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Tag: corruption

  • Accept corruption & die or reject corruption & thrive

    Accept corruption & die or reject corruption & thrive

    It is obvious at federal, state, local governments and private sector level and especially the contractor and finance/banking subsectors that corruption is ingrained in, and is a far too large part of our politics, bureaucratic, and private business lives in Nigeria. Almost everyone is forced to pay or is on the make, but definitely not everyone. Some may ask ‘where has honesty gotten my forebears?’ After all, their salaries and pensions have collapsed in value right before their eyes, crippling them financially and disgracing them in the eyes of the extended family.  

    The persistent fall in the value of the naira, from N1=$1.5 with no black market then invented or needed, back in the 1973 to N197=$1 in 2016 and then to N800-1,000 -1,300=$1 in 2023. These cataclysmically traumatic financial results defy logical explanation in normal societies bearing in mind that Nigeria was once such a society fortunately endowed with a hugely valuable export, oil -refined and unrefined. It also had generous foreign exchange inflows into the country from a large diaspora spectrum whose origin lies in national trauma.

    That trauma, all political or milito-political, can be recorded as the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth wave of economic migrants forced to flee. First for civil war reasons, then the draconic military rule under Buhari 1, then the Babangida exodus, then  bloodthirsty rule of Abacha/Al-Mustapha and then Buhari 2 and the aftermath of 60 years of military and civilian misrule culminating in the current post Buhari 2 japa syndrome. Too many countries are forced by their leaders to choose to stay and suffer undeservedly and die in near penury or flee for personal, family and social survival and actual growth and financial success. Stories of difficult journeys, disasters like terrifying drownings, imprisonment, slavery, organ harvesting and disappointment at destination country are rife and caused by political failure.  

    Let us not forget that almost every single one of the estimated 10-15million Nigerian Diasporas was forced to flee due to the fundamental and financial failures of the Nigerian state to offer a safe, secure and sustainable education and job opportunity and in order to provide a more normal, predictable, work-result oriented environment. Daily, millions of them remember Nigeria with nostalgia and weep at the memory of their journey- a journey they took because the government had murdered governance.

    But the current set of politicians seems immune to learning lessons from the criminal and profligate past political eras. This best manifestation of complete disconnect of the 2023-7 political class with the reality on the ground are the refusal of the members of either house or both houses of National Assembly, NASS to drastically cut their Salaries and Perks and also their acceptance of the 360 jeeps NASS at a cost of N160,000,000,000 . It seems no amount of citizen suffering will turn NASS from its chronic illness of greed manifest by its profligate ways.    

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    Every kobo or naira the government groups steal is common criminal stealing. Have they no shame? Is the expected overwhelming desire to serve their citizens turned to so much hatred so quickly, the very next day after appointment? We the people are millions per state and over one hundred and fifty million nationwide. The population figure estimates are corrupted, criminally inflated by about 25-30% for sectional, political and economic advantage. Even the election could not get over 31m voters out of around 90+million voting card registrations. This even raises questions on the validity of the voters register. Where is everybody, every election?

    Nigeria cannot afford any corruption in the 2023-7 governance cycle because so very much has been stolen over so many years by so few representing the many making the foundation and superstructure so very fragile that it could collapse at any time. We really cannot endure as a functioning country any more of the huge number of N100multi-billion thefts reported regularly about the criminal leadership in far too many of Nigeria’s ministries, agencies and departments, MAD. If we continue like this, the country will descend into fiscal MADness.

    We must not allow one day more without initiating a huge fight against corruption while the new batch of potentially corrupt officials is still settling down into office and before this 2023-7 batch get used to or are inducted into the corruption machine.

    Corruption must be fought before it happens, not after it happens when the damage, death and disaster have already been done and the infrastructure is substandard and liable to collapse, when the patients, especially our pregnant women lose life’s delivery battle and have died sometimes with the child from lack of equipment  and medicines and facilities, when students are forced to under-learn and under-achieve and fail due to an uninspiring learning environment or when road crashes occur due to lighting lack and gaping hungry unfilled potholes.       

    All Nigerians must rise up to prevent and not just detect corruption. Nigeria can ‘ACCEPT CORRUPTION & DIE or REJECT CORRUPTION & THRIVE’ but there must be more frequent forensic auditing sometimes monthly as a prevention of corruption strategy by NEITI , EFCC, ICPC, SERAP etc. The disgrace to the Auditor General’s and Accountant General’s offices must be reversed.

