The Nation Newspaper

Tag: corrupt

  • ICPC uncovers sexual harassment, 49 other corrupt practices in varsities

    ICPC uncovers sexual harassment, 49 other corrupt practices in varsities

    The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, yesterday said sexual harassment tops more than 50 corrupt practices identified in Nigerian universities.

    He also said operators of more than 20 illegal universities in the country will soon be arrested and prosecuted.

    Nta spoke at a briefing in Abuja at the presentation of a pilot study on the ongoing ICPC comprehensive Systems Study and Review of Nigerian Universities, being done in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    The Study Review panel, headed by NUC’s former Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, also had a commissioner in ICPC, Prof. Olu Aina as one of the members.

    Nta listed over 50 corrupt practices being perpetuated in the universities.

    Some of the corrupt practices are non-adherence to the carrying capacity of the National Universities Commission (NUC); non-adherence to rules and regulations guiding admission; political interference in the admission process of the University; inadequate funding which encourages Universities to engage in over enrolment of students in order to generate IGR to run the Institution; lack of proper monitoring and the absence of punitive measures taken against the University by NUC; sale of examination questions and other examination-related information; gratification and inducement to manipulate award of marks/grades; swapping of grades; writing of examination by proxy; direct cheating in examination; and delay in the release of results

    Others are delay of students from graduating due to poor record keeping and deliberate victimisation by officials; manipulation of internal examination processes; delay in take-off of lectures and non-completion of syllabus by lecturers; non-adherence to students/lecturer ratio results in over-crowding of classes; lack of commitment to work by the lecturers; continued defiance by institutions of the ban on satellite programmes/campuses by NUC

    The list also includes frequent strike action by staff and students interrupting the academic calendar; sales of lecture notes, hand-outs and text-books; non-provision of adequate and appropriate practical apparatus; late opening and early closing of library

    Stealing and mutilation of library books; inadequate/irrelevant (outdated) textbooks; inadequate reading tables and chairs; corruption in the allocation of official bed spaces in student hostels by the managers; influencing of allocation by students engaging in gratification and bribery of staff; sale of examination questions and other examination-related information

    The ICPC chairman said: “Sexual harassment seems to rank extremely very high among corrupt practices uncovered in our universities. Our report is based on the quantum of petitions we have received on this corrupt practice. We are emphasising this because sexual harassment has to do with the immediate challenge we need to address.

    “We have uncovered many corrupt practices in our universities.

    “You will be surprised to find out that even the allocation of space has become a racket in some universities we have looked into.”

    Nta spoke on what informed how ICPC and NUC decided to go for the system review

    He said: “Based on intelligence, petitions, complaints and public comments against the University system in Nigeria , ICPC invoked its statutory mandate derived from Section 6 (b-d) of its enabling law to undertake a comprehensive Systems Study and Review of Nigerian Universities. Systems’ Study and Review is one of the activities of the Commission designed to actualize the preventive mandate of the Commission.

    “The University Systems Study and Review is a fact-finding and problem-solving strategy that involves the examination of current policies, practices, procedures, behaviours and systems of public bodies to determine if they aid corruption and to what extent they are prone to do so.

    “The report of such exercise is expected to be reviewed with the institution/agency involved for implementation.

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Corrupt Nigerians need stiffer punishment’

    A patron of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Chief Charles Nwangwa, has called for a stiffer law and improved execution machinery to punish corrupt persons to reduce the menace in Nigeria.

    Nwangwa addressed reporters in his home in Umuomei Autonomous Community in Obingwa Local Government.

    He decried the “eating of cake and having it back syndrome” among some Nigerians.

    The EFCC patron noted that unless the trend is curtailed, the war against corruption would be ineffective.

    Nwangwa said: “The worst thing we have in Nigeria is because it is a society where people eat their cake and have it. If people can realise that if they eat their cake, they won’t have it, then this (corruption) will stop.

    “We need laws, we need their enforcement. We need to end corruption in our society.”

