsters

    According to him, the level of corruption in some schools would not allow fairness in the entire admission process.

    Okafor said that with the new cut-off mark of 120, some schools would still frustrate the system by making it difficult for many eligible candidates.

    A candidate, Patrick Adamu, prayed for the exercise to be hitch-free, especially from network disruption.

    He also wished that the exercise begin on schedule

    Another candidate, Mercy Obi, who commended the JAMB for introducing innovations to enhance the system, urged various schools to emulate the board’s desire to make things easier for candidates.

    She said: “Most times, you find out that the challenges that come up are not from JAMB but from schools.

    “This is because when JAMB gives admission to a candidate, the school may likely not admit such candidate, even if you meet up all requirements.

    “Some of us, who have no one to fight for us or money to spend to gain admission, will continue to write until luck finally shines on us’’.

    Our reporter,  recalls that JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, recently reiterated the board’s commitment towards improving the efficiency of its services to curb all forms of malpractice.

    Oloyede said that the Central Admissions Processing System ( CAPS ), which is the automated admission platform, would provide candidates with the opportunity to track their admissions.

    According to the registrar, the system ensures strict adherence to admission guidelines, thereby creating equity and fairness in the process.

    He said this was responsible for timely completion of the 2017 admission.

    NAN

  • Umahi to Opposition: ‘You can’t intimidate us with police’

    Umahi to Opposition: ‘You can’t intimidate us with police’

     

    Apparently irked by persistent arrests of some government officials by security agencies suspected to be instigated by some opposition politicians, Governor David Umahi on Wednesday said the state shall no longer remain silent in the sight of the unprovoked arrests.

    Umahi stated this while receiving the new Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone 6, Calabar, Tilli Abubakar.

    He described as alarming the rate in which opposition politicians influence arrest and transfer of cases from the state to Abuja and Calabar respectively with sole aim of intimidating the people of the state and browbeating them to submission.

    He said his administration has uncovered plots by the opposition to embark on random arrests of perceived government strongmen with the sole purpose of transferring them to the Force headquarters where they will be detained till election is over.

    He warned that from henceforth, his administration will no longer allow such brazen intimidation of the law abiding citizens of the state by opposition politicians whom he described as desperate politicians.

    “We don’t like our people being arrested here and taken to Abuja and Calabar respectively over various flimsy cases, we have all the police establishments in the state, why should a matter that is happening in a police post be sent directly to the Commissioner of Police without going through the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area?

    “We will resist this type of wickedness and intimidation, any crime that is committed here should be investigated in the place the crime was committed. We are not against the police doing their job but our people have died in this type of incessant arrests and transfer to Abuja and Calabar”, he said

    “We have had cases of these people dying in accident on their way to Abuja and in some cases, assassins have disguised themselves as policemen and army to come and arrest our people and get them killed on the way”

    “We will not allow it to happen again in the state. Politicians thinking of coming to arrest my people and keep them away during election will be resisted.  We will not accept this intimidation. If they come with 500 policemen, we will raise over 5000 men to resist them”, Umahi added

    The Governor also appealed to the AIG to help bring to an end the lingering crisis between some parts of Ebonyi state and Cross River state by establishing a boarder command to take care of the crisis in the affected regions.

    Responding, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, Tilli Abubakar described governor Umahi as the most police friendly governor in the country and lauded his support towards the police force in the state and the country in general.

    He commended the governor for rebuilding the State headquarters of the police, adding “the gate of Police headquarters is more beautiful than the gate of the government house. The governor is the most security conscious governor in the country”.

    “He built the most expensive gate for the command and he is doing everything good to assist the police and carries every security agencies along in the discharge of his official duties”, the AIG added.. Ends

     

  • Man jailed three months for stealing books

    Man jailed three months for stealing books

    A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, on Wednesday sentenced a 20-year-old man, Sadiq Ahmed, to three months imprisonment for stealing books and window frames.

    Ahmed, of Jabi Motor Park, had pleaded guilty to a count charge of trespass and stealing, punishable under Section 287 of the Penal Code.

    The judge, Abubakar Sadiq, said that the punishment would serve as deterrent to other would be offenders.

    The prosecutor, Mr Dalhatu Zannah, had told the court that one Christopher Moses of Utako, Abuja, reported the matter at the Utako Police Station on March 4.

    Read Also: Court jails man 12 months for stealing cell phone

    Zannah told the court that on the same date at about 3 a.m. the convict dishonestly trespassed into house No. 29 at Utako to steal the items.

    He said the convict criminally vandalised the complainant’s window and made away with his books, but he was apprehended, and the items recovered.