     It is good that ASUU has received its withheld punishment for striking, no-work, no-pay, salary but all eight months backlog should be paid for justice as ASUU was fighting for improved tertiary education in general.  

  • Counting the cost

    Counting the cost

    Corruption has serious consequences for the country, and the new chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, gave an insight into how corruption works against Nigeria’s development during his recent screening for the position by the Senate.

     He shared his thoughts on how he intends to fight corruption, saying, “I will do more in the areas of blocking the leakages. We spend more money fighting corruption when we could have spent less to prevent it.”

    He gave concrete facts and figures concerning a survey he did, which covered three years, 2018 to 2020. The picture was food for thought. “I picked just one scheme, one species of fraud, which is called contract and procurement fraud. I discovered that within the three years, Nigeria lost N2.9tn,” he narrated.

    “When I put my figures together, I discovered that if the country had prevented the money from being stolen, it would have given us 1,000 kilometres of road, it would have built close to 200 standard tertiary institutions; it would have also educated about 6,000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N16m per child.

    “It would have also delivered more than 20,000 units of three-bedroom houses across the country. It would have given us a world-class teaching hospital in each of the 36 states of the country and the federal capital territory.”

    Olukoyede inherited “no fewer than 25 high-profile corruption cases involving former governors, ministers and senators,” according to an investigative report published on October 22. The cases involve “not less than N772.2bn and another $2.2bn, alleged to have gone missing through money laundering, fund diversion and misappropriation,” the report said. Some of the cases seem interminable. Imagine how these humongous sums could have helped to develop the country, if they had not been stolen!

    In another striking instance, the then president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, in November 2019, had lamented that N1tr had been earmarked for constituency projects within 10 years without visible grassroots benefits.  National Assembly members in the period were to blame, according to an investigation. 

    Read Also: EFCC: Olukoyede calls for united efforts in combating corruption

     The then chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, was quoted as saying, ”Constituency projects are intended to be developmental, such as provision of water, rural electrification, rural clinics, schools, community centres and bursary for indigent students.

     ”In the light of annual budgetary allocations to constituency projects and based on actual releases by the government, it is firmly believed that the impact of constituency projects on the lives of ordinary Nigerians ought to be more visible…The concern is that in Nigeria, rather than address the needs of constituents, many constituency projects have become avenues of corruption.”

    The Bola Tinubu administration, with its mantra of Renewed Hope, should not only count the cost of corruption but focus on winning the war on corruption.  

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  • ‘Why corruption is endemic in civil service’

    ‘Why corruption is endemic in civil service’

    The Federal Government has said corruption and other social vices are endemic in the civil service because workers get meager salaries and wages.

    To curb this therefore, there is need for constant sensitisation to remind civil servants of what is expected of them professionally.

    Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, spoke yesterday at an anti-corruption sensitisation workshop organised for staff of the ministry, with the theme ‘Uprooting Corruption and Promoting Honesty and Integrity’.

    She said: ”Corruption includes actions such as bribe-taking or offering, dishonest use of influence or authority, and it is one of the issues plaguing Nigeria since independence.

    “Yearly, we hold sensitisation workshops on anti-corruption and ethical practice just to remind ourselves of what we should do as responsible civil and public servants, in terms of efficient service delivery. Lateness to work is an unethical practice. People are meant to be at work from 8am to 4pm, and in some institutions till 5pm, but people are not at their workstations at those times. And for those who are on ground, are they delivering services?

    “We know that with technology today, some people can choose to be at work and watch movies online, this is not ethical and does not show professionalism. You should be at your workstation at the right time and deliver the service you are paid to deliver.

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    “So, the anti-corruption crusade captures the lofty goals of the current administration that focuses on total eradication of corruption in the public sector. So, as a ministry, we are committed to zero tolerance for corruption.”

    On why some officials in public offices are corrupt, the Director of Special Duties in the ministry, Mrs. Vivian Nwosu, identified poor remuneration as responsible for this. She called for a review of the salaries and wages to match up with the current economic realities.

  • Renewing war on corruption

    Renewing war on corruption

    Will the exit of the old authority figures from two major Nigerian anti-corruption agencies, and the entrance of new ones, positively change the story of the country’s unimpressive and ineffective fight against corruption?

