The Nation Newspaper

Tag: corruption

  • Jonathan urges Customs to shun corruption

    Jonathan urges Customs to shun corruption

    President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to correct “the lingering perception of corruption and fraud” in the service.

    Declaring open the 2012 Annual Comptroller-General of Customs Conference in Katsina, Jonathan acknowledged that the monthly revenue generation of the service had tripled from N30 billion to N100 billion.

    Represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the president said the ongoing reforms in the service had brought about “greater efficiency” but more needed to be done on corruption and fraud.

    He said: “In line with our administration’s zero tolerance for corruption, the Customs service must constantly examine itself by weeding out corrupt men and officers whose activities tarnish the image of the service.

    “You must faithfully abide by the principles of good governance, which encapsulates transparency and integrity.”

    President Jonathan urged the NCS not to relent in its role of facilitating trade, border protection and security of the nation.

    He said the Federal Government appreciated the efforts of the service in preventing the proliferation of small and light weapons in Nigeria and pledged that the government would continue to give the required support to check the activities of those involved in the illicit trade.

    Jonathan called for increased collaboration between the service and other Customs bodies across the world in the fight against “persistent smuggling and criminal activities” at entry ports.

    “Constant networking and exchange of vital information with sister agencies will not only ensure easy detection, it will also guarantee the reduction of high risk shipments in the international supply chain.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Kuye, el-Rufai, Akingba bemoan corruption

    Prominent Nigerians, including former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President, Mrs. Pricilla Kuye and National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain, Dr. Amos Akingba, yesterday bemoaned the spate of corruption in the country, saying the nation is at a crossroads.

    Kuye said proper upbringing of children and enthronement of good leadership would stem the rot, urging Nigerians to vote for people of integrity during elections.

    Akingba stressed the need for constitution change, adding that the 1999 Constitution is the most corrupt document in the world.

    el-Rufai asked leaders and citizens to stand up for what is right and not what is convenient. He lamented that the Nigerian system had converted individuals to municipalities.

    They spoke at a lecture in Lagos organised by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG). The lecture, entitled: ‘Reparations: What Nigeria owes the tortoise’, was delivered by Prof. Pius Adesanmi, a Canada-based university don.

    The SNG convener, Pastor Tunde Bakare, who hinted that the group may hold another round of protests against the government to kick against the national drift, said the revolution should not begin in the churches and mosques because clerics have soiled their images and wreaked havoc on the nation.

    He called for the probe of sources of income of the Christian clerics buying jets, alleging that they are corrupt.

    Bakare decried the poverty of political leadership, which he said, had crippled governance in the country.

    The guest lecturer lamented that Nigerian leaders have been behaving like the proverbial tortoise assailed by selfishness and wickedness, adding that the struggle for national cake has displaced the more important need to bake the cake.

    He said the current leadership has refused to learn from the good example of leadership by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the defunct Western Region, based on the principles of “collective good” and “common will”.

    Prof. Adesanmi accused leaders of individualism, which he described as the father of selfishness.

    He said: “The rain that falls on bitter leaf is the same rain that falls on sugarcane. The same rain of oil falls in Dubai and Nigeria. The difference is leadership. Since 1999, rulers have behaved like the tortoise.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Mrs. Kuye asked Nigerians to speak against bad governance to reduce the moral decadence in the society.

    She added: “Nobody should be above the law. It appears some people are above the law. This is bad. Accountability is lacking in this country. People should take the federal legislators to accountability. Why are the lawmakers earning so much money? That money can be used to develop the country.”

    el-Rufai said: “Nigeria is at a crossroads. We are situated in a crisis of unquantifiable proportion. Men and women of goodwill should reject evil. Every year, we need to create three million jobs to arrest unemployment. Investment in education has collapsed to less than five per cent. Nigeria is not secured from these problems. It is the elite enclave mentality.

    “No water, but people sink boreholes and get water treatment. No road, they buy Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). No police, they will get private police. Now, they are getting jets. In the West, there is armed robbery. In the East, it is kidnapping. In the North, it is Boko Haram. They are not different.”