    He said during police investigation, Ahmed admitted committing the offence.

  • NiMet predicts partly cloudy weather, isolated rains on Wednesday

    NiMet predicts partly cloudy weather, isolated rains on Wednesday

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has predicted partly cloudy to cloudy weather conditions over the central States of the country on Wednesday morning.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office in Abuja on Tuesday also predicted day and night temperatures in the range of 31 to 40 and 15 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.
    It added that chances of isolated rain showers were expected over Abuja, Jos, Lokoja and environs during the afternoon and evening hours.

    The agency predicted that the Southern States would experience cloudy morning with day and night temperatures in the range of 33 to 37 and 20 to 25 degrees Celsius respectively.

    It also predicted localised thunderstorms are anticipated over Iseyin, Shaki, Akure, Oshogbo, Benin, Enugu, Owerri, Yenagoa, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Eket and its environs during the afternoon and evening hours.

    According to NiMet, Northern States will experience partly cloudy conditions over most parts of the northwest with chances of thundery activity over Yelwa axis.

    It further predicted sunny conditions over most parts of the northeast during the forecast period with day and night temperatures of 37 to 40 and 15 to 23 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “The Inter Tropical Divide (ITD) is around latitude 12°N, keeping most parts of the country under the influence of moist winds.

    “The northwestern part of the country is likely to be partly cloudy with chances of isolated thundery activity over Yelwa axis, while the northeastern part of the country is expected to be sunny.

    “Isolated rain showers are probable over the high ground areas of the central states, while isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over some parts of the southern cities within the next 24 hours,” NiMet predicted.

    NAN

  • Senate summons Sirika, others over air mishaps

    Senate summons Sirika, others over air mishaps

    The Senate Tuesday resolved to invite Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to brief it on steps taken by his ministry to minimize air mishaps in the country.

    Apart from Sirika, who is mandated appear before the Senate in plenary, the upper chamber also invited heads of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and every other relevant agency in the aviation industry to give a full briefing on the steps that have been taken to minimise human errors and avoid preventable air crashes.

    The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on “The need to minimize the possibility of Air Mishaps and Near Fatalities in Nigeria,” sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) and eight others.

    Ashafa in his lead debate prayed the Senate to observe that on the 20th of February, 2018 the story of a near fatal incident involving Dana Airlines with number 9J0363 hit the news waves.

    He noted that it was reported that the aircraft overshot the runway upon landing at the Port Harcourt Airport, on a flight from Abuja.

    He said that the incident was attributed to the wet surface of the runway

    Ashafa recalled that “just a few weeks before the afore stated event, there was also panic on Wednesday, 7th of February, 2018, when the emergency door of an aircraft conveying passengers to Abuja fell off upon landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe, International Airport in Abuja.”

    The Lagos East lawmaker said that he is aware that while the said aircraft was cleared to return to service on the same day by the relevant authorities the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), “an experienced pilot interviewed was of the opinion that the aircraft might have experienced a component failure.”

    He noted that report quoted the pilot to have said “What happened is likely to be a component failure due to hand landing. It couldn’t have fallen off when the aircraft was airborne because the aircraft cabin is pressurised. It is very difficult for that to happen but it could fall off when the aircraft is on the ground”;

    He expressed concern that “these recent occurrences might be a sign of a sequence of human errors, caused by the failure of  officials and staff of the agencies saddled with the responsibility of guaranteeing safety to carry out their due diligence before issuing clearance for aircrafts to operate within the Nigerian airspace.”

    Ashafa further recalled with sadness that Nigeria has experienced a significant number of air catastrophes that cost the lives of hundreds of Nigerians, due to a range of causes including human and technical error.

    He said that a chronicle of air mishaps caused by human error as reported  an article titled: Human errors, dereliction of duty are major causes of plane crashes in Nigeria, stated as follows: ”Avoidable human errors and dereliction of duty by public officials working in the aviation sector have been major reasons for the loss of hundreds of lives in air crashes in Nigeria, reports by the Aviation Investigation Bureau (AIB) have shown.”

    The report, he said, stated further that:”Some of the human errors identified by AIB as causes of the plane crashes include non-lightening of runways and airfields, poorly constructed drainage culverts, inaccurate information by the control tower, lack of proper certification of radio operators and poor supervision of aircraft imported into the country.”

    He stated with concern that “it is against this backdrop that it has now become imperative to move with speed and  alacrity in order to ensure that all relevant agencies in the Aviation industry do their work with excellence and minimal human error in order to prevent avoidable loss of human lives.”

    All senators who contributed to the motion agreed that urgent steps should be taken to fix the aviation section in the interest of the flying public.