    This is an inevitable question following the recent appointments of Ola Olukoyede as executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Musa Adamu Aliyu as chairman and chief executive officer of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement, notably described Olukoyede’s new role as an “important national assignment,” adding, “a newly invigorated war on corruption undertaken through a reformed institutional architecture in the anti-corruption sector remains a central pillar of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda.” 

    He also said Aliyu’s appointment was “in furtherance of the Renewed Hope mandate to reform key institutions and invigorate Nigeria’s war on corruption.”  The emphasis on reform was an acknowledgement of past failure.

    According to the presidential aide, Olukoyede “is a lawyer with over twenty-two (22) years of experience as a regulatory compliance consultant and specialist in fraud management and corporate intelligence. He has extensive experience in the operations of the EFCC, having previously served as Chief of Staff to the Executive Chairman (2016-2018) and Secretary to the Commission (2018-2023).”

     He said Aliyu “has embarked upon many far-reaching reforms as the Attorney General of Jigawa State since September 2019,” has a doctorate in law, and was “named as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria-designate in October 2023.”

    Olukoyede’s appointment, for a renewable term of four years in the first instance, has been confirmed by the Senate, which is expected to also confirm the appointment of Aliyu, who will have a five-year tenure.  

    It remains to be seen how both men will approach the fight against corruption. There is no question that Nigeria needs to fight corruption with greater seriousness. Two events in July, about two months after Tinubu’s inauguration, highlighted public disenchantment with the anti-corruption war that the administration inherited from the Muhammadu Buhari presidency. Buhari made a lot of noise about fighting corruption, but positive results were hardly visible.

    At an event in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on July 10, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Call to Bar of Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), activist lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) observed that “The level of corruption in Nigeria has assumed a very dangerous dimension.”  He said: “We have a situation whereby highly placed public officers steal money meant for building hospitals, people are dying on our roads, money for ecology meant to fight erosion are also being stolen.”

    Read Also: Kano to tackle corruption despite intimidation, says Yusuf

    Falana added: “President Bola Tinubu must show leadership and lead an anti- corruption crusade. Some of those who are going in and out of the villa are standing trial for looting the treasury of this country. So, wrong signals must not be sent to our people and the international community.”

    This event was followed by a two-day national anti-corruption conference in Abuja, July 11-12, organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) and the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CEFTIW). The theme was “Nigeria and the Fight Against Corruption – Reviewing the Buhari Regime and Setting Agenda for the Tinubu Administration.”

    HEDA chairman Olanrewaju Suraju, in his assessment of the Tinubu administration’s first steps towards fighting corruption, said: “If we want to go by what has been happening so far in terms of the fight against corruption, we can’t for now, say that we have any good reason to believe that there is going to be any serious fight against corruption.”

    Olukoyede inherited “no fewer than 25 high-profile corruption cases involving former governors, ministers and senators,” according to an investigative report published on October 22. The cases involve “not less than N772.2bn and another $2.2bn, alleged to have gone missing through money laundering, fund diversion and misappropriation,” the report said. Some of the cases seem interminable.

    Anti-corruption activists had criticised the EFCC under the previous chairman, saying most of the convictions claimed by the agency involved online fraudsters, and that high-profile political players were treated as sacred cows. They also alleged that “Some of the commission’s officials simply negotiate with suspects, get assets and cash retrieved and do plea bargains. This opens limitless opportunities for corrupt bargaining and self-enrichment by the operatives of EFCC.”

     The immediate past chairman of the agency, Abdulrasheed Bawa, had eventually resigned after the Tinubu administration suspended him “to allow for proper investigation into his conduct while in office.” The federal government said there were “weighty allegations of abuse of office levelled against him.” His detention since June, without charge, does not help the anti-corruption war.

    The new EFCC boss gave an insight into his thoughts on how to fight corruption during his screening by the Senate. He was reported saying, “I will do more in the areas of blocking the leakages. We spend more money fighting corruption when we could have spent less to prevent it.”

    He gave concrete facts and figures concerning a survey he did, which covered three years, 2018 to 2020. The picture was food for thought. “I picked just one scheme, one species of fraud, which is called contract and procurement fraud. I discovered that within the three years, Nigeria lost N2.9tn,” he narrated.

    “When I put my figures together, I discovered that if the country had prevented the money from being stolen, it would have given us 1,000 kilometres of road, it would have built close to 200 standard tertiary institutions; it would have also educated about 6,000 children from primary to tertiary levels at N16m per child.