    A politician, Jimi Agbaje, said: “We need to scrutinise politicians before we elect them to lead us.”

    Also at the lecture were the Ikeja NBA chairman, Monday Ubani, former federal legislator, Dino Melaye, an economist, Erick Boyo, Campaign for Democracy (CD) leader, Dr. Joe Odumakin, Dr. Akinyemi Onigbinde, Gbemi Ogunbiyi and Pastor Simeon Afolabi.

  • We must eschew corruption, greed and waste

    We must eschew corruption, greed and waste

    SIR: It is clear to all now that the war against corruption has completely lost steam. What many of us do not understand is why governments and their functionaries still insult us by mouthing their so-called zero-tolerance for corruption. The correct position is that our governments at all levels now have zero-tolerance for anti-corruption war. The Otedola-Farouk scandal remains an open sore that will not get healed until and unless either or both the dramatis personae is or are prosecuted forthwith. That scandal makes a mockery of all claims that there is a war against corruption in Nigeria. Nigerians will not allow the matter to die down. The police have shown gross incompetence in the handling of the matter. The file should be withdrawn from whoever is at present investigating the allegation of bribery and given to officers or agencies that know what they are doing.

    The only amendment that would make sense is for the National Assembly to make crimes of corruption strict liability offences that would require the defendant show that she is innocent and justify how she came about her stupendous wealth and not for the prosecution to prove that she is guilty. The Constitution should also make it clear that there would be no interlocutory appeal in criminal cases. Without these safeguards corruption cases will go on endlessly as we are already seeing with the oil subsidy scam.

    Reckless spending by states and the Federal Government needs to be checked urgently. One example which we have always brought up is the indefensible sponsoring of pilgrims to Jerusalem and Saudi Arabia. This is wrong and constitutes an unconstitutional frittering away of public resources. Those who want to go on pilgrimage should use their own resources. Religion is a private affair. If governments do not stop this unlawful practice, we shall consider instituting actions against all of them. The same goes for sponsoring of lawyers in the Ministries and in private practice on jamboree trips to International Bar Association Conferences where Nigerians do not make any presentation except to present their rowdiness and gaudy lifestyle. These jamborees explain why our roads are not motorable, our schools have collapsed and why there is general poverty in the land. Let the jamboree stop please!

    • Bamidele Aturu Esq,

    Legal practitioner, Surulere, Lagos.

     

  • ANAN seeks transparency to check corruption

    The Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) said it is determined to eradicate corruption and promote transparency in the profession.

    Speaking during a visit to The Nation, the Chairman, Ikeja Branch Solomon Oladimeji, said the Association is sending a message that betrayal of the public trust will no longer be tolerated.

    He acknowledged that corruption is a scourge on the economy, a development, he said jeopardises efforts to improve the quality of life and standard of living of the citizenry.

    He said ANAN abhors corruption in all its ramifications, stressing that the body was ready to punish any of its members involved in corrupt practices.

    Oladimeji commended the cordial relationship between the association and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), saying ANAN’s recent application for membership of the International Federation of Accountants( IFAC), was endorsed by ICAN.

    He said the relationship between the association and ICAN , is cordial, as they attend each other’s functions, adding that the steps taken by both associations are geared towards ensuring professionalism for the benefit of the nation and the financial system.

    Oladimeji said the association would hold a dinner and an award night at the end of the month to mark its end of year activities.

     

  • Plane crash, poor state hospital; Jonathan’s 3rd peaceful election’; ‘Nigeria’s Corruption Carpet’

    Plane crash, poor state hospital; Jonathan’s 3rd peaceful election’; ‘Nigeria’s Corruption Carpet’

    News: Plane crash in Yola. Sorry, but whose money? Is Yola General Hospital well equipped enough to receive plane crash victims? Governors must think about people, not personal profits. Congrats to President Jonathan for maintaining the election peace in the Presidential, Edo and Ondo elections–a hat trick. No violence- a true legacy.

