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Tag: corruption

  • Corruption: 233 policemen arrested

    Two hundred and thirty-three policemen have been arrested for corruption related offences in the past one year, Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said yesterday.

    Of the total arrests made, Edgal said 16 were dismissed, 26 demoted, one charged to court and 190 served severe punishments with the offences documented in their service files.

    He spoke at the Anti-Corruption Day with the theme: “Tackling corruption through collective responsibility”.

    It was organised by the Centre for Change.

    Edgal said the command had continued to uphold the mandate of the Inspector General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris, which is to eradicate corruption and human right infractions within the system.

    He said: “In the last one year, 233 policemen have been arrested and tried for corrupt practices. Sixteen of them have been dismissed, one policeman charged to court, 26 have been reduced in rank and 190 of them have gotten major entries in their files.

    “Others were given punishment relating to minor entries and fatigue to act as a deterrent to others. We will continue to partner every other group to fight corruption.”

    Edgal, who was recognised by the centre as the Anti-Corruption Champion, said he felt honoured that people were watching and taking note of his actions.

    The founder of the centre, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, said Nigeria was bleeding under the heavyweight of corruption.

    “It is either we kill corruption or corruption kills us. It is also certain that all institutions must be strengthened and that there should be synergy. This is why you will find out that the Police as an institution remains the lubricant for the survival of our great country.

    “Talk is very cheap; it is extremely easy for us to continue to talk about corruption. But to act and also ensure that we fight that cancer, there should be no game place. This is why this synergy is very important for us today.

  • Presidency knocks Jonathan’s view on corruption

    The Presidency yesterday rejected former President Goodluck Jonathan’s claims that there is more corruption in the country than when he left office in 2015.

    A statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the claim was absolutely untrue.

    He said: “The facts on the ground today run contrary to his outlandish claim.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari, in pursuit of the war against corruption, has set a number of local and international records, one of which is to call judicial officers in Nigeria to account.

    “He is the first to set such a record. Not only that, this is the first time that top military commanders and Service Chiefs are brought to trial and convictions achieved on account of corruption.

    “Also, this is the first time a ruling party is convicting high profile citizens, including former governors, who are members of same party.

    “This is the first time the international community is acknowledging the efforts of a government of Nigeria in this regard as manifested by the selection of President Buhari by the African Union as the Anti-Corruption Champion of the continent.

    “For the records, this is the first time a ruling party is investigating ranking officers of the administration, including some at the very top,” Shehu said

    Apart from the many firsts recorded by President Buhari’s administration, he said, the government has introduced a lot of changes, considering that the laws relating to the fight against corruption cannot reasonably be static.

    In line with its aspiration to be ahead of the growing sophistication of corruption and financial crimes, he said that the administration initiated new legislations and proposed amendments to various sections of laws.

    The laws, he said, included the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill 2017; Anti-Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Bill 2017; Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit Bill 2017 (NFIU); Proceeds of Crime Bill 2017.

    Others are the Public Interest Disclosure and Witness Protection Bill, 2017 and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2017.

    He added: “Owing to these efforts and support all of relevant stakeholders, NFIU Act has been passed and President Buhari gave his assent on July 18, 2018. The administration is currently working with the legislature for an expedited passage of the Proceeds of Crimes Bill to make the anti-corruption war more effective.

    “Nigerians should dismiss Dr. Jonathan’s hollow boast that he, not President Buhari, introduced schemes, such as the Biometric Verification Number (BVN), the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPS).

    “Of what use is the announcement of good policies without the will to implement them?” he queried.

    The former president is claiming credit for the Single Treasury Account (TSA), the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and the Bank Verification Number (BVN) being implemented by the Buhari-led government.

    He also said in his book “My Transition Hours” that corruption under his watch was a child’s play compared to what is happening under Buhari administration.

    Since President Buhari assumed office, Shehu said, Nigerians are witnesses to the huge success recorded through the implementation of the TSA where some government agencies that had over the years remitted peanuts or nothing at all are now periodically pumping billions into government coffers.

    “Prominent among these remittances include the ones made by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Customers Service (NCS) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

    “While it is also true that the BVN was introduced in 2014 to ensure that all bank accounts have biometric identification of their owners, the lack of will and capacity under Dr Jonathan stalled implementation.