    “It would have also delivered more than 20,000 units of three-bedroom houses across the country. It would have given us a world-class teaching hospital in each of the 36 states of the country and the federal capital territory.”

    Now he can put his anti-corruption ideas into practice. The EFCC and the ICPC are symbolic of the country’s fight against corruption. Fighting corruption is serious business, and these anti-corruption agencies must not give the impression that they are mere anti-corruption symbols.

    The new authority figures in these agencies must demonstrate a new drive, and launch a renewed fight against corruption so that the country can truly have renewed hope of crushing corruption. 

  • Nigeria adopts tool to tackle corporate corruption

    Nigeria adopts tool to tackle corporate corruption

    Nigeria has adopted the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in a bid to enthrone transparency in corporate governance and end corruption in the private sector.

    It is reportedly the first African country to do so.

    The ISSB standards build significantly from existing reporting frameworks and standards.

    Its four key objectives are to develop standards for a global baseline of sustainability disclosures; to meet the information needs of investors; to enable companies to provide comprehensive sustainability information to global capital markets; and to facilitate interoperability with disclosures that are jurisdiction-specific and/or aimed at broader stakeholder groups.

    At their core, the ISSB standards will enable investors and other capital market participants to make informed investment decisions by providing information about companies’ sustainability-related risks and opportunities.

    Sustainability factors are becoming a mainstream part of investment decision-making as there are increasing calls for companies to provide high-quality, globally comparable information on sustainability-related risks and opportunities.

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    These were disclosed by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) Ambassador Shuaibu Ahmed at the 2023 Annual Corporate Governance Conference.

    Speaking under the theme: “ESG and Corporate Governance: Aligning Strategies for Sustainable Success”, Ahmed, who was the guest speaker, said the world of corporate governance has undergone tremendous change due to the emergence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

    He stresses that with the ESG, the corporate governance world has taken a more serious look at issues of the environment, labour and social responsibility.

    He noted that a road map for the implementation of ESG in the Nigerian public sector will soon be launched.

    The keynote speaker, Dr. Jackie Chimhanzi, noted that human rights, labour, environment, and corruption are problems associated with corporate governance, which ESG addresses.

    President of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Mr. Muhammed Ahmad, stated that issues around environmental responsibility are no longer a thing of choice for corporate organisations because they affect them.

    Discussants at the event included Mark Hoffman, Mrs. Chioma Afe, Ngozi Edozien, as well as Adebayo Amzat.

    Also present were the Director General/ Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Directors, Tijjani Borodo; Alhaji Garba Abubakar, Mr Ibrahim Dasok Arabi, amongst others.

  • Corruption and the necessity for probe

    Corruption and the necessity for probe

    • By Abachi Ungbo

    Sir: Corruption thrived luxuriantly during former President Jonathan’s administration – the breadth confounded the nation as his successor beamed the searchlight into the dark tunnels through which it all happened. The former Minister of Petroleum – Diezani  Madueke and the National Security Adviser- Sambo Dasuki easily became the administration’s face of corruption. Huge corruption proceeds were retrieved just as prosecutions were made. Though, many other cases are still lingering in courts.

    It was a huge heist as the anatomy of the corruption was laid bare. Speaking in an event organized by the Youngsters Foundation Initiative (YFI) in commemoration of the 2017 International Corruption Day, Debbie Palmer – Head of the UK-DFID stated that Nigeria lost $32 billion to corruption during the six years of the administration of President Jonathan. It clearly exemplified the whys and wherefores for the stifled development of the country despite being awash with huge resources.

    It was in the early days of the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and not a few cheerleaders were spurred by his action. It was a kind of an opening gambit that struck fear to the entire system. With that, it reinforced the legendary Buhari allergy to corruption. The courage was applauded and hope and confidence grew anew of a new era of zero tolerance to corruption. Pathetically, that fizzled out as days wore on.

    The fight against corruption lost considerable steam. It became entirely rigged with rhetoric than action. The administration simply gave up on its avowed fight against corruption. In fact, corruption became braver! The reverberation of bruits of corruption and sharp practices cast aspersion on the squeaky-clean reputation of the president.

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    The opinion of Bishop Matthew Kukah on corruption in the last administration which he expressed in his lecture at the celebration of the 60th Anniversary to the call to Bar of Aare Afe Babalola was singularly brutal- he stated that “they were not the ones who caused corruption but I think in the last administration, we saw the ugliest phase of corruption whether in moral terms, financial terms and other terms.”