    While malignant corruption festers, a dying Nigeria teaches in schools that the theft of a goat is seven years in jail while a multibillion theft will fetch you a choice hospital holiday and ‘plea bargaining’ by returning 1/10th of the stolen money – punishment inversely proportional to the crime. Political righteous indignation at oil baron thieves is misplaced. They are all the same –thieves of votes or money! The judiciary has failed us. Imagine the judiciary ‘awarding’ a child molester only two years in jail with option of N80,000 fine. A fine for such a crime against your daughter, Mr What Justice?

    The true guardians of people’s right to a better life–NLC, ASUU, NMA, NANS, NUT, PENGASSAN – deserve GCFR for their guarding of the republic, their sacrifices and foresight. When they protest on behalf of the downtrodden, the downtrodden and the politicians shower curses on them for ‘not being patriotic’. The real thieving culprits are ‘dividends of democracy’ politicians, contractors, conmen and especially civil servants drawing up ‘no work-no pay’ agreements. They have all stolen us blind leaving the citizens to ‘manage’ crumbs and still expected to be grateful as the politicians award each other more and more PPPs-Prizes, Profits and Plaques and ‘Best Governorships’.

    Ribadu’s NNPC revelations amount to N86.6b or N577 /Fellow Nigerian, the $5b waste from gas flaring or N5,000/Nigerian, the megabillion pension scams, the N44billion UBE unaccessed funds or N600/ Fellow Nigerian Youth, the 30-70% contract percentage kickbacks for contracts, the electricity multimegabillion scam, Ladi Kwali Hall conferences, juicy NASS oversight allowances and customs ‘customers’ make massive needless suffering and death for the citizens. Scams amount to more than N10,000/Fellow Nigerian/per annum in losses. We have allocated enough contractor funds to build a road around the world and still we meekly accept to risk our lives and die on potholed death-trap and gridlocked Lagos-Ibadan, Ore-Benin and the East-West roads. Enough of billionaire contractors!

    A serious government would have ‘A National Road Emergency Strategy’ and divide roads into 10-20km blocks and award them to hundreds of hungry qualified contractors for rapid completion. As in primary school the favourite example was: If one contractor can build a road in 36 months, 10 contractors can build it in 3.6 months. Or one big billionaire contractor should employ 10 times the staff working at 10 points to finish the work in one tenth the time – 3.6 months. It is criminal to give one billionaire political contractor a 300km road to build in 36 or 48 months. Nations in a hurry know better. And Nigeria needs to hurry into the 21st Century.

    These revelations have lifted one tiny corner of ‘The Corruption Carpet’ covering Nigeria. We are horrified by the huge stealing while the same officials ‘lament’ about ‘poor allocations’ and ‘government cannot do it alone’. But ‘government can steal alone’!

    The protests by Nigeria’s unions are at the serial abuse and poor treatment by politicians and absence of ‘civilisation indices’ in spite of great wealth hidden from the public scrutiny. In education these ‘civilisation indices’ are a friendly learning environment. In health these ‘civilisation indices’ are modern medical equipment and 16,400 Primary Health Centres –one per Ward, 21st Century equipment as used by brilliant medical Nigerians abroad. But in our medical ‘counterfeit centres of excellence’ only the signboard says ‘excellence’.

    Nigerians, not just those who fly to hospitals abroad at our expense, deserve modern equipment as a birthright from our wealth. For the physically challenged, ‘civilisation indices’ include modern movement aids, braille, wheelchair access and computerised prosthetic limbs. For roads ‘civilisation indices’ include the thousands of side roads which must be ‘guttered’ and tarred. In transport we lack thousands of kilometres of railway tracks and modern human mass transit bus and monorail. On youth issues ‘civilisation indices’ include 16,400 non-political ‘Ward Youth Centres’. In addition we require serious entrepreneurial training, a broader job market, sponsored computerised sports databases, mini stadia and holiday coaching camps. On sanitation, ‘civilisation indices’ dictate that communities has rights to water and toilets. ‘Civilisation indices’ require we are malaria, polio and pothole free and also corruption free. With this money Nigeria can afford free quality health and education.