    “Today, BVN covers nearly all bank accounts. There are still some individuals who have shielded their identity and are now afraid of enrolling on the BVN platform as this will expose them and their corrupt actions. The law is going after them.

    “President Buhari’s administration introduced the whistle-blower policy as a veritable tool against corruption as it gives individuals an opportunity to expose corruption, fraud, bribery, looted government funds, financial misconducts, government assets and any other form of corruption or theft.

    “Within six months of introducing this policy, over 5,000 reports were made through various channels, 365 actionable tips were received out of the 5000 reports. So far, more than N200 billion has been recovered.

    “As the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation,  Abubakar Malami (SAN),  said yesterday, the former President does not have the facts to claim that there was any serious effort on the part of his administration to fight corruption.

    “As at 29th May, 2015, when this administration came into office, the EFCC recovery account had only N19.5 billion as revealed by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General. After one year of the new anti-corruption drive by the Buhari administration, this figure had gone up to N279 billion, and since then a lot more has been recovered.

    “Finally, as evidenced from a fleeting look at the book, the former President had nothing to say about his own achievements. If there was a recession, and yes we had a moment in it, was it due to one year of President Buhari’s government?

    “In his efforts to blame everyone but himself for his failures, Dr Jonathan heaped the blame for the predictable economic recession on President Buhari, ignoring the seeds sown under him through mismanagement and the process set in firm roots for the decline of the economy. Evidently, he did nothing to avert the situation.

    “As we have explained over and over, the recession in 2016 was caused by years of mismanagement and corruption. In the 16 years of PDP, and earlier than that, the country solely relied on oil, the price of which was as high as $140 per barrel under their watch. Government simply reticulated oil revenue through personal spending by corrupt leaders, wasteful expenses and salaries; rather than investing in what would grow the economy. There was no investment in infrastructure as President Buhari is now doing in seaports, airports, power plants, railways, roads and housing.

    “The oil windfall for the country was mismanaged, and Nigeria’s greatest opportunity for growth was turned into a tragedy. More worrisome, there were no savings. And to compound the problem and compromise growth of the economy, the previous government borrowed heavily, owed contractors and international oil companies. When President Buhari came into power in 2015, the country had accumulated debt, which took it back to the level it was before the Paris Club Debt forgiveness. Nigeria did not have fiscal buffers to withstand an oil shock when oil prices fell to as low as $28 .

    “The oil shock should and could have been foreseen. When visionary Nigerians and economists foresaw this and warned of the dangers ahead, Dr Jonathan hounded such men as the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11 and Professor Chukwuma Soludo. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance under Dr Jonathan’s administration also warned and she was rebuffed.

    “The former President and his party have nothing to say about achievements. They ruled the country for 16 years and what is their record on jobs, power, rail, seaports, airports and internal security, including the crippling disaster of terrorism?” he queried .

     

  • ICPC to probe petitions against Oshiomhole

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is to investigate petitions accusing the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of corruption, saying petition against him will be handled just like all others.

    ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, who spoke while receiving a petition from a group of protesters on the platform of Coalition of New Nigeria (CNN) assured that the petition will be treated the same manner it handled others.

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    She said: “I have heard you and we thank you people for the peaceful protest here. You have done what you are supposed to do. I want to assure you that your petition will be treated according to its merit and the same manner we treat others”.

    Convener of the group, Barr. Stanley Ohu, who led the protesters demand the immediate prosecution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.

    The protesters under the auspices of Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN), had arrived the ICPC office with posters bearing various inscriptions like ‘Oshiomhole is corrupt’, ‘Oshiomhole must go’, ‘with Oshiomhole, APC will fail’, ‘ICPC must probe Oshiomhole’, ‘Buhari, remove Oshiomhole now before it is too late’, among other and pleaded with the agency to expedite action in the prosecution of the ruling party boss.

    He said: “We are determined in our quest to arrest the danger faced by our party, the governing APC, occasioned by the integrity challenged National Chairman, Oshiomhole. As you are all aware, our party, the APC is in serious crisis following the most reprehensible, divisive and widely condemned primaries across the states.