    There have been calls for probe since President Bola Tinubu assumed power due to the huge stench of sleaze with the attendant cost to the nation. In my estimation, what is good against Jonathan should be good also against Buhari. Call to public service shouldn’t be seen as a call to the dining table.

    Everyone should be made to account for their action or inactions when immunity expires. For instance, the nation needs to know more about the controversial Nigeria Air which the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika launched 48 hours to his exit. The entire process was not only shoddy but opaque with huge shroud of secrecy. It also necessary to look into the allegation that was amplified by the Socio-economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on the unaccounted $2.1 billion and N3.1 trillion- oil revenue and fuel subsidy payment between 2016 and 2019.

    There have been so many disapprovals to the proposition of probe- which many consider diversionary and waste of precious little time but it is just way of achieving the following: Firstly, restoring sanity and hope; secondly, reclaiming all that was lost to a few people and thirdly, shedding light to situation that lacked clarity.  

    The points are predicated on the expectation that they will institute an acute awareness on the mind of public office holders on the absence of immunity against corruption which will practically serve as a deterrent.

    This brings to the fore the need for effective and quick prosecution of corruption cases; the cessation of mere slap on the wrist- which the nation has witnessed umpteen times; and the plugging of holes through which corruption take place. The place of strong leadership remains an important factor.

    The housecleaning in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by the current administration is commendable and should be extended to other areas and personalities besmirched by corruption. The fight to uncovering the rot and mindless fraud must be carried with much seriousness, commitment and courage- that the former president failed to exhibit.

    The president must demonstrate statesmanship and patriotism in dealing with not a few fellow party men in the last administration who are known to carry a huge badge of corruption. A selective fight will definitely smack of hypocrisy and that will lead nowhere.  

    •Abachi Ungbo,

    abachi007@yahoo.com

  • Gully erosion, corruption and development

    Mankind and physical environment are inseparable in a neat way.  That is to say, that the robust survival and economic cum spiritual progress of man depend to a large degree, on how carefully he manages the numerous environmental resources at his disposal.  However, the focus here is on gully erosion within the context of sustainable development in Nigeria. Gully erosion is one of the menaces of environmental degradation in Nigeria.  This is with a special emphasis on the southeastern region.  Gullies are a valley-like landform arising from soil removal and transportation through the lens of such agents as wind, water, and gravity. This is in addition to unsystematic/repeated farming including over-grazing as well as major earth-moving activities.

    In sum, both geological and human factors are responsible for the creation of gullies.  Not unexpectedly, gullies are more common in areas characterised by sedimentary rocks which are generally loosely consolidated.  This type of environmental menace is a global phenomenon.  In other words, gullies are a serious threat to humanity in diverse ways.

    However, they can be prevented or treated/managed to some extent, by the generation and application of robust environmental laws as well as principles.  For instance, mining activities and other related earth-moving operations including road/rail construction works can be thoroughly monitored.  This is one of the reasons why Environmental Impact Assessment policies must be pragmatically crafted and implemented.  Regular public enlightenment programmes have to also occupy centre stage in the scheme of things.

    Improper termination of drainages vis-à-vis the design and construction of roads is one of the factors leading to the formation of gullies in most parts of Nigeria.  Despite the fact that there can be no permanent solutions to gullies due to their geological origins, humans can take steps to ameliorate the situation.  Taming gullies in Nigeria, is a matter of the utmost importance understandably because it is inextricably interwoven with the concept of development anchored to socio-cultural/political stability and economic advancement.

    Many Nigerians are trying to engage in agricultural/agro-based businesses as white-collar jobs are almost practically non-existent today.  Arable land especially in the south-eastern region is being lost daily to gully erosion.  This scenario adversely affects agricultural productions and human settlements generally.  Such a situation leads to an aggravation of the current extreme material poverty among the citizenry as the affected people migrate from one location to another for survival.

    More stresses and strains are put on the neighbouring communities.  One concomitant effect of this is a greater degree of insecurity especially as Nigeria’s population continues to grow exponentially.  It has been estimated that the population would be 410 million by 2050.  Pro-activeness is of the essence in order to avert monumental human agonies in Nigeria in the future.