    When will politicians learn to leave professionals alone to do their job? Nigerians have been ‘managing’ or coping with nonsense government and running ‘on empty’ since the military era. Stop corruption and fill Nigeria’s tank with the unstolen money. Government distribution of Sallah ram and Xmas rice to the few will not solve our corruption problems.

    Nigerians do not want ‘dividends of democracy’ but return of the stolen ‘dividends of being Nigerians’. There is a lot to spend that stolen money on. Why do we allow theft when so many are deprived?

    PS: How do Nigeria’s $billions ‘disappear’ untraced? Poor systems without computerisation, dishonest supervision and corrupt policing! Who own the colluding banks? Will the colluding managers, accountants, auditors and drivers escape unpunished? A bold leadership, non-political, must clean Nigeria’s stinking Augean Stable before Nigeria dies. Work and pray-with both eyes open or they will steal you too!

  • Chukwumerije accuses higher institutions of corruption, mediocrity

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Uche Chukwumerije, yesterday accused some higher institutions of corruption and mediocrity.

    He said unless they turn a new leaf, they will rot away.

    The senator spoke at the Federal Polytechnic in Oko, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State when he led his committee to the polytechnic as part of its oversight functions.

    Asked how heads of higher institutions were using the funds allocated to them, Chukwukerije said: “Some are running into brilliant cases of very, very imaginative devising of means of expanding the base of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    “Some others have gone into abject mediocrity and stealing. Of course, such areas will run into decay; they will run into stagnation; they will run into relegation.

    “So, I can say generally, it depends on one area to another. The critical difference is what factor of leadership. But from what I have seen at Federal Polytechnic in Oko today, this is the institution that has a human face, like the Federal Polytechnic in Nekede.

    “What we have seen here today is self-evident: the leadership of this institution, which is working with bare hands, has shown good qualities with its IGR.”

    He described the polytechnic as the fastest-growing institution in Nigeria.

    The Senator said with additional support from the Federal Government, the Prof Godwin Onu-led administration would move mountains.

    He promised to make a strong recommendation for the take-off of the grant for the institution, which had been denied it since the Federal Government took it over in 1992.

    Chukwumerije said: “From what I have seen, in terms of infrastructural development, staff discipline and security, I am convinced that the Federal Polytechnic in Oko is the fastest-growing institution in the country. These were made possible by a committed leadership.

    “This is one of the few institutions that, apart from infrastructural development, instils discipline in the workers and also shows concern about security.

    “The take-off grant is self-evident. They have achieved so much through direct labour and their IGR is also high. So, if they had adopted another method, other than direct labour, they would have spent about four or five times that amount of money.

    “I think of the places I’ve been to. The polytechnic in Nekede, run by Mrs. Njoku, and this one, have more than convinced me about what leadership can do in any situation: it can move mountains.”

    The Senator added that erosion threat at the permanent site of the school was evident.

    Chukwumerije yesterday promised to assist the management of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, to get its take-off grant from the Federal Government.

    The grant was reportedly diverted to the University of Abuja.

    The senator spoke in Awka, the state capital, when he led members of the Senate Committee on Education to the university as part of their oversight functions.

    The committee was received by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Boniface Egboka and top management officials of the university.

    Chukwumerije hailed Prof Egboka for developing the university, adding that he would ensure that the university gets the Special Projects Fund for its development.

    He urged those writing petitions against the Vice-Chancellor to stop doing so.

    According to him, Prof Egboka has done well with the small resources at his disposal and those writing against him were distracting the attention of the management.

    The senator said the committee was impressed by what it saw at the university.