    “The APC which was gaining grounds and welcoming new members is far from the all-embracing party it was when Oshiomhole took over as National Chairman.

    “Given the various allegations of corruption by respected chieftains and members of the APC, we are here calling on the various anti-corruption agencies to begin a comprehensive probe of not only these allegations, but his time as the governor of Edo state.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, we are well aware that Justice Anwuli Chikere of the Federal High Court ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence criminal proceedings against Oshiomhole for allegedly diverting state funds into personal use.

    “Therefore, it is expedient that a man that has corruption noose round his neck is not the fit and proper person to lead a party that has President Muhammadu Buhari, a man known globally for his anti-corruption stance, to remain in office.
    “We demand that Oshiomhole resigns owing to the plethora of allegations against him leading to even the DSS inviting him and demanding for his resignation.

    “In the event Oshiomhole chooses to tread the path of the little honour left of him, we urge President Buhari to ask him to leave before he leads the APC down the path of ignominy in 2019.

    “We assure you that this will not be the end of the Coalition for New Nigeria’s protest until Mr. Oshiomhole leaves the exalted office of the National Chairman of the governing APC, the party of Change,” he said.

     

  • ‘Corruption blocking investments’ inflow’

    The Federal Government has reiterated the need to tackle corruption, which, it said, has been discouraging the inflow of investments.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said corruption must be taken as an unacceptable practice that should be exposed by all.

    He spoke for President Muhammadu Buhari at the opening of the 24th National Economic Summit (NES) organised in Abuja by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

    In a paper titled: “Corruption and rule of law”, the vice president said: “Systemic corruption, in procurement process, corruption in approval processes obviously discourages investments and we must examine those closely.

    According to him, the impact of corruption on development has been a major issue. He noted the menace was promoted by the “years of impunity and of no consequence.”

    He described as unfortunate that many Nigerians have come to accept corruption as a way of doing business.

    Osinbajo said it was important for the country to confront this menace, focus on it as an issue and deliberate on a way forward.

    “Confronting it is crucial as you really can’t avoid it and the only way to confront it is for the government to be determined, to be committed to it.

    “Especially by strengthening the systems that will make corruption become something that will attract consequence, something that will attract sanctions.

    “If government is committed to it and focused on a number of indices, then I think things will change, and people really want to see some results.’’

  • TheNationChat with Upright4Nigeria: Citizen’s roles in curbing corruption

    The Nation Newspaper on Wednesday engaged Upright4Nigeria, a media campaign aimed at strengthening citizens resistance against corruption on Twitter.

    The chat focused on corruption with the theme “Citizen’s role in curbing corruption.”

    Bellow are responses from with #Upright4Nigeria

  • Religious leaders critical to fight against corruption, says ICPC

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said religious leaders are key stakeholders in the fight against corruption in Nigeria.

    The agency’s Commissioner for Education, Malam Muhammad Baba, stated this yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, at the Train-the-Trainers Workshop for Imams and Islamic dcholars, organised by the Just Foundation, a subsidiary of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society.

    He recalled that since 2014, ICPC had been engaging religious leaders across the country to participate actively in the fight against corruption.

    Baba also said due to the critical role of religious leaders in tackling social vices, such as corruption, the commission introduced Religious Leaders’ Forum to educate them about the negative impact of the menace.

    He said: “ICPC, in line with the statutory mandate of the commission as contained in Section 6 (b to f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, has the mandate to prevent corruption.

    “ICPC also has the mandate to stop or fight corruption through any legal means, including educating and sensitising the public.

    “Part of education and sensitising the public is engaging religious leaders in the fight against corruption.

    “That is why we introduced the religious leaders’ forum. Since 2014, we have been engaging with the religious leaders across Nigeria to participate actively in the fight against corruption.”

    He said the forum had impacted positively in the fight against corruption and increase awareness everywhere, adding that people are increasingly becoming aware of the dangers of corruption.

    The commissioner also said that more religious leaders are now aware and they can change the attitude of their followers through sermons and other forms of preaching.

    The Executive Director of Just Foundation, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, said the aim of the training was to build the capacity of Islamic clerics to understand and participate actively in the ongoing fight against corruption.

