The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ethics committee

  • FIFA bans Samson Siasia, fines ex-Eagles Coach N18.5million

     

    World football ruling body FIFA has banned former Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia for life after the ethics committee found him guilty of bribery allegation.

    A release Friday by FIFA confirmed that the former international has also been  asked to pay a fine of CHF 50,000 ($51,000) about N18.5million.

    The former U-23 coach is said to have accepted bribe in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

    The hammer is coming in the midst of emotional torture which the former Nantes striker is undergoing following the kidnap of his mother Madam Ogere Siasia.

    Siasia’s 93 year old Father only recently raised alarm to security authorities even as he made passionate appeal to the kidnappers to release his wife who has been in their custody close to a month now.

    Samson Siasia heading for the bench after dishing out instructions

    The latest development means that Siasia who turned 52 on Wednesday will not only worry about the travails of his mother in the hands of kidnappers but also about the way forward for his football/coaching career.

    The FIFA release Friday read thus;

    “The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee has found   Mr Samson Siasia, a former official of the Nigeria Football Federation, guilty of having accepted that he would receive bribes in relation to the manipulation of matches in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.

    The formal ethics proceedings against Mr Siasia were initiated on 11 February 2019 and stem from an extensive

    investigation into matches that Mr Wilson Raj Perumal attempted to manipulate for betting purposes. This large-scale investigation was conducted by FIFA via its competent departments and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders and authorities.

    In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Siasia had breached        art. 11 (Bribery) of the 2009 edition of the FIFA Code of Ethics and banned him for life from all football-related activities (administrative, sports or any other) at both national and international level. In addition, a fine in the amount of CHF 50,000 has been imposed on Mr Siasia.  The decision was notified to Mr Siasia today, the date on which the ban comes into force”

  • Impeachment threat: Jibrin back at Ethics Committee 

    Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano) and Mohammed Gudaji (APC, Jigawa) are to face the Ethics and Privileges committee of the House of Representatives for their views on the impeachment threat issued against President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Jibrin has just returned from a 180 legislative days suspension on account of bringing the House to disrepute with his comments on the 2017 budget.

    His suspension was nullified by a court.

    This followed the adoption of a motion on breach of privilege by Sunday Karimi (PDP, Kogi) and Nicholas Ossai  (PDP, Delta).

    Karimi, who first raised a point of order on the breach of his privilege by Jibrin, said the account given to the media was incorrect.

    Karimi said Jibrin’s  statement to the press was contradictory of what actually transpired during the closed door session while he left out certain information about the joint sitting.

    Karimi said his privilege was particularly breached by Jibrin’s remark that the joint sitting was an all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) affair.

    “There is a need for Abdulmumin to be called to order because trying to subvert the truth is not good for this institution,” he said.

    Ossai pleaded for the leave of the House that he stepped down as Chairman of the Ethics and Privileges Committee  because his name was mentioned in a national daily by Gudaji as being part of the lawmakers  responsible for the collection of signatures for the impeachment of President Buhari.

    Ossai quoted  Gudaji as saying in the news report that he (Ossai) was mentioned as being a leading figure in the collection of signatures for the impeachment of the President.

    “If I’m a leading voice in the chamber I’ll be happy but I’m not, so, I want this issue to be investigated because my constituents will ask questions,” he said.

    Chinda also asked that Gudaji be investigated because he was equally mentioned as being part of the arrowheads of the impeachment list.

    Speaker Yakubu Dogara in his ruling expressed concern about his colleagues that could not understand the workings of the House, who rushes to the media immediately resolutions are reached.

    “I have problem with people, who don’t know what they are doing here and next thing is they go to press.

    “What happened yesterday was opened to all and we should always make statement that reflects the truth.

    “It’s unfortunate but since the issue has been raised, we have to refer it to Ethics and Privileges Committee.

    “As for Abdulmumin, we have to investigate it too,” he said.

    The two were referred to the Ethics and Privileges committee. Ossai’s prayer to step down as Chairman of the Committee being a party in the matter was granted.

    Similarly the House is planning to punish the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Amina Shamaki, with the stiffest penalty for obstructing its proceedings at a public hearing.

    This followed the submision of Beni Lar (PDP, Plateau) who alleged that Shamaki to have ordered Directors General (DGs) under her ministry to walk out of a public hearing on the  amendment  to the establishment bill of some agencies in the ministry.

    Lar, in her point of order, said the  PS on May 31 during a public hearing on eight  bills asked all the DGs of agencies in her ministry  in attendance  to walk out of the hearing.

    According to the lawmaker, Shamaki, who was seen stepping out of the hearing hall on intermittently,instructed the DGs to refrain from attending to the Committee’s inquiries, else they will be queried.

    The lawmaker said Shamaki’s action was a slight on the Legislature and a bad precedence. “I was approached about it and I reacted that anyone that left will be charged with contempt of Legislature,” Lar added.

    Uzoma Nkem-Abonta  (PDP, Abia) said the action of the PS was grievous than the Senate’s stolen mace.

    “This is sacrilegious; we should make a statement; otherwise, we’ll be barking without biting. Stiffest penalty should go to whoever is found culpable,” he said.

