The Nation Newspaper

Tag: corruption

  • ‘Corruption allegations in judiciary a lesson’

    Former Secretary General, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Rafiu A.L. Rabana has said the allegations of corruption charges against the judiciary are great lessons for both the judges and lawyers.

    He added that the crisis in the judiciary has shown that the era of impunity by judges and judicial workers is over.

    Rabana spoke at the weekend in Offa, Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State at a royal award in his recognition organised by the Offa monarch, Oba Mohammed O. Gbadamosi.

    Rabana, who is an erstwhile Ilorin branch chairman of NBA, said the “crisis rocking the judiciary is an unfortunate development, but they came with a lot of lessons”.

    “If we have been doing things in a wrong way or we have been doing things that nobody will ask us any question or nobody ever thought anybody can arrest judges and put them to trial, the lesson out of it is that we are not immune to impunity.

    “We must operate within the constitutional limits of our judicial powers; we must operate within the judicial code of conduct and ethics and if there is a proven violation, then the law will take its course.

    “So, the lesson in the ongoing judiciary crisis has shown clearly that the era of immunity and the era of the feelings that nobody can do anything are going.

    “It is also a lesson to us lawyers, because, by virtue of the manner in which we all evolve going through the same law faculty; going through the same law school; meeting at conferences and seminars; lawyers and judges have become interwoven. There is element of cordiality between lawyers and judges, but where the cordiality ends is when there are attempts to compromise justice or to abuse that cordiality,” Rabana said.

    He added: “I am one of those people who stand for cordiality with judges. There is absolutely nothing wrong in being cordial with a judge, but there must be a line of demarcation.

    “And you will enjoy that cordiality if as a lawyer you don’t put pressure on judges that are your friends. You don’t make them undermine their judicial oath of office. You don’t do things that will damage their integrity. Judges are my friends and I love to be in their company, but I will not compromise.

  • Corruption fights back?

    •Reports that senior advocates have turned down offers to prosecute judicial officers accused of corruption is neither in the interest of the Bar nor the Bench

    It is disheartening that senior members of the inner Bar are refusing to be part of the resolve of the Federal Government to rid the judiciary of corruption. Following the October 7 and 8 raids of courts by the Department of State Services (DSS), prosecution of the judges has been stalled as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) is reported to be having difficulty constituting panels to handle it.

    As is customary in prosecuting high profile corruption cases, the AGF had thought senior lawyers who had been part of those handling such cases as members of the National Prosecution Coordinating Council (NPCC) would readily agree to take the job but they declined on the flimsy ground that the Federal Government was  persecuting judicial officers. Ironically, the lawyers feel at home with handling the defence.

    About 18 months after President Muhammadu Buhari who had made the War Against Corruption a major plank of his electioneering campaign assumed office, Nigerians have started grumbling that the move to recover stolen assets and punish perpetrators of fraudulent acts in all facets of life has failed to yield much result. Towards the end of last year, the President promised to ensure that some of the suspects would have been successfully prosecuted before the end of the first quarter of 2016. This was not to be as many of those arraigned in court found ways of stalling their trial.

    Obviously, this informed the decision by government, acting on the recommendation of the Professor Sagay Committee, to put together an 80-member NPCC. The council is divided into 20 groups, each headed by an experienced Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). We find it difficult to accept that the SANs, in rejecting the assignment, were guided by the noble ideal of defending the judiciary. How did they arrive at their position? It is clear that every accused is presumed guilty until convicted by the court. The fact that they are being arraigned is therefore enough opportunity to prove their innocence; but, just as every accused has the right to secure the services of a counsel of his or her choice, the government, acting in the interest of the state, has the duty to assemble a competent team to handle the prosecution.

    The prosecutors have the right to diligently put the accused through the grill with a view to establishing the truth. By dodging this assignment, after signing on to work with the prosecution council, the senior lawyers must have a motive other than noble.