    He said that 95 per cent of all the problems confronting Nigeria was corruption-induced, adding that the moment corruption was effectively tackled people would be able to get their right justly.

  • Corruption, socioeconomic insecurity,  others to blame for Nigeria’s woes—Survey 

    Endemic corruption at all tiers of government, socioeconomic insecurity, deliberate misuse of power, amongst several other vices may be responsible for the lingering economic crisis bedevilling the country, a survey has revealed.

    While speaking on the survey conducted by the Foundation for Value Transformation in collaboration with the Value Centre, USA, Mr. Segun Caulcrick, the Executive Director of the Foundation revealed that the outcomes of the recent  study was the result of painstaking field reports and views elicited from respondents across the different geopolitical zones of the country.

    According to the former Country Manager of UPS Nigeria, the survey showed that endemic corruption,  poverty, crime, violence, terrorism,  unemployment, hatred, conflict,  aggression, illiteracy are the potentially limiting factors responsible for the low value of life in the country today.

    “Most issues plaguing people in the country today relate to socioeconomic insecurity and threat to personal safety and security,” he said.

    Besides, he said shortage of economic opportunities and resources to meet people’s basic needs, inadequate access to education is holding people back.

    More worrisome, he said, is the fact that, “There is deliberate misuse of power to serve selfish interests rather than the common good and resources to meet people’s basic needs are mismanaged.”

    Caulcrick who is a certified leadership coach further revealed that while majority of the populace desire better quality of living and envisage to live in a country where opportunities are available for all, it is regrettable that decisions and actions taken by individuals at all levels of the society have been at variance with the expected outcomes.

    “Sadly, the vision of the founding fathers of this great country Nigeria has remained unfulfilled many decades after independence. It’s yet another anniversary of the country and the eve of an election year, yet the country seems divided. There is hunger and strife in the land, safety of lives and property is lamentably not guaranteed. A lot still needs to be done to get the economy back on track not for us as a country alone but for the future of Africa. Time and time again, world leaders of African descent continue to implore us to wake up and take our rightful place in the comity of nations because Africa’s future depends a lot on us.”

  • Fed Govt ‘ll win war against corruption, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that the Federal Government is committed to winning the war against corruption in Nigeria.

    The President spoke in New York at the African Union High-Level Dialogue with the theme: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation.’’

    The president was unanimously endorsed by AU leaders in January to champion the commission’s theme for 2018.

    Buhari commended African leaders for the honour bestowed on him to champion the course of fighting corruption in Africa in 2018 and beyond.

    The president, however, urged African leaders to also remain committed to the fight against corruption to ensure rapid development of the continent.

    According to Buhari, Africa loses about 50 billion dollars to illicit financial flow annually.

    “Illicit financial flow out of the continent has become a major concern because of the scale of its negative effects on economic development and governance agenda.

    “Some of the effects of corruption include draining of foreign exchange reserves, reduction of tax revenue collection, poor investment inflow and escalation of poverty,” he said.

    He said that efforts were being made by African leaders to checkmate the illicit financial flow from the continent

    Buhari said that one of the measures necessary if Africa was to make headway in the fight against corruption, was to evolve laws and policies which encourage transparent financial transactions.

    He said that another measure was to ensure implementation of measures that would mitigate the incentive that facilitate the illegal outflow of funds from the continent.

    The president called on the leaders to organise African youth conferences against corruption in order to sensitise the youth on the fight against corruption

    He also called for the mobilisation of African Union member states to implement the convention on combating corruption.

    The president advocated the strengthening of the criminal justice system against corruption and boost exchange of information sharing best practices in the fight against corruption.

    The AU Chair person, Mousa Faki, commended Buhari for his resolve to fight corruption, stressing that it was not by accident that he was appointed to champion the campaign.

    Faki described corruption as a cancer that had eaten deep into the fabric of the continent.

    He said corruption and illicit financial flow had hindered investment and deterred the growth of the continent.

    “Corruption in all dimensions discourages investment flow, creates inequality, escalates poverty and increases public expenditure,” he said.

    Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu, warned looters of the country’s treasury to voluntarily return stolen funds and assets or face prosecution.

    Magu, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, described corruption as “an evil that would not be tolerated.’’

