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Tag: CACOL

  • Intensify efforts to free Chibok girls, CACOL pleads

    The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted Chibok girls.

    The girls were abducted on April 15, 2014.

    The group said no stoned should be left unturned in freeing all those in Boko Haram’s captivity, including Leah Sharibu.

    In a statement by the Centre’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, CACOL said: “Those girls have not been secured completely because of the lack of adequate will to explore all necessary processes required to bring back the girls.

    “There is inadequate intelligence, commitment and funding of those cognate forces required to achieve the feat.

    “All of these observed inadequacies combine to elongate the confinement of these hapless ladies.”

    CACOL noted that most of the girls, who were preparing for their West African Senior School Certificate examinations when they were abducted, would have graduated by now.

    It added: “Their parents and generality of Nigerians need to be constantly kept abreast of proof of life for as many as still possible amongst them, their location, and whatever fate has befallen them, from time to time. This is the only acceptable response of a deserving government.

    “This much would not have been difficult, if there had been an effective intelligence and cooperative endeavor with neighboring countries, like Chad, Cameroon, Niger and any other places, where these insurgents have made their focus of activities.

    “In essence, the Federal Government has to demonstrate greater political will and put in more workable strategies and effective cooperative endeavours, with neighboring countries to achieve tangible outcomes that should be patently evident.”

    On Miss Sharibu, CACOL said it was not enough for the government to keep reassuring Nigerians that she is alive and well.

    It believes extra efforts must be made to secure her release, in view of the fact that those abducted with her had since regained their freedom.

    “We, therefore, advise that the Buhari-led administration should take a step further by stamping its foot in the sands of time through a complete overhaul of the security architecture of Nigeria in a way that reinforces the sacredness of lives and properties of all Nigerians,” the Centre added.

  • Activists: Travel ban will deal fatal blow to corruption

    The issuance of Executive Order 6 and placing of 50 politically-exposed persons (PEPs) on travel ban will deal corruption a fatal blow, according to the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) and a human rights activist Dele Igbinedion.

    While CACOL praised President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Executive Order 6, Igbinedion said those who have no skeletons in their cupboards have nothing to worry about.

    CACOL, in a statement by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said tackling corruption required drastic measures.

    “When we view the precarious situation corruption has thrown this nation and its people, we would better appreciate why drastic and precarious situation calls for a measure of drastic steps/ actions,” it said.

    The group faulted those criticizing the Federal Government for the order, saying that most democratic countries of the world have such provisions in their statute books.

    CACOL said pending when all the laws needed to fight corruption are enacted and institutions strengthened, the President should be encouraged to deploy his powers such as the Executive Order 6.

    “We commend the leadership of Muhammadu Buhari for taking advantage of such provisions and enjoin him to judiciously and expeditiously utilize same in a manner that is completely devoid of witch-hunting or any form of undue flagellations, while, constantly, holding our public office holders to account, irrespective of whose ox is gored,” CACOL said.

    Igbinedion said the President’s action was “courageous, commendable and salutary”.

    Read Also: ANAN Fellow advises accountants to shun corruption

    To him, the President has dealt a fatal blow to corruption, corrupt people, corrupt tendencies and corrupt enrichment from political office.

    “It has been suggested that the Order 06 is unconstitutional, restrictive of human liberty and ultimately illegal. But all that posturing and postulation has been wiped away, broken-hearted, by the recent decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    “It is now accepted, subject to any contrary decision of a higher court, that the Presidential Executive Order 06 is valid, constitutional, legal and applaudable. It is also enforceable pronto, and enforce it, the President has ordered. Amen.

    “Some have also claimed that the Order is targeted at political opponents. But those traducers of the mindless position fail to explain how their argument stands up in the presence of apolitical persons and even members of the President’s political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the list.