    It would appear that their action is not unconnected with the concurrent arrest and arraignment of some other SANs. Godwin Obla and Rickey Tarfa are among those the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting. Shamefully, the Body of SANs found nothing strange with what Tarfa was accused of – hiding foreigners accused of economic sabotage in his car with a view to shielding them from trial. The senior lawyers embarked on protest like exuberant school children and filed out in court with a view to intimidating the judge. This is contrary to the practice in other countries where the outer and inner Bar lead the bid to rid their ranks of unethical conduct.

    Being a senior advocate should be synonymous with decency and integrity. A close look at all the ignoble deals being exposed by the current administration shows many involve men who ordinarily should be seen as officers in the temple of justice. We are however pleased that some experienced international prosecutors have willingly accepted the offer. We call on the AGF and the EFCC to look for other senior lawyers who feel affronted by the stain on the integrity of the Bar and the Bench to join the prosecuting team.

  • War against corruption: The Kano model

    War against corruption: The Kano model

    On December 12, Kano State marked the 2016 International Anti-Corruption Day, even though the United Nations (UN) has earmarked December 9 of each year as the global observance day.

    The day is designed to raise public awareness on the ills of corruption and mobilise the people’s support for the elimination of the vice.

    The Kano State Government organised the maiden event in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice and it was attended by many government officials and agencies, including National Orientation Agency (NOA).

    Donor agencies, activists, student leaders, women groups as well as civil society organisations were also in attendance and they all spoke on the challenges of corruption in Nigeria.

    In his address, Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State described the theme of this year’s anti-corruption day — “United Against Corruption for Development, Peace and Security” — as apt and said that it was very relevant to the current realities in the state.

    He highlighted the efforts of the state government to fight corruption and reiterated that the crusade was central to his administration’s philosophy.

    The governor recalled that when he assumed office in 2015, he restructured Kano State Anti-Corruption Commission into Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, while making the agency functional via the appointment of vibrant and independent leaders, who were free from undue interference.

    According to him, the state anti-corruption commission has established functional offices in all the 44 local government areas, with a view to expanding the scope of its operation and bringing it closer to people at the grassroots.

    Ganduje, who rated the performance of the commission in the last one year as satisfactory, said that its mandate had conferred on it a leading role in the crusade against corruption as well as in the protection and promotion of human rights.

    While acknowledging the achievements of the commission, the governor called on other states to set up similar anti-corruption bodies so as to complement the renewed efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to tackle corruption head-on.

    The Executive Chairman of the commission, Malam Muhuyi Magaji-Rimingado, who commended the commitment and zeal of all stakeholders in the fight against corruption, described corruption as a cancer and major cause of under-development.

    “Nigeria is endowed with abundant human and natural resources that could make the country one of the most prosperous and economically buoyant nations in the world.

    “Sadly, however, corruption hampers the growth and development of our economy. Corruption also fuels militancy which threatens the corporate existence of our nation,’’ he said.

    Magaji-Rimingado said that the commission had received about 7,000 complaints and petitions, adding that it had recovered more than N1.15 billion in cash, movable and immovable properties within the 11 years of its existence.

    In addition, he said that the commission recorded 1,465 cases between 2015 and the second quarter of 2016, adding that the cases were at various stages of investigation and prosecution.

    He also said that the commission was prosecuting the state Commissioner for Lands, a permanent secretary, a district head and other persons over shady land deals.

    “In addition, officials of the state Micro Finance Bank are being prosecuted over an alleged N207 million scam,’’ he added.

    Meanwhile, he said that the commission was investigating some staff of KAROTA (the state’s road traffic control agency) over alleged N50 million scam and some judiciary workers for not remitting N100 million to the government coffers.

    On the commission’s human capacity development efforts, Magaji-Rimingado said that 200 employees of the agency would be trained at Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Anti-Corruption Academy to further sharpen their skills on how to handle the war against corruption.

    He commended Ganduje for supporting the commission and guaranteeing its independence to fulfil its mandate without undue hindrance or interference.

    Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, who led a team of officials from Federal Ministry of Justice, lauded the initiative of the Kano State Government.

    He also extolled Ganduje and his team for remaining focused in efforts to promote the culture of transparency and accountability in governance via the establishment of the State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

    Malami described the event as the first of its kind by a state government and an indication that the fight against corruption was gaining momentum across the country.

    He stressed that the governor was a pace-setter who had set an example that was worthy of emulation by other state governments.

    The minister lauded the nascent efforts to stamp out corruption in Nigeria, saying: “Corruption undermines economic development, political stability, rule of law and social development; it disrupts social order and destroys public trust in the governance system.’’

    He cited a recent UN report which indicated that every year, over one trillion dollars was paid in bribes globally, while an estimated $2.6 trillion was stolen annually through corruption.

    “The disturbing trend is that in Nigeria, we have established that the link between corruption, organised crime, terrorism and insecurity is one of the reasons why Nigeria has remained largely underdeveloped despite our huge natural resources endowment,’’ he said.

    Malami said that strategies put in place to combat corruption in the country included the Open Government Partnership National Action Plan, framework for the reform of the justice sector and actions taken to improve the prosecution of criminal cases.

    He thereafter presented the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), the Justice Sector Reform Action Plan and the Open Government Partnership Action Plan (OGP-NAP) that was recently unveiled in Paris.

    He called on everyone to partake in the crusade to stamp out corruption in the country.

    Also speaking, Madam Juliet Ibekaku, the Special Adviser to the President on Justice Reform, said that the programmes listed by the justice minister were aimed at improving the citizen’s access to justice and promoting the rule of law with regard to human rights.

    She emphasised that the programmes would also strengthen legal drafting and law review process as well as prosecution, adjudication, enforcement and asset recovery mandates, among others.

    On his part, an elder statesman, Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, Dan-Masanin Kano, expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption would succeed in spite of any seeming challenges.

    “Buhari is a morally sound, financially incorruptible, committed and patriotic leader that assumes power to rescue Nigeria. Nigerians should exercise patience because in this kind of fight, we must encounter some challenges,’’ he said.

    Observers insist that the feats achieved by Kano State’s anti-graft commission are worthy of emulation by other states and arms of government, including the National Assembly.

    They say that the replication of the anti-corruption initiative across the country will facilitate and reinforce on-going efforts to stamp out corruption in the country.

    • Suleiman-Tola is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
  • Corruption: ‘Why high profile suspects shun plea bargain’

    Corruption: ‘Why high profile suspects shun plea bargain’

    Many suspects in high profile corruption cases were refused plea bargain with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because of stringent conditions introduced into the process, it was learnt yesterday.

    The Nation gathered that the failure to conclude plea bargain talks initiated by suspects might not be unconnected with the new Plea Bargain Manual by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC).

    Two suspects, who were charged with corruption at the Federal High Court in Lagos – a past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd) and former Acting Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Haruna Jauro proposed plea bargain with EFCC.

    Both abandoned the option and opted for trial.

    Amosu was charged with laundering N21 billion and was said to have returned N2.6 billion to the Federal Government.

    His lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), while arguing Amosu’s bail application before Justice Mohammed Idris, said his client had returned “collossal sums”.

    EFCC arraigned Amosu with former Air Force Chief of Accounts and Budgeting Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun and ex-Director of Finance and Budget Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo.

    They were accused of converting N21 billion from the Air Force about March 5, 2014, in Lagos.

    When EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo first sought to begin trial, the defence counsel asked for time to enable defendants conclude plea bargain talks.

    But, following parties’ inability to agree, the plea bargain was abandoned and trial commenced.

    Jauro, who was accused of allegedly stealing N304.1 million, also proposed plea bargain with EFCC.

    His lead counsel Babajide Koku (SAN) told the court on October 23 his client would explore plea bargain.

    But on the day adjourned for report of settlement, Jauro’s other lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, said his client had withdrawn from plea bargain talks.