    He said: “All of them (looters) should return all the looted funds and join us in the fight against corruption because it is important.

    “All of us have a responsibility in the fight against corruption, whether you are corrupt or not.

    “But my take is that they should return all the stolen funds and we can see what we can do.’’

    The anti-corruption chief, however, warned that if looters decide to remain adamant, the law would catch up with them.

    “We would prosecute them, we would get them, no matter how long it would take, we would get them; I’m telling you.

    “Corruption is an evil that affects all of us. So we should join hands to eradicate it,” he said.

    He also said that there was hope that Africa would win the war against corruption if there was collaboration among the anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies through “timely intelligence.”

  • Parliamentary system panacea to Nigeria’s corruption – Ango Abdullahi 

    Leader of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi has said that the only way Nigeria can end corruption and the numerous challenges standing on its way to greatness is to abolish ‘corrupt and expensive’ presidential system for parliamentary system of government.
    Professor Abdullahi, one time Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria said the major reason Nigeria is still in a state of confusion after almost 60 years of independence is the mistake of changing to presidential system from the parliamentary system of government that the country inherited from its colonial masters.
    The Northern Elders Forum spokesman stated this in Kaduna at the weekend during the launch of national moral awareness campaign, organised by a youth group, Moral Initiative of Nigeria (MIN).
    Ango Abdullahi said, “until tomorrow, if I have the power, I will throw away this presidential system and return Nigeria to parliamentary system of government, because of so many reasons. The most important of those reasons is that, parliamentary system is not as expensive as the one we operate today. Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto led the entire Northern Nigeria alone with just few people and a governor  in Kaduna.
    “This system we operate today does not give birth to anything other than waste, stealing and the corruption that we are all making noise about. But, in parliamentary system, you don’t become minister except you are elected from your constituency, which means that, you have where to account for your stewardship. But today, once you master the acts of boot-licking, lying and hypocrisy, you will just be called to come and be commissioner or minister.
    “That is why up till tomorrow, we cannot stop talking about Sardauna. No matter how close you were to him he never gave appointment to people who were not capable of delivering the responsibility. He would tell you, you can’t handle this kind of responsibility, but, we will look for what you can do for you. That is why you never saw lopsided appointment with him. But today, what you hear is that, this one is my in law’s son, my friend’s son and so on.

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    “My elder brother, General Murtala Mohammed is the one that made that first mistake of changing the system of government from parliamentary to presidential without allowing Nigerians to debate and look critically at the differences between the two system of government. This is what brought us to where we are now in a state of waste and expensive government.
    “Now, the people in government don’t want to look at this option of parliamentary system and they don’t want us to talk about it, this is because the presidential system suits them, and they are not bothered whether it suits Nigerians or not. This is why Nigeria is referred to as the headquarters of poverty in the world, and Nigeria is not poor, very few countries are as blessed as Nigeria in terms of mineral resources.
    “Our problem is that of good leadership, because China that has seven times Nigeria’s population has in five years brought 750 million people from its population from abject poverty to better life. So, our problem is that of leadership. If you see a nation in a bad state like ours, it is good leadership it lacks.
    “We must therefore stop lamentations and look for good leadership for our nation. And we should be able to identify good leaders and elect them, and if we fail to do this, we will continue to lament till eternity”, he said.
    Former INEC secretary, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, while delivering lecture at the occasion, commended Moral Initiative of Nigeria (MIN) for the thoughtful steps towards reminding Nigeria of the imperatives of its moral foundation at a point when the people are preparing to exercise their choices over leaders and parties.
    He stressed the importance of raising awareness around immorality and the promotion of peace and love among Nigerians for the nation to “turn the tide against moral decay, the drift towards anarchy and the descent into the nightmare of the rule of terror, evil and violence.
    “There is no value in discussing issues of morality, systems and process, legal system, policies and programmes and development in a nation such as ours without acknowledging that we are fundamentally a people of faith.
    “How does a nation of people who accept the validity of good from evil, right from wrong also seems to tolerate the ignominy of being one of the most corrupt nations on earth; a nation that consigns a huge percentage of its population to the rings of the poorest in the world and one where the value of human life is virtually non-existent?”
    Dr. Baba Ahmed tasked Nigerians ahead of the 2019 general elections to apply themselves demanding responsibilities in judging politicians, who will ask for their trusts and confidence; asking questions, each to the limit of his understanding and knowledge, of the politicians their character, abilities, motives and capabilities before voting for such people.
    President of Moral Initiative of Nigeria, Yusuf Kazeem said the initiative is a social movement aimed at eradicating the challenges that have affected every sphere of Nigeria, the frontiers of a new culture that restores Nigerians’ moral and ethical values.
    “MIN works extensively in harmonizing and uniting Nigerians most especially the youth and children in the acts of reducing the menace of immoral acts with different strategies and supporting the less privilege, orienting them towards future-securing programmes.
    “The target of Moral Initiative includes a united Nigeria where sentiment, ethno-religious bias with all forms of discrimination and immoral acts are expunged, where peace, love and harmony is the norm.”