     

  • We’re going after corrupt governors, says Fed Govt

    We’re going after corrupt governors, says Fed Govt

    The Federal Government has stated its resolve to go after corrupt governors.

    Speaking at the launch of the book “Reforming the unreformable, lessons from Nigeria” written by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Abuja yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan said the administration was going after governors “who committed various economic crimes and corrupt practices with impunity”.

    He said: “Government is taking legal measures to ensure that those who defraud the government under the petroleum subsidy scheme are made to return the money and punished.”

    Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, said: “We will continue to diversify the economy to create jobs and wealth.

    “This administration is not only committed to reform but is also building on some of the reform measures initiated by its predecessors, specifically by consolidating the micro-economic reforms and going further on structural reforms to create jobs.”

    Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku called for a major restructuring of Nigeria’s governance architecture.

    He said: “The present structure we have will arrest the destructive competition for the control of power at the centre, while we sustain the largely non-viable states which has become the custom and share the national cake from the centre.

    “I don’t believe that we can succeed in reducing significantly the level of recurrent expenditure, which at the moment is averaging 74 per cent.

    “When you look around the world and particularly, you look around developing countries that started at the same stage as we did, you will find that their recurrent expenditure is less than what we have been spending.

    “ Because what we have been spending on recurrent budget has left us and continues to leave us with too little for capital development, which we need.”

    “Given the required political space and the backing of the president and National Assembly, we will reap the benefit of reform and the lessons learnt from Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s book.”

    Anambra State Governor Peter Obi cautioned his colleagues against sharing the proceeds of the Excess Crude Account.

    “The book is a must read for all , especially for governors who want to share all; it will help us to understand the issues,’’ he said.

    The author said the book was an avenue to commend the effort of the past economic team during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The book reviewer, Prof. Paul Collier, lamented a situation where revenue didn’t cover the payroll, let alone investment agenda.

    He described it as “truly alarming and truly irresponsible”of the Nigerian government.

    He said: “In her first stint as Finance Minister, good fortune was on her side as oil prices were rising.

    “In this second term as Coordinating Minister for the Economy, fortune definitely is noton her side.

    “The world is much more a more dangerous economic arena than it was a few years ago. I have never known it so dangerous.”

    He called for prudence and logic, “which demand a high rate of investment from your oil revenues.

    “Without that, what will your children say about you? So, an integrity agenda, a structural agenda and a macroeconomic agenda are the options to pursue.”

    Collier warned Nigerians that “it is your struggle, not mine, and I am very conscious of that but let me urge you to be the next Germany, to make past failure the foundation for future success.

    “Just like Germany is the best run economy in Europe, you can be the best run economy in Africa.”

     

  • Kwankwaso sacks ‘corrupt’ polio officers

    kano State Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso yesterday said he has ordered the replacement of managerial officers involved in the polio immunisation because of alleged corruption.

    The governor said the alleged corruption among the officers was retarding the progress of the exercise.

    He said he directed that officials hitherto involved in the immunisation from the State Director down to immunisation officials in the 44 local government areas be replaced.

    Kwankwaso said they seemed to have turned the exercise into a money-making venture.

    Speaking at the launch of the fifth round of polio immunisation at the Government House, Kwankwaso explained that the activities of some immunisation officials had become a source of concern to his administration.

    According to him, efforts to eradicate polio fr4om the state are not yielding the desired success.

    The governor stressed that the government would not tolerate corruption in immunisation or any of its activities, adding that more proactive measures were being adopted to ensure that Kano becomes polio-free soon.

    He also said his administration was not happy with pockets of immunisation rejection in Kano.

    The governor warned that his administration might enforce the exercise to secure the future of the children.

    Kwankwaso stressed the need for collaborative between civic, political and religious leaders to eradicate the disease.

    The governor thanked the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as Alhaji Aliko Dangote for their contributions to the anti-polio war.

    According to him, it has been scientifically established that polio is linked to poor sanitation habits and Nigeria is still among the three polio endemic countries in the world.

    The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said 19 cases of polio were the government would concentrate on how to reverse the trend.