    According to a source, the Federal Government is determined to ensure that plea bargain is not abused as in the past, where suspects returned only part of their loot.

    Section 2.0 (5) of the Plea Bargain Manual provides that suspects must forfeit everything they stole, including assets they cannot convincingly account for.

    The section says: “Consideration of a plea bargain or alternative method of disposal must be premised on the suspect or defendant forfeiting all the proceeds of his crime and/or all property not reasonably accounted for as being acquired by legitimate means.”

    The manual, in Sub-section six, also provides that all plea bargains must be “in public interest” to serve as a deterrence to others.

    Other guiding principles provided in the manual are as follows: “When considering plea bargaining or making decisions to dispose of a case by alternative means, the prosecutor or decision maker must be guided by some core principles: transparency, accountability, integrity, consistency, predictability and credibility.

    “The procedures followed should command public and judicial confidence; that any agreement reached is reasonable, fair and just; that there are safeguards to ensure that defendants are not under improper pressure to make admissions; and that there are proper records of discussions that have taken place.

    “The prosecutor must act openly, fairly and in the interest of justice in conducting negotiations, deciding on the alternative means of disposal and presenting plea agreements in court.

    “Any alternative method of disposal or charges agreed or guilty plea accepted must enable the case to be presented in a clear and simple way. Prosecutors shall not go ahead with more charges to encourage a defendant to plead guilty to a few.

    “Prosecutors shall only enter plea bargain or alternative method of disposal agreements in the public interest of delivering justice and never for the purpose of reducing punitive measures on the accused. Prosecutors shall ensure that the available evidence can sustain charges selected in the agreement.”

  • Corruption: SSANU seeks law to protect whistleblowers

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), is seeking a law to protect whistleblowers of corruption being perpetrated by vice chancellors and other top officials of the nation’s universities.

    SSANU National Vice President, Comrade Alfred Jimoh, made the call on the sidelines of a two-day Western Zonal Women Conference of the body held at the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ikogosi Ekiti in Ekiti State.

    The theme of the conference was: SSANU and Gender Mainstreaming: Empowering Women at Zonal and Branch Levels.

    Jimoh, who is also SSANU Chairman for Western Zone, demanded an unconditional recall and reinstatement of all members of the union sacked at Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and the University of Abuja for reporting official corruption to anti-graft agencies.Those at FUNAAB have been re-instated.

    Apart from their reinstatement, the union leader also called for protection of their lives, jobs and property in view of the threat they face for exposing fraud in their institutions.

    He said the union fully supports the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari but expressed doubts about the commitment some of his aides and senior political office holders to fight the scourge.

    The SSANU chief described corruption as one of the greatest problems facing the university sector and urged the government not to look the other way when workers exposing graft and abuse of office are victimised.

    He said: “Our regret is that the government we are trying to assist by exposing corruption and impunity seems to be looking the other way while our members are being made cannon fodder sand guinea pigs.

    “SSANU feels seriously concerned about the problem of corruption in the university system and the Federal Government should walk its talk by coming out with law and policy to protect whistleblowers.

    “We also want to call on anti-graft agencies to be expeditious in their constitutional responsibilities and also appeal to other agencies that are also needed to make the work of anti-corruption agencies easier.”

    Jimoh called on the Federal Government to implement the 2009 Agreement reached with SSANU and pay the N150 billion arrears of earned allowances owed its members.

    Chairman of SSANU, Ekiti State University (EKSU) branch, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde, said earned allowances arrears had accumulated for over five years without payment.

    He regretted that the monthly subvention of N260 million received by his university no longer covers the monthly wage bill of N450 million.

    Olatunde explained that his members are only being paid net salaries while deductions, check off dues and earned allowances are left unpaid with the situation causing hardship to workers.

    He advocated payment of staff salaries as and when due and increment of subvention to the level to ease disbursement of entitlements of union members.