    It is very worrying that both the federal and state governments over the years have not shown sufficient commitment to this all-important issue of gully erosion.  Allocating huge   sums of money through the lens of Ecological Fund to the affected state governments without close monitoring of how each of them spends its share, amounts to a waste of time and a subtle promotion of corrupt practices. This attitude makes the federal government, represented by the relevant agencies come under suspicion of minor infractions of financial and economic regulations.  Nobody is ultimately accountable to the system as endemic corruption walks on all fours in Nigeria.

    The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment recently told the world that there were 1000 active erosion sites in the state, despite the huge financial support from the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).  As a result of gully erosion, Anambra has the smallest landmass in the country today.  Lagos State was formerly holding this “title” before Anambra snatched it from the latter by reclaiming land from the Atlantic Ocean.

    However, there is need for caution so that the on-going reclamation project in Lagos State does not become a recipe for colossal disaster in the foreseeable future.  NEWMAP has also been doing intervention activities in such places as Udi, Nkanu West and Enugu Ngwo in an attempt to save the situation in Enugu State.  This body has been intervening in Abia, Anambra, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Edo as far back in time as 2013.

    Currently, NEWMAP has been assisting up to 21 states to fight gully erosion with very little success.  Thus, for example, the gullies in Oko community in Anambra State have been threatening to swallow up about 826 families.  This is in addition to the fact, that many lives have already been lost in all the seriously affected areas.  The World Bank has already declared Nanka in the Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State as the location housing the deepest and deadliest gullies on our planet.   Consequently, the World Bank has estimated that the taming/controlling of these gullies would cost N20 billion.  The southwestern and northern regions also are not completely gully-free.  For instance, in Bida – one of the biggest settlements in Niger State, 15 serious gully sites have been identified.

    However, corruption remains a devil to grapple with.  The Senate Joint Committee on Ecology and Environments of the 8th National Assembly reported many months ago that most state governments were misappropriating their shares of ecological funds.  In 2009, about N93.7 billion was illegally transferred from the Ecological Fund to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

    Similarly, the National Economic Council in 2009 reported that about N200 billion belonging to the Ecological Fund was mismanaged.  Ecological disasters can be controlled to a great degree, in the face of financial discipline.  But unfortunately, Nigerian leaders across the board have no space for selflessness and/or patriotism as they continue to serially rape mother Nigeria.

    This ugliness has permeated all levels of our contemporary society.  Painfully enough, the academia that is supposed to be a storehouse for the finest ideals and by the same token, robust humanity is now a near-complete sham.  Most university managers and council members are basically for amassing a fortune from the system, to the detriment of a healthy future.

    Education has not sufficiently shaped their materialistic world view as if there is no tomorrow. The federal government needs to thoroughly monitor state governors and university leaders with respect to how they manage our collective resources. There must be punishments for misappropriation of funds. The seniors at every level are infecting the youth with their virus of financial and economic recklessness. This scenario would make it difficult for Nigeria to get out of the woods.  All leaders (political and/or academic) must be ultimately accountable to the followers in order to begin to experience socio-political stability and economic progress on a sustainable scale. In this connection, peaceful protests against bad governance remain inevitable.  There is no easy solution to bad governance all over the world.

    • Professor Ogundele is of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan.    

  • ‘Corruption threatens Nigeria’s GDP’

    Multinational professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria Limited has estimated that corruption could cost up to 67 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030, if unchecked.

    The Nigerian report of PwC’s 2018 Family Business Survey launched on Monday in Lagos said corruption was associated with lower investment, higher prices as well as barriers of entry for businesses.

    The result of the survey, which was made available to The Nation, said corruption was one of the top three challenges cited by Nigerian family businesses as militating their personal and business goals.

    Others are economic environment (70 per cent) and regulation (57 per cent).

    The Family Business Survey is a global market survey among key decision makers in family businesses within a number of PwC’s key territories. The goal of the survey was to get an understanding of what family businesses are thinking on the key issues of the day.

    This year’s report with the theme, “Building a Lasting Competitive Advantage Through your Values and Purpose in a Digital Age” saw family business leaders globally reporting robust health, with levels of growth at their highest since 2007.

    The survey said regionally, businesses in the Middle East and Africa were the most optimistic, with 28 per cent expecting aggressive growth.

    They are followed by those in Asia Pacific (24 per cent), Eastern Europe (17 per cent), North America (16 per cent), Central/South America (12 per cent) and Western Europe (11 per cent).

    It, however, said growth among Nigerian family businesses over the last 12 months was lower than the global average, with only 53 per cent reporting growth in the last 12 months against 69 per cent globally.