    Read Also: Senate seeks immediate end to NASU strike

  • Minister warns board members against interference

    Minister warns board members against interference

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has warned boards of health institutions in the country not to interfere with the day to day running of the government agencies under them.

    Adewole equally reminded them that their appointments are on part time basis.

    Besides, the minister also urged members of the board to address the incessant strike actions and inter-rivalry in the sector.

    He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at the inauguration of the governing boards of Paratstals, agencies and institutions under the ministry. The boards that were inaugurated are: the Teaching Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, National Orthopedic Hospitals, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospitals, National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

    He said: “Except where expressly stated by statute, Board appointments are part time. Management of your Agencies and hospitals should therefore be allowed to perform the day to day running of these organizations without hindrance. Your allowances and entitlements as board members are guided by extant circulars that will be distributed to you in due course. Please acquaint yourselves with the circulars for proper guidance.

    “The principles of change, good governance and accountability in the affairs of health institutions must be adhered to. These essentially require adherence to extant laws, Circulars, and regulations. For emphases, I commend this to you as a useful tool towards achieving the change we all yearn for in the health sector.

    “It is the expectation of this administration that each Governing Board will put measures in place that will strengthen the resource base of your Agencies and Institutions, increase internally generated revenue and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the use of these resources in line with Financial Regulations. Procurement and Contracts are not your functions, as you are advised to keep strictly to the provisions of the procurement Act 2007, as provided by the Bureau of Public procurement.”

    He also reminded members of the various boards that as a creation of statutes, their responsibilities are to give policy direction to the management of Institutions.

    He added, “I therefore wish to emphasize that Government expects no less from these boards that are to be inaugurated today. Your Agencies are critical to the achievement of developmental goals of government, being implementing entities of the health sector. You are all enjoined to commit to achieving this mandate and to live above board.

    “The roles you are being called upon to play revolve around setting the standards for control and discipline which are the core elements required for any positive change to take place. Your appointments should be seen as an opportunity to make useful and selfless contributions toward uplifting healthcare service delivery in Nigeria.

    “For health institutions to have the desired impact on the lives of our citizens, they must be of the right quality, skill mix and right attitude to service delivery.”

    On the incessant strike actions in the sector, the minister said “It is your responsibility as Chairmen and Members of the Governing Boards to bring about this desired change in the short term. You must acquaint yourselves with the mandates as contained in the enabling Act of your Parastatal, Agency and Institution.”

    Read Also: Health minister inspects cancer treatment machine in Abuja

    The minister also reminded them of the task ahead of them, saying “when considered in totality, the task before you is challenging. I must prepare your minds on some of the key challenges within the sector, which will require your immediate attention as you assume duties.

    As new boards, he added, “There are continuing contentions and inter professional rivalry in the Health Sector. Right from the inception of this administration, the health sector has been overwhelmed with demands from various trade unions and professional bodies and associations within the health sector. The reports emanating from the sector has been that of incessant strikes, with attendant low productivity and resultant poor service delivery.

    “As Chairmen and Members of the Governing Boards, you have the primary responsibility to perform, which involves calming down frayed nerves, resolving industrial disharmony and ensuring an end to incessant strikes by trade unions in the health sector. We should make our hospitals better known for efficient and effective health care services than for the lack of such. Our ministry will support in any way to enhance resolutions where necessary.

    “Professional discipline amongst Health Professionals. This is one of the most important tasks you must carry out as Governing Boards. It requires due diligence, transparency, firmness and fairness. There is a significant number of cases of professional misconduct pending against some health professionals under your purview. These should be dispensed with expeditiously to ensure public confidence in the health sector.”

    The board he also said is “required to devise innovative ways of ensuring that health professionals across board, collaborate with each other in the spirit of professional interdependence and that they comply with prescribed Code of Practice and Professional Conduct while maintaining the highest ethical decorum in and out of the work place.

    “I urge you to take the accreditation of your various institutions by the various postgraduate medical colleges seriously and come up with innovative ways that would lead to accreditation where there is deficiency. You are to ensure that your Hospitals comply with the quality requirements and standards prescribed by the National Health Act, as you will be evaluated based on services delivered and in keeping with medical Audit. The National Tertiary Health Institution Standard Committee (NTHSC) will drive the Medical Audit process, prepare periodic master plans for the balanced and coordinated development of tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. You must cooperate with the Committee to achieve the objectives of the National Health Act 2014.”

    Irrespective of the challenges, the minister said they were carefully selected for the appointment.