     

  • UNIC director: Achieving SDGs depends on fight against corruption

    UNIC director: Achieving SDGs depends on fight against corruption

    The prospects of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is dependent on the fight against corruption, Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Nigeria, Mr Ronald Kayanja, has said.
    According to him, the SDGs would not be achieved if nations do not diligently fight corruption within their systems.
    He spoke at an anti-corruption dialogue to commemorate the International Anti-Corruption Day.
    This year’s theme was Corruption: An impediment to the Sustainable Development Goals,.
    The event was organised by UNIC Lagos, African Youths Initiative on Crime Prevention (AYICRIP) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
    “Any setback to the attainment of the SDGs by 2030 portends a great danger to the planet earth and the people of the world,” Mr Kayanja said.
    Relaying the message of the UN outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Anti-Corruption Day, Kayanja said: “No country is immune, and every country bears a responsibility to end it. Corruption strangles people, communities and nations. It weakens education and health, undermines electoral processes and reinforces injustices by perverting criminal justice systems and the rule of law.  By diverting domestic and foreign funds, corruption wrecks economic and social development and increases poverty. It harms everyone, but the poor and vulnerable suffer most.”
    He called for commitment to ending the deceit and dishonesty that threaten the 2030 Agenda and the efforts to achieve peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet.
    In his welcome address, AYICRIP Executive Director, Mr Chris Ibe, noted that the country would not have a future if corruption was not wiped out and the nation’s value system redefined.
    UNODC Lagos office Project Officer, Mr William Wu Shiyin, said the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office was supporting the government to fight corruption and other crimes.
    He added that it was important to take preventive measures against corruption.
    He urged substantial reductions in corruption and bribery and the development of effective, accountable and transparent institutions.
    In the communique, the participants resolved that anti-corruption campaign of the government should focus on the youth; that the government should anti-corruption agencies
    It also said the government should consider regular publication of corruption convicts register and establish a court to try corruption cases.

  • Corruption: Why ICPC is making the difference

    The current prosecution of some judges, for alleged corrupt practices and the ongoing trial of some politicians and public functionaries in the immediate past administration on allegations of diverting some funds meant for arms procurement, has left Nigerians and the world in no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war is on course.

    Any observer following the activities of the ICPC can easily recall that the recovery of looted public assets, including money and property worth billions of naira, has been a consistent achievement of the commission in its interventions over the years. Another achievement is the high success rate of its prosecution of suspects in the corruption cases it has handled. Virtually all its cases decided so far in the courts ended in the conviction of the suspects. This feat is largely credited to its painstaking investigation process and diligent prosecution.

    However, the commission is simultaneously pursuing a more ambitious plan to weed out corruption from the body politik of the nation by the institutionalisation of the anti-corruption fight in every segment of the society. This tall but achievable dream was launched some years ago by a former chairman of the Commission, Justice Emmanuel Ayoola JSC retd. His successor, the current chairman of the commission, Mr Ekpo Nta, has now carried it far. The focus of the initiative is to prevent corrupt acts from even taking place at all or to expose them before they could be perpetrated full blown.

    The preventive option is a way of reinforcing the anti corruption war by enlisting the support and participation of every section of the citizenry and it is considered by the United Nations Convention on Corruption (UNCAC) as the most innovative and proactive way of fighting corruption down to the roots within and across national borders. This is the area where the ICPC is uniquely making the difference in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. It is anchored on three main strategies. They include advocacy against corruption, building of formidable coalitions of various segments of the society to fight it in both public and private sectors and strengthening of institutions to withstand and rebut corruption.

    The second corruption prevention strategy operated by the commission is the engagement of various groups of stakeholders in different sectors for concrete actions against corruption through active collaboration and partnership with the commission. This endeavour which is steadily building a formidable coalition against corruption in every sector and facet of the Nigerian society is being prosecuted on many platforms.