    He said: “Normally, I don’t start my speech this way except I’m breaking a kolanut. But I began it this way because I was moved and felt elated by what I saw when I moved around. I feel 10 feet tall, not just as a Nigerian but also, I’m sorry to say, as an Igbo man. This is because to me, this reflects the changes of a people and I’m moved by that.

    “I moved round and saw what the factor of leadership can be. I moved round and saw what a united people can do, if you are able to identify them and inspire them to come and do something for you.

    “I moved round and saw what prudent management of resources can do. This starts with a very clear vision of what you want; that you want to lead the society from a certain stage of development to a higher stage of development.”

  • Lawmakers, journalists urged to fight corruption

    Nigerian lawmakers and journalists were yesterday urged to expose corrupt public officials to enable the nation enjoy good governance.

    The Deputy Minority Leader of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the House of Representatives, Abdulrahman Suleiman Kawu, spoke in Kano when he presented 30 iPods to reporters.

    He noted that with the level of corruption in the country, there is need for lawmakers and journalists to fight the menace.

    According to him, lawmakers can only expose corruption but they are handicapped to prosecute perpetrators because “ours is to legislate”.

    The lawmaker said the panacea for ridding the nation of corruption is for both parties to work together in the fight against the menace to overcome the disturbing trend.

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Poverty, corruption, police abuse caused militancy’

    poverty, corruption, police abuse and impunity have created a fertile ground for militancy in Nigeria, the Human Rights Watch has said.

    The group said the Boko Haram insurgence had claimed 2,800 lives since it started in 2009.

    Its African Director, Daniel Bekele, urged the Federal Government to bring to justice Boko Haram members and security agents who have committed these heinous crimes.

    Bekele spoke yesterday at the launch of a report in Lagos on the crime committed by the fundamentalist group.

    The 98-page report, “Spiraling Violence: Boko Haram Attacks and Security Force Abuses in Nigeria,” indicted security forces, which it claimed engaged in numerous abuses, including extra-judicial killings.

    The report, the group said, is based on a field research conducted between July 2010 and July, and media reports on Boko Haram attacks and statements since 2009.

    It said the Human Rights Watch researchers interviewed 135 people, including 91 witnesses and victims as well as lawyers, civil society groups’ leaders, government officials, and senior military and police personnel.

    The report said in the first nine months of this year, more than 815 people died in some 275 suspected attacks by the group – more than in 2010 and 2011 combined.

    The group said Boko Haram has targeted police and other government security agents, Christians and Muslims working for or accused of cooperating with the government.

    It noted that the group has also bombed newspaper offices and the United Nations building in Abuja; attacked bars and robbed banks and burned down schools.

    Quoting media reports in Nigeria, the group said 211 police officers have been killed in these attacks.

  • Nigeria’s problem is corruption -Yakassai

    Nigeria’s problem is corruption -Yakassai

    Alhaji Tanko Yakasai was Political Adviser to former President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic. In this interview with KOLADE ADEYEMI, the elder statesman and renowned northern leader expressed serious concern that 52 years after the country’s Independence, it has continued to wallow in corruption, maladministration and mismanagement of public funds.

    What are the things our leaders have refused to get right 52 years after independence?

    Our major problem is the problem of corruption and mismanagement; because of these two factors, countries that were at the same level with us at the point we had independence have surpassed us in terms of development and good governance. Take for instance; countries like Brazil, Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia who were in the same place with us. They have gone far ahead of us. They had the same problem we are facing today, but they were able to overcome them through hard work and resoluteness.

    Sir, are you telling us that the dreams of our founding fathers who fought relentlessly for the country’s independence are yet to be realized?

    Well, I can tell you that the dreams of our founding fathers are yet to be achieved, and the reason boils down to the issue of corruption and mismanagement. Remember that the incursion of the military in the First Republic did a great damage to the foundation of democracy in Nigeria. For this reason, most of the things that were supposed to be put in place to solidify democracy were shattered; and things have never remained the same since then. So, in essence, I can tell you that Nigeria is yet to realise its dreams and aspiration 52 years after independence.