    “But whatever the argument for or against, the Presidential Executive Order does not and cannot affect ordinary, hardworking Nigerians. So, fear not, my friends. For too long have corrupt people and their corruption held Nigeria and Nigerians by the jugular. It is now uhuru!

    “Only corrupt former and present political office holders need to tremble in fear over Order 06. Anyone who is not corrupt should walk tall, happy and rejoice. Indeed, a Daniel is come to judgment,” Igbinedion said.

  • CACOL urges EFCC to probe oil and gas sector

    The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to fast-track investigations on acts of corruption in the oil and gas sector.

    It welcomed the commission’s partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

    CACOL hopes the collaboration would ensure that issues bordering on any infractions in the oil and gas sector are quickly resolved.

    Its Executive Chairman Mr. Debo Adeniran said more needs to be done to uncover alleged acts of corruption in a sector that is the economy’s mainstay.

    “The bulk of Nigeria’s revenue has always come from this same oil and gas that accounts for about 85 per cent of national revenue, with so much infraction, manipulations and all kinds of financial corruption bedeviling the sector.

    ‘The creation of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in April 1977 to encourage ‘ease of doing business’ and refining of the products has constituted more problems than preferring solution, with that organisation having been turned to a cash cow by unscrupulous politicians.

    “The organisation has been running its affairs as if it is far and well above the law of the land,” the group said.

    In a statement by the centre’s Media and Publications Coordinator Adegboyega Otunuga, the group added: “As the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, noted when he paid the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, a courtesy visit, the need to fast-track investigations on issues relating to oil and gas sector can never be over-emphasised as the board’s Chairman vows to refer serious fraudulent discoveries from its audit department to the commission for further action.

    “And just like the Chairman also noted, the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit, set up to tackle corruption and unethical behaviour within the oil and gas sector through NCDMB, needs to be adequately equipped with information and expertise in discharging its obligations expeditiously and judiciously to the nation through the technical know-how of the EFCC.”

    CACOL said the fight against corruption could not be left to anti-graft agencies alone.

    “The fight against corruption needs to be collectively owned by all Nigerians, especially those with the power and privilege to dispense responsibilities and the ordinary employees positioned to access critical information on finance.

    “This informs why the Whistleblower arrangement is pivotal in the fight against corruption and why Mr. Wabote’s initiative to create the Whistleblowing portal on their website is quite commendable,” CACOL added.

  • CACOL seeks passage of Proceeds of Crime Bill

    The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has backed the calls for a quick passage of the Proceeds of Crime Bill pending before the National Assembly.

    The group’s Executive Chairman Mr. Debo Adeniran recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking during the submission of the report by a committee on audit of recovered funds, noted that passing the Bill into law would revolutionise the country’s asset recovery.

    “As Nigerians who have been mostly at the receiving end of the deleterious effects of corruption on the country, we cannot but agree with the president on this call as many have wondered aloud how and where the recovered funds are being managed and re-plugged into productive uses or whether they are simply being re-looted.

    “Aside from President Buhari’s claim that the passage of the bill should eradicate many of the challenges facing our asset recovery and management practice in the country, it would also avail the National Assembly the unique opportunity of making their own inputs in ensuring that all necessary loopholes are taken care of and that the ill truly serves the overall interest of Nigerians,” CACOL said.

    The group said the lawmakers should also ensure that government at all levels become more accountable and that politically-exposed persons and their cronies no longer feast on the people’s sweat and resources.

    ”Without mincing words, corruption has done an incalculable damage to the psyche and general well-being of majority Nigerians with basic necessities of life remaining ever elusive while those entrusted with public pulse live a life of wanton opulence.

    “Curiously too, the government continues to borrow from international lending institutions and other countries with our external debt profile now speculated to be over $US50billion, while virtually all these lending countries not interested in equipping the nation with the technical know-how that could enable us take ownership of their expertise or technology overtime.

    “It is, therefore, very clear that the solution is not in our customary profligate spending and borrowing but in proper management of the scarce resources and ensuring public probity.”