    However, 87 per cent expect to grow over the next two years with 40 per cent saying growth will be quick and aggressive against 16 per cent globally.

  • Protest in SON over corruption, poor welfare, others

    •’Protesters disrespected ministry’s directive’

    There was a protest yesterday in the Abuja office of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on allegation of corruption, poor welfare and irregular promotion, among other things.

    The protest, which was organised by the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) grounded activities at the Federal Government agency.

    The Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of AUPCTRE, Comrade Aliyu Maradun, told reporters that SON’s Director General Osita Aboloma had allegedly been involved in multiple contract awards and contract splitting.

    “We are aware of people who were employed here and under six months, they were promoted more than five times. And there are people here who have spent 20 years stagnated.

    “Some people are on secondment and have refused to go, at the detriment of the people here who are supposed to occupy their positions,” he said.

    Aliyu demanded the intervention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into the operations of the organisation, an improved workers’ welfare and the implementation of the directive of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on voluntarism.

    But the President of the SON branch of the Senior Staff Association of the Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Ayodele Folayan, dismissed the allegations of AUPCTRE.

    He described the protest as “uncalled for”. Folayan said there were efforts to resolve issues on workers’ welfare, adding that the protesters should return to the negotiating table for a solution.

    SON spokesman Bola Fashina said the protesters disrespected the directive of the Ministry of Labour and Employment on voluntarism and not SON.

    On promotion arrears, he said, budgetary allocation had been made while the amount provided had been approved in this year’s budget by the National Assembly.

    In his response to AUPCTRE allegations, Fashina said: “The Federal Ministry of Labour’s directive was to clarify jurisdictional scope of the two unions. SSASCGOC, for senior workers and AUCPTRE for junior workers SON obeyed the ministry.

    “SON is currently paying 20 per cent of workers’ total emoluments as conditions of service. A committee is already in place to harmonise the two versions presented to this management and the two unions have been invited to nominate representatives onto the committee.

    “There are two approved versions – 2012 and 2016. SON cannot choose one over the other. We need to review or harmonise with the union representatives before recommending to management.

    “No worker has been coerced or intimidated. Management only drew attention of staff to the letter from the Federal Ministry of Labour in a Circular

    “There was no illegal promotion; rather, there were advancement of workers to reflect qualification and requisite experience of the workers. This is normal in public service. A graduate of between 15 and 20 years wrongly offered appointment on CONRAISS 8 and advanced to CONRAISS 12 is an example.

    “The arrears of salary for workers employed in 2016 were 16 months. The Director General intervened and got the IPPIS and Office of the Accountant General to pay. The remaining two months will be paid by same source.

    “The workers were employed before the appointment of the present DG. The arrears were reported to the relevant authorities. It is awaiting payment by IPPIS anytime from now.

    “Secondment is an acceptable and legal practice in public service provided for in the Public Service Rules (PSR). The secondment to SON is within the PSR. None of the seconded staff is a non-Nigerian.

     

     

  • Youths: Buhari keen in ending corruption, poverty

    The Youth Project for the Promotion of Democracy and Good Governance (YPPDGG) has called on Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in  ridding the country of corruption and poverty.

    In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Shuaibu Mustapha, in Kano, the group urged Nigerians to restore their confidence in the leadership of President Buhari, insisting his re-election would meant good for the country.

    The statement said:“We want … to commend Nigerians for giving President Buhari another mandate. We are not unaware of the perceived suffering of the masses. In any case, we want to urge Nigerians to remain resolute and pitch their tent with the desire of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government to take our great nation to the next level.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari’s government should be appreciated in …the N-Power programme, which has directly and indirectly touched … youths. In spite of the undue propanganda being peddled by the opposition, Buhari’s government has recorded achievements in agriculture, infrastructural development, power and technology.

    “We have observed the… efforts being put in place by the Minister of Science and Technology …Dr. Christopher Ogbonnaya Onu, which has continued to empower youths.”

    The group noted that “the Ministry of Science and Technology under Ogbonnaya Onu  has remained committed towards intensifying research and innovation, as well as increase the awareness among the people in the country of the importance of science and technology to their daily needs.”

    The group also hailed President Buhari for his efforts in the fight against corruption, and called on Nigerians to lend their support in that regard.

    On insecurity, the group hailed Buhari’s resolve to stamp out terrorism, kidnapping and youth restiveness, saying Nigeria could only get better when Nigerians saw the fight against insecurity as a personal project.