     

  • Buhari awards cash, PHD level scholarships to 3 students

    Buhari awards cash, PHD level scholarships to 3 students

    …Sets up technology hubs in Nigerian universities 

    President Muhammadu Buhari has awarded cash awards and scholarships up to PHD levels to three Nigerian students in secondary schools.

    The students who came first, second and third in the just concluded Young Nigerian Scientists  Presidental competition, came out as the best in the 774 local government areas of the country.

    President Buhari made this revelation on Monday in Abuja, at the opening ceremony of the 2018 technology and innovation expo taking place at the eagle square.

    The President who was represented by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo added that the government is setting up technology hubs in universities in the six geopolitical zones.

    He also added that the president has approved a new science, technology and innovation Roadmap  2017-2030 for Nigeria.

    His words, ” In September 2016 the state house hosted the first Aso villa demo day ro showvase the innovation of emerging startups from around the country, since the the world bank has supported a batch of those innovatiors with grants totally about $3m, the first batch of which has aleeady been disbursed and the world bank is committing an additional $3m in the funding for six~ technology hubs across Nigeria in our universities.

    “The Federal Government is collaborating with the Bank of Industry and other private sector entities to run a Presidential technology innovation challenge in all Nigerian universities, public and private and also some Polytechnics in April of this year, each university winner will be invited to an award event hosted by Mr President at the villa, we are also setting up technology hubs in universities in the six geopolitical zones.

    Read Also: Buhari, Weah meet in Aso Rock

    “We will also establish centers of acquisition of technology in each of the six geopolitical zones, we will provide intervention funds that will strengthen research and development through training programs and partnerships in Nigerian universities and polytechnics, our goal is to develop self-confident nation that is quickly able to identify and take advantage of emerging opportunities in a rapidly changing world.

    “Congratulate our best science students who have emerged as the best in the 774 local government  areas of the country, I am pleased to announce that the candidates who emerged first, second and third respectively in the final examination of the recently concluded Young Nigerian Scientists  Presidental competition have been granted full scholarships, up to PHD levels in any science related discipline of their choice in any of our universities, the future of Nigeria belongs to the young people and it is our duty as a government to create tye enabling environment for them to grow to their full potential.

    “As part of our effort to create a nurturing environment for technology and innovation in Nigeria, President Buhari has approved a new national science, technology and innovation Roadmap 2017-2030 for Nigeria.

    “He has also approved a national strategy for competitiveness in raq materials and product development in Nigeria. It is our intention as a government to utilize this initiative to stimulate local production of our raw materials and support our ambition for a diversified economy.”

    Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu stated that the ministry is refocusing the nation to embrace science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

    This he said will enable our manufacturers to do more research in order to improve their products to enable them meet local demand as well as have excess for export.

    His words, “Your Excellencies, Most distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, from Owerri to Oshogbo; Birnin Kebbi to Benin; Maiduguri to Makurdi, never before has the future of science and technology as the engine of Nigeria’s rebirth been so bright. Today as I speak, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technoiogy is refocusing the nation to embrace science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. This will enable our manufacturers to do more research in order to improve their products to enable them meet local demand as well as have excess for export.

    “I believe that with our huge population and vast natural resources, if we remain determined and focused, we can utilize the power of science and technology to become the technological leader in Africa and hence play a ieading roie in,the global battle against poverty, disease and illiteracy.

    “It is With this aim of involving all and sundry in addressing this important chaiienge that I am happy to announce that the inauguration of the Boards of Parastatais under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technoiogy will hold on Thursday March 8 2018 by 2pm at the Auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.”

     

  • Physically challenged persons will benefit from N217m housing project – FG

    Physically challenged persons will benefit from N217m housing project – FG

    The Federal Government has said physically challenged persons interested in the 2016 National Housing Programme (NHP) will benefit from the scheme as soon as it is completed in six months.

    Zonal Director, North Central, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Julius Olurinola, disclosed this during an inspection of 72 units housing project, at the weekend in Abuja.

    He said every Nigerian is eligible to purchase the flats at a cost to be unveiled by the ministry.

    Speaking at the phase one of the project site in Gwagwalada, Abuja, Olurinola who is the ministry’s Director of Engineering, said the project implementation which already commenced in 33 states including the Federal Capital Territory have created both direct and indirect jobs across the chain.

    He said the three apartment houses have 72 units of flats to be occupied by interested individuals at an affordable cost, adding that the project is a reality of campaign promises of the present administration.

    The FCT Condominium Type A Project is a block building consisting of 4 units of 1 bedroom, 16 units of 2 bedroom and 4 units of 3 bedroom with a parking space available to occupy 50 cars.