    Why do you think we are finding it difficult to integrate as one indivisible nation 52 years after; because even in recent times, we continue to face the problem of ethnic war as it is being noticed in states like Plateau and Bauchi?

    The problem of ethnic conflict can also be traced to lack of good leadership. When you have good leadership that carries all classes of people along irrespective of tribe, religion or ethnic background, you will find out that nobody will complain. People complain because they are being marginalised or cheated. But when you give everybody a place, you will find out that there will be peace and harmony which shall in return, give way to national development.

    What is then the way forward?

    The only way forward is for the government and the people in power to ensure that every segment, tribe and region in the country is carried along. We should learn to do away with nepotism and favouritism in our polity. Those in power should learn how to be transparent and accountable so that they can regain the confidence of the people.

    What is your opinion on the issue of state creation?

    I do not subscribe to the argument in favour of state creation because doing that at this point of our nation’s history is doing what is impossible. For one thing, creating more states in Nigeria today will continue to drain our economy. It is improper to continue to use 70 per cent of our recurrent expenditure on funding states. The agitators for state creation should leave the issue for now because it will be counter-productive.

    You are aware that politicians from the North and South have started warming up over the 2015 presidency. As an elder statesman, who do you think should step into President Goodluck Jonathan’s shoes?

    I keep on saying this that anybody who is talking about 2015 election at this time does not mean well for Nigeria. How can you begin to talk about 2015 presidency barely one year after the 2011 general elections? Have we sat down to monitor the level of progress being made by those in power? The people we voted into power last year made several promises to Nigerians; and nobody wants to know how serious they are in the implementation of their manifestos, policies and campaign promises. These are the questions we should be asking at this point: what are the people we voted for doing to alleviate our problems? How far have they gone in fulfilling all the promises they made at the polls? What I am saying is that talking about 2015 at this stage is purely diversionary.

  • Catholic bishops urge sincerity in fight against corruption

    Catholic bishops urge sincerity in fight against corruption

    The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria [CBCN] has called for sincerity by the Federal Government in the fight against corruption if it wants the citizenry to join in the crusade.
    The CBCN believes that serious allegations of corruption against former and serving top government functionaries have been left largely unprosecuted.
    The bishops  in a communiqué at the end of their week-long Second Plenary Meeting  in Umuahia regretted that those who have been identified as corrupt have either escaped from prison custody, granted indefinite bail or set free, therefore making mockery of the entire exercise.
    They cited the oil subsidy scam and called for thorough investigation and prosecution of suspects.
     The communiqué signed by the CBCN president, Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, and the secretary, Bishop Alfred Martins, said: “The Nigerian citizenry has the right to receive comprehensive reports on the management of the fuel subsidy along with the appropriate application of justice on the criminals. Fighting corruption requires sincerity and the fight has to start from the top to the lowest cadre.
     “Politics in Nigeria is still perceived by many in authority more as a self-serving opportunity for easy money and prestige than genuine service for the good of all. Recent probes on fuel subsidy have exposed the depth of corruption in the highest echelon of our government.”
     The Bishops also decried the current level of insecurity in the country, saying: “Nigerians continue to live in fear and tension despite the acclaimed efforts to beef up security in the nation. Bombings and killings of innocent Nigerians continue in the northern part of the country while periodic murders and armed robberies continue in the southern part.
     “In the face of the sustained attacks on Christians and churches in Northern Nigerian, we insist that our patient response is not borne out of cowardice, but is of universal Christ-like love, religious maturity and genuine patriotism. We fear that in the face of continued onslaught, Christians might resort to legitimate self defence.”
     They, therefore, called on government to wake up to their duty to protect the life and dignity of everybody in the country even as they advised the government to be more vigilant in checkmating foreign-sponsored terrorist activities in Nigeria.
     They nevertheless commended Muslim and Christian leaders who are raising their voices to condemn the on-going barbarism. ”We also commend all Nigerians who are earnestly working for a better, safer and more united Nigeria and ask them not to relent,” the communiqué said.