  • Adeosun: Corruption fighting back indeed!

    Sir: The whole country was shaken with the news that Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun had resigned and had in fact flown out of Nigeria. The media was agog, calling her unprintable names. In particular, television newscasters and commentators had a field day denouncing a seemingly corrupt cabinet minister. Opposition politicians, themselves replete with filth and repugnant odour went to town. Some went ahead accusing Muhammadu Buhari of colluding with a ‘corrupt’ aide by bundling her overseas to escape justice in Nigeria.

    These are people of little mind, irresponsible and malicious. What offence did Adeosun commit to attract such denunciation? Let us look at her story as told by her and as corroborated by associates and well meaning Nigerians. The woman was born and raised in the U.K, making occasional visits to Nigeria until she was 34 years old. She had a very good upbringing, a robust education and zeal to be a Nigerian in fact and indeed. Because of the statutory requirements which her first assignment demanded, she had to get the NYSC discharge certificate being above the legal age to participate physically in the national assignment. Ultimately, she got one which her detractors are now calling Oluwole document, but the woman a very innocent person-innocent that is to the Nigerian character and practices, was unaware that she had been sold a dummy, the effect of which is now reverberating across the nation.

    Some facts are salient here. The ex-minister’s vital documents-professional certificates, date of birth and other vital documents were not forged. What would it cost her to obtain an authentic document from the NYSC authorities, when it could have been ordinarily given to her without any hassle and at no pain whatever, since she qualified automatically to be excused on account of her age?

    Again the poor woman was blissfully unaware that she was being conned by professional manipulators and rouges which is normal to the Nigerian system.

    Arising from the above, there is the need that her official and unofficial accusers should have first considered her intention, not only her action. Did the woman intend to be a fraud? Or did she play inadvertently into the hands of rouges and charlatans. I am not a lawyer but I believe a court would look at the intent and not only at the action of the ‘accused’ person.

    Compare the above scenario with the positive changes the ex-minister has brought to the economy. The country is literally employing one single financial or accounting system where revenues due to the federal government are paid to only one account which cannot be replicated. She has chased away ghost workers and only human beings with flesh and blood are now taking money from the national till. The national income has increased considerably and the naira has assumed a larger profile than before. This same woman has delicately stared the economy from recession to positive growth and development. Her presentations at all levels were transparent, credible and re-assuring. Above all nobody has accused the poor woman of taking a kobo from the treasury.

    Asdeosun’s case is a lesson to all Nigerians, especially our men and women whom we have unconsciously exported to foreign lands where their services are acknowledged and judiciously utilized. It is an irony of life that Nigeria is a net exporter of qualified men and women and manpower generally to climes that appreciate and welcome expertise and integrity.

    The only redeeming feature of this unfortunate episode is that the presidency has given praise and support to the ousted minister. This is a testimony that this administration recognizes merit and is prepared to reward it accordingly, irrespective of the band of hounds that is ready to devour an innocent woman.

    It is thoughtless to say, as some have said that Kemi Adeosun should be made to pay back all the salaries and benefits which she as state commissioner or federal minister has earned over the years. This is crude politics and it goes nowhere. Her accusers are the obvious vermin of our society.

     

    • Asiwaju Deji Fasuan MON; JP

    Ado-Ekiti.