    They include the Integrity First Initiative which is a collaboration with the business community to fight corruption and the National Anti-corruption Coalition which is a partnership with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) against corruption. Others are the Local Government Integrity Initiative to institutionalise the fight against corruption in local government administration, the Religious Leaders Forum which is carrying anti-corruption outreaches to the churches and mosques and the National Assembly Forum which so far has been used to prosecute the integrity campaign in both the National Assembly and in 30 state assemblies.

    ICPC also operates the National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) in all local government areas of the federation and they monitor both the public and private sectors. More significantly, the commission operates what could be called anti-corruption warriors in the various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government at various levels.

    Perhaps the most ambitious engagement with stakeholders that is very dear to the commission is its bid to inculcate hatred for corruption of any kind in the mindset of the up and coming generations of Nigerians from their formative years to adulthood. In this regard, the commission has set up anti-corruption clubs in secondary schools. It also operates Students Anti-Corruption Vanguards (SAVs) in tertiary institutions across the country.

    In addition, the commission has, in collaboration with the National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), developed a curriculum to teach integrity values of honesty, discipline, fairness, contentment and patriotism in secondary schools. At the tertiary level, the commission is also collaborating with some universities in this regard. One of them, the University of Calabar, has approved a general studies course in corruption studies which is a compulsory course for all students. The commission also collaborates with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) through seminars at the orientation camps to prepare fresh graduates for integrity challenges of employment.

    The third major strategy of the preventive option is the strengthening of institutions and establishments, especially the ones prone to corruption, to prevent them from being manipulated to commit corrupt acts. In this regard, the commission has carried out system study reviews on many institutions to check areas of leakages facilitating corruption and strengthen in-built mechanisms for compliance with due process and other regulations. For instance, this has proved to be very effective in the aviation sector and has curbed corruption at the nation’s airports.

    In realisation of the need for anti-corruption fighters to have requisite knowledge and skills to prosecute the war successfully, the commission runs a world class anti-corruption academy. The Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN) training programmes have empowered various categories of the commission’s staff with modern up to date knowledge and skills in anti-corruption fighting, including forensic science.

    The scourge of corruption may appear to be a monumental threat in Nigeria today. However, as these systemic and structural measures being put in place by the ICPC increasingly find expression in the minds and practices of the citizenry, the decline of corruption and its eventual rejection by the Nigerian society is just a matter of time.

    By Folu   Olamiti (FNGE)

    Abuja

  • Corruption adverse to development, says Ahmed

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has said that corruption is antithetical to growth and remains an endangered species to democratic institutions.

    He warned civil servants in the state against corruption as none of those caught in the act would be spared.

    Governor Ahmed said this in Ilorin, the state capital during the launching of the crusade of “war against corruption among civil servants in Kwara state.”

    The event organised by Peace Corps group, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) for all the civil servants in the state from levels eight and above, was aimed at sensitising the workers against corruption.

    The governor, represented by the Head of Service Mrs. Zainab Omar, “corruption poses a great danger to growth, undermines the rule of law and will ultimately lead to political instability. That is the main reason we will not spare anyone caught in the act.

    He disclosed that the state government had since established a Merit Based Promotion System (MBPS) noting that the system had since expunged quota or any form of discrimination from the state’s civil service.

    Besides, he said distributions of projects across the state are based on merits and needs, adding that “all these steps and many others are aimed at ensuring that corruption has no value in the state.”

    He thanked the organisers of the programme for their robust ideas just as he urged all other NGOs to tinker the way forward on how peace can fester in the state and how the state can be free of corruption.

  • How to halt corruption, by APC chieftain

    How to halt corruption, by APC chieftain

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Pa Remi Williams has urged Nigerians to shun corruption to move the country forward.

    He said every family must join the war against corruption, noting that the scourge has destroyed the economic fabric of the country.

    He added that any family member charged with such  misdemeanor was rebuked by the nuclear and extended family members for dragging the family name in the mud.

    Williams praised the Buhari administration for its efforts in stamping out corruption, adding that Nigerians should support the government.

    He said: “The present administration is pursuing ways and means to eradicate corruption and at the same time set its minds on second term. When you focus on a second term, how could the administration pursue any meaningful business?