    To Chief Whip Hassan Doguwa, who said he witnessed the event, the matter should not be handled with levity.

    “For a permanent secretary to embarrass this institution like that means we are not safe because anyone can as well do the same.

    “This is unacceptable and we should not take it lightly.

    The House owes the public a duty to protect them,” he noted.

    The Speaker referred the matter  to the Justice Committee, saying it was still an allegation.

  • Only FIFA Congress can stop me – Blatter

    Only FIFA Congress can stop me – Blatter

    Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter said it was only the congress of soccer’s governing body and not its ethics committee that could bar him from office.

    He said on Thursday in Zurich during a media interview, that it was only the parliament that could impeach an elected president.

    “I’m not a FIFA official. I’m the elected president of the congress.

    “If one does not agree with the way I do my job, one has to turn to the congress that elected me,” he said.

    Blatter, who was standing down in February after agreeing to lay down his mandate, criticised the ethics committee, which he had previously trumpeted as a key weapon in the battle against corruption after it was reformed and strengthened three years ago.

    Blatter said the definition in the FIFA statutes indicated that he was not a FIFA official.

    “It is humiliating for the FIFA president that the ethics committee comes and says, you are suspended and you are not allowed to go to the office anymore.

    “That’s like a police order and that hurts but it doesn’t kill me, I will fight for me and for FIFA,’’ he said.

    Blatter also faces a criminal investigation in Switzerland over a two million dollars payment from FIFA to Platini.

    The payment was made in 2011 for work Platini had completed nine years earlier, the Swiss attorney-general’s office has said.

    It added that Platini was considered “between a witness and an accused person.

    Blatter, reiterating comments he had made previously on the matter said contracts could be done in writing or orally.

    “I had an oral contract with Michel Platini.

    “In 1998, when he was done with the World Cup, I needed him to work for me, at the time, he wanted one million and I said there’s no money to pay one million.

    “He said you can pay me later,’’ he said

  • No one can fault our report on Amaechi – Senate Ethics Committee

    No one can fault our report on Amaechi – Senate Ethics Committee

    Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition, Senator Sam Anyanwu (PDP-Imo East), has said  no one can fault the committee’s  report on Transport Minister  Rotimi Amaechi.

    Anyawu was reacting to suggestion that Nigerians might have no faith in the committee following the circumstance surrounding  the confirmation Amaechi as minister during his screening by the Senate.

    He said, “Our report on Amaechi cannot be faulted in any way. We have received commendations from over five Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) for standing firm. I do not have any grudges against anybody; I am only doing my job. I am one man nobody can put in his pocket.

    “I don’t fight for anybody, I do the right thing. If people do not have confidence in this committee, they will be demoralized and discouraged from sending in petitions.”

    He added that ordinary Nigerians who were wrongfully dismissed from their offices, “who did not have money to go to court or fear of persecution” have brought their cases before the committee.

    “When we ask agencies to re-instate people who were wrongfully dismissed, we equally insist that such persons are not victimized. This is people’s parliament; we are the voice of the voiceless,” he said.

    He also said the committee would not do the bidding of  Senate President Bukola Saraki, on the petition against Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar.

    Anyanwu, reacting to allegation that the committee would likely do the bidding of Saraki, who is standing trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false declaration of assets said that the committee owed Nigerians and nobody else, the responsibility to treat the petition on merit.

    According to him, the fact that the petition is coming at a time Saraki is standing trial at the CCT would not stop the committee from carrying out its constitutional responsibility creditably.

    “Once the petition against Danladi is sent to our secretariat, we will take a look at it, and be rest assured that if we find nothing in the petition, of course, we will write our report.

    “I want to say that I am not doing anybody’s bidding; I have the capacity and I make researches and I have time for fact-finding and come out with a position.

    “Why should Saraki use me to do his bidding? Why would Saraki use any senator to do his bidding? He is my colleague; he is just the Senate President, one among equals.

    “He was elected by his constituents and my constituents brought me here. So, it not about doing Saraki’s bidding. If I have a responsibility to discharge my duty based on the petition because I am Chairman of Ethics and Privileges, I will do it. The most important thing is your conscience,’’ he said.

    The lawmaker said the National Assembly is determined to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against corruption.

    He said the legislature would stop at nothing to ensure Nigeria assumes its pride of place in the comity of nations.

  • Blatter faults FIFA on suspension

    Blatter faults FIFA on suspension

    FIFA President Joseph Blatter on Thursday said he was not given an opportunity to be heard by the organisation’s Ethics Committee before it provisionally suspended  him for 90 days.

    “Blatter is disappointed that the Ethics Committee did not follow the Code of Ethics and Disciplinary Code, both of which provide for an opportunity to be heard,’’ Blatter’s lawyers, Lorenz Erni and Richard Cullen, said in a written statement.

    “The ethics committee based its decision on a misunderstanding of the actions of the Attorney General in Switzerland, which has opened an investigation but brought no charge against the president,’’ the lawyers added.

    They said Swiss prosecutors would be obliged by law to dismiss the case if their investigation, barely two weeks old, did not establish sufficient evidence.

    “Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise,’’ the statement added.