    According to CACOL, the revelation that over N769billion as recovered by the Presidential panel “is just a macro reflection of the mind-boggling rate at which our national resources are being pilfered by same people we pay so much to keep the system running”.

    “So, our position remains that, irrespective of the claim of lopsidedness or selectiveness in the fight against corruption, this government should be supported by other arms and the generality of Nigerians to finally sweep away the culture of impunity or ‘stealing not being corruption’ that has, hitherto, permeated the entire fabric of the nation.

    “This is the least our lawmakers could do for the nation and Nigerians expect nothing less as time ticks away,” CACOL said in a statement by its Media Coordinator Adegboyega Otunuga.

  • A vote for continuity in Ekiti

    A vote for continuity in Ekiti

    In this piece, the Coordinator of ‘IKF 2014’ in Baltimore, United States, Adegboyega Dahunsi, justifies the push for continuity in Ekiti State by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    THE Kayode Fayemi Administration can be compared to a Messianic era in the life of Ekiti people and a breeze of change needed in a peculiarly catastrophic atmosphere totally embelished in administrative woes that have befallen the state in the past. Governor Fayemi, unlike several other people that had a diaspora experience, has utilised his encounter with the outside world in a benevolent manner for the progress.

    As a result of his performance, everyone in Ekiti is already clamouring for his second term. I just read on a post by the President of CACOL testifying to the present skyline of Ekiti and his physical encounter with the streets of Ekiti. Here is a man that I believe is not from Ekiti, but just a fair advocate of truth in all the assignments of his NGO. I was even surprised that an entertainer from Lagos, Daddy Shokey, mentioned the same thing about the experience he had in Ekiti. The business mogul, Aliko Dangote said the same. These are people that are not indegenes of Ekiti. Fayemi’s records have been praised by all and sundry. People in the Diaspora all over have joined our movement and I can’t believe within a couple of weeks we launched it in New York, they called me from Europe that they wanted a chapter. All these are due to reports we get when people travel back home and see things themselves. Immediately, we launched the Ekiti State chapter and people are happy about it. Ekiti has seen changes it deserves and there is no going back. We have to move forward.

    The reason is his attitudes towards Ekiti people. A generous,faithful man of the people who does not believe in partisan politics. Fayemi sees Ekiti people as one.He maintains that unity that binds Ekiti together and make the concept EKITI PARAPO (Ekiti united) his focal point. Every Ekiti from all works of life is treated equally under his canopy. He’s open and basically egalitarian. So, there is no apprehension as we believe he will always prevail. Other parties are a mere reflection of fundamental rights and beauty of democracy.Let them bring more parties. We are not intimidated since we all know our benefactor and our future is important to us: a future we can never compromise for a morsel of bread. We are sure Fayemi.

    We are not bothered by the action of anybody! This is politics and we are not even concerned about a mere political gymnastics, which may be due to personal ambition. Opeyemi Bamidele has the right to his ambition. At the end of the day, I believe he too will be eager to come to table with us and contribute his expertise. We will not discriminate.At the end of the day everyone will see the uniqueness of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    I strongly believe that Governor Fayemi is doing a lot in the area of security. There will not be any bloodshed and the atmosphere will be conducive to achieving our political goals.

    Just like i mentioned ealier we need to roll out some publicity of educative jingles to sensitize our people:The police and law enforcement agencies must be up and doing especially during the election time and some vigilante or security bodies should be set up in other to give useful information of any suspicion anywhere.This may be done in a convert manner so as not to arouse the awareness of any potential evil planner.In any area that proves a bit edgy or stubborn,there is a tendency for the law enforcements to do their job in other to deter other laxity.Human psychology is basically the same all over even in western worlds but the efforts to put things in check is the only thing that makes the difference.Besides all this,we are positively hopeful everything would be free and fair in a circumstance that Governor Kayode Fayemi is overwhelmingly loved all over the state.