    ‘’We cannot condemn all politicians as being corrupt. We have seen one or two ex-governors in this country with only one house and a car during and after their service. So also are two heads of state.

    “Nigerians don’t vote for party programmes but for their sentiment and Naira. They do not mind to vote now and pay later. Until we are able to shun corruption, the nation cannot progress. We must shun corruption for the nation to progress,’’ he said.

    The former university don said the 200-mark cut off set by the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) encourages corruption as parents would try to get the mark by crook or hook to enable their children gain admission.

    “Corruption has taken a bold step in the history of our education. Here both students and the parents are ready to do anything to secure admission for their children.’’

    He said varsity education is not compulsory anywhere, adding those ready for it must have high intelligence quotient (IQ) and the means to pay for it.

    Williams urged clerics to rise up to the challenge posed by corruption, stressing that it has become a cankerworm.

    The politician warned pastors against accepting money that is more than the salary of members at thanksgiving, saying that doing so meant the pastors were encouraging ill-gotten wealth.

    ‘’Here we see that most churches buttress corruption rather than condemn it. The missionary must start in earnest to work seriously to nip the malaise of corruption n the bud. It is very sad and disheartening to see that Christians who should be in the vanguard of crusade are heavily indulged in the cat of corruption?’’ he asked.

  • NBA seeks laws to prevent corruption

    NBA seeks laws to prevent corruption

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for laws that will prevent corruption.

    Its president Abubakar Mahmoud  (SAN) expressed “grave concern” that the anti-corruption crusade seems to focus on fighting corruption after it has occurred.

    To him, not much attention is paid to preventive measures with a view to minimising the incidence of corruption.

    “We strongly believe that prevention must equally be robust and effective. The current system is not sufficiently robust to prevent corruption from occurring within the public service system.

    “We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to initiate measures that seek to prevent corruption from occurring, in addition to the fight after corruption has occurred.

    “The NBA calls on the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to utilise their immense legislative powers, not only to strengthen existing anti-corruption laws and institutions, but also to consider the enactment of new anti-corruption laws in Nigeria that will be prevention focused,” Mahmoud stated.

    Accoding to him, ant-graft agencies need institutional and structural reforms to make them more efficient.

    Mahmoud, who spoke in Lagos at a forum to mark the International  Anti-Corruption Day, believed that  unless  there were institutional and structural changes in the laws establishing the anti-corruption agencies, desired result would not be achieved.

    Mahmoud said: “It is regrettable that in spite of all the efforts against corruption, Nigeria is still rated very low in the annual anti-corruption index of Transparency International.

    “We observe that although the Federal Government has established anti-corruption agencies, these institutions are bedeviled by certain institutional and structural constraints.

    “In view of the fact that anti-corruption crusade is part of our public interest programme  especially at the Bar and Bench, the NBA calls for urgent structural, legal and institutional reforms of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for more effectiveness and efficiency.”

    NBA praised efforts to fight corruption, noting that the legal and institutional frameworks be strenghtened.

    “To combat corruption successfully, a combination of strong legal and ethical frameworks and the presence of effective institutions are important for success.

    “We further recommend that the mechanisms for investigation and prosecution against corruption must be restructured and strengthened,” he said.

    Mahmoud restated NBA’s commitment to the fight against corruption, especially in the judiciary.

    He said only an independent Judiciary can fight corruption.

    “We call upon the Federal Government to ensure that adequate funds are allocated to the Judiciary as it prepares to present the 2017 appropriation Bill to the National Assembly.

    “It is expected that adequate funding will contribute to independence of the judiciary and reduce the incidence of judicial corruption.

    “With regards to the Bar, the Nigerian Bar association shall spare no effort in weeding out corrupt lawyers in the legal profession through diverse means including our disciplinary mechanism,” he said.

    He said erring lawyers would be disbarred in a bid to “make the legal profession unattractive for corrupt lawyers.”