    The Project Manager, Mr. Liu Chao, said the needed infrastructures for the project such as access road, water, power among others are 95 per cent completed while the building is 40 per cent completed.

    He said about 200 workers have been engaged apart from suppliers and food vendors, who on daily basis provides meal for the workers.

    Chao, representing the contracting firm, City International Dimension assured that the project will be delivered in six months.

    Ministry Project Team Leader, Architect Toyin Faturoti added that, “Ramp was constructed mainly for the physically challenged and there is high rail for protection of the occupants. There are 2 bedroom flats and 3 bedroom flats where each bedroom has its toilets and kitchen good enough to make them comfortable.

    “The doors of the physically challenged are wider and the kitchen bigger, while the building allows every strata of the society to live together under a roof.”

    In his remarks, the contractor in charge of potable water, Mr. Adeleke Seyi said the property was provided with water treatment facility good enough to serve the occupants all year round.

    He said a 75, 000 cubic meter lower tank has been provided as well as 45, 000 upper tank which is being pumped by 7.5 horse power vertical power machine after the treatment.

    One of the workers, Ukaba Joseph, lauded the federal government for the project stressing that it has empowered him and served as a reliable source of livelihood.

     

  • Saraki urges FG to strengthen institutions to win anti-corruption fight

    Saraki urges FG to strengthen institutions to win anti-corruption fight

    Following Nigeria’s 148th position in Transparency International (TI) anti-corruption index, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to strengthen the anti-graft institutions and adopt more holistic approach to winning the fight against corruption.

    Saraki disclosed this at a 2-day roundtable discussion organized by the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy Democracy and Development (SCDDD) in partnership with Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP) and Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training (CEDDERT), in Abuja.

    He said the low ranking index accorded the country should be considered as reason to remain determined to strengthen the anti-corruption institutions and processes.

    The senate president, who identified clear difference between fighting corruption and asset recovery, explained that it might be politically difficult to empower the institutions but insisted it was the only way to go to make it almost impossible to steal public funds.

    “The institution needs to be strengthened, until we understand that those are the issues that needs to be strengthened, not individuals, we will continue to run into this problem.

    “For us to fight corruption, we must as I emphasized have a very deep holistic plan. I believe there is a different between fighting corruption fully and what I call asset recovery. In this roundtable, I can see a lot of people who have capacity and can separate real issues from what I call grandstanding. If we continue to go on that path, we will not achieve anything because we are not attacking the major issues,” Saraki said.

    According to him, the system lacks sustainable action plan for anti-graft institutions to strive, stressing that the tenets of anti-corruption should be built on platforms where issues are addressed holistically without bias.

    He said the National Assembly (NASS) has provided much needed supports to the President’s anti-corruption campaign through the whistle blowers bill, mutual assistance on criminal matters bill among others, adding that as lawmakers, corruption should be fully combated.

    “I have spent some time thinking about the root causes and multifaceted manifestation in the polity. One thing that has become clear to me is that the problem of corruption is far from linear. This is why a forum like this is crucial so we can evolve a more cohesive, future forward approach to battle the scourge, as we know; it has a pertinent bearing on the spheres of all developmental challenge.

    “As we approach the milestone of second decade of Nigeria’s fourth republic next year, the time is ripe to work-up an achievable roadmap run by competent officials and instruments unfettered by external political influence or interference,” he added.

    He tasked the lawmakers to ensure fairness, equity and judicious use of resources in the public’s interest, stressing need to build strong relationship with the executive.

    “The time has come for us to develop a non-partisan approach towards rescuing the country from the stronghold of corruption.”

    In his remarks, former Director General, Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Prof. Abdullahi Shehu, described corruption as a national tragedy that deserves a holistic approach.

    He said there was need to select the right people to drive desired change in the current administration.

    Prof. Shehu in his paper titled: “The Fight against Corruption in Nigeria: Old Wine in a new Bottle” described the TI rating as a statement of fact.

    According to him, a lot of looted funds have been recovered but still fall short of public expectations.

    However, he called for strong political will that will translate into actions and need to implement national anti-corruption strategy for benefit of the masses.

    “The greatest expectation on President Buhari was and still remains in the ability of his government to stem the tide of the monster called corruption. So far, president Buhari has demonstrated through his body language and actions that he is a man of the highest integrity and zero tolerance for corruption,” Shehu added.

    SCDDD Chairman, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, in his speech said the country is losing the fight against corruption, thus need to seek inclusion in the battle against corrupt practices.

    He recommended holistic approach, certainty of punishment to culprits and sustainability of the fight including strong participation from the judiciary.