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Tag: ICPC

  • Tackling corruption will reduce unemployment, says ex-ICPC member

    Tackling corruption will reduce unemployment, says ex-ICPC member

    A pioneer member of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Chief Simeon Oguntimehin, has stated that the unemployment situation in the country can only be addressed if corruption at all levels is effectively tackled.

    Speaking to reporters ahead of his coronation ceremony as the Lisa of Ondo Kingdom, Oguntimehin, who is also the former President of the Institute of the Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), described corruption as a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the country, stating that the inability to fight the malaise has affected the image of the country negatively among the comity of nations.

    Oguntimehin, who is the first Chairman of the Ondo State Public Account Committee, however, commended the federal government for the establishment of ICPC and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    While lamenting that the operations of the two anti-graft agencies have been hampered by lack of funds, he appealed to the federal government to allocate more funds to the agencies to enable them achieve their mandate.

    Oguntimehin further appealed to non-governmental organisations, religious bodies and educational institutions to join hands with the government in the crusade against corruption.

  • Ruling in suit against Ogbulafor stalled

    Judgment was again stalled yesterday in the trial of former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Vincent Ogbulafor and ex-Secretary of the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), Emeka Ebila.

    Yesterday was the second time judgment would not hold in the case about three months after trial ended in the case.

    Parties adopted their final written addresses on June 25.

    Ogbulafor and Ebila are facing a 16-count charge brought against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over an alleged N170 million fraud.

    Justice Ishaq Bello, had initially fixed judgment for July 24, but was prevented by the strike embarked upon by court workers, following which the court picked yesterday.

    Yesterday, Ogbulafor was in court, bu Ebila was absent. He was said to be ill, a development that informed another adjournment to tomorrow.

    Ebila’s lawyer, Mrs. Eghwere Osiaje, told the court that her cleint suddenly developed an ailment few days to the judgment and was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the National Hospital in Abuja.

    Justice  Bello, before fixing another date for judgment, heard arguments from lawyers on whether he could go ahead to deliver the judgment in Ebila’s absence.

    Prosecuting counsel Mrs. Olayemi Akanmode and Ogbulafor’s lawyer, Mr. J.N Egwuonwu, urged the court to deliver the judgment as Ebila would not have expected to play any role even if he was present in court.

    But Osiaje protested, arguing that delivering the judgment in his client’s absence would be in breach of statutory provisions, which makes it mandatory that an accused person must be present in court throughout the period of his trial, including the day of  judgment.

    Justice Ishaq later adjourned  the case  on the grounds that it  could be difficult to enforce  judgment  should the accused persons be convicted.

    Egwuonwu had while adopting his final address urged the court to discharge and acquit his client on all the counts.

    He urged the court to discountenance the reference to two bank drafts with which Ebila said, in his confessional statements, that Ogbulafor was paid N28 million.

    Egwuonwu said his client denied being issued the drafts when it was shown to him. He noted that not only did the prosecution refuse to tender the drafts as exhibits, it also did not investigate the details contained in the drafts.

    “The drafts referred to in the statements made by the second accused person (Ebila) cannot be relied on by the court to decide  whether or not the 1st accused (Ogbulafor) took the benefit of them since they were not tendered in court.

    “No money relating to that amount (N28 million) was traced to the first  accused either in his bank account or companies,” Egwuonwu said.

    He argued that since the only information linking his client to the money was that contained in Ebila’s statements (marked exhibits 5 and 8), the court cannot hold it against his client because the statements were neither made in the 1st accused’s presence nor did he adopt them.

    He added that his client was only linked with the alleged offence because of his association with the second accused person.

    Egwuonwu urged the court to uphold his written address and submissions and discharge his client.

    Osiaje, who represented the second accused person, equally urged the court to discharge her client.

    The lawyer said she raised three questions of law in her address for the court to refer to the Court of Appeal for determination, before deciding the case.

    She submitted that the appellate court’s answer to the her question should guide the trial court in arriving at its decision.

    Prosecution lawyer, Marcus Abu, while adopting his final address, urged the court to hold that the prosecution has proved its case against the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt.

  • Amosun advises ICPC on ‘dubious politicians’

    Amosun advises ICPC on ‘dubious politicians’

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has advised the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to be wary of “dubious and unpatriotic politicians,” who are desperate for elective positions.

    He noted that such politicians would want to seek mischievous means to entrap their opponents through false financial reports and allegations to achieve their selfish ends.

    The governor gave the advice when a delegation of the ICPC visited him in his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

    Amosun said as the electioneering period approaches, the commission would be inundated with dubious and ill-founded financial reports from desperate politicians targetted at dissuading the commission and even mislead the people.

    “Though I am a politician, I would rather prefer to be remembered as a reputable elder statesman with indelible footprints,” he said, adding that he would not subscribe to the “politics of fallacy.”

    The governor praised the commission for its planned construction of its first office in the state before the end of the year and promised that his administration would “always continue to be in tune with the rules and regulation of ICPC.”

    He acknowledged the collaboration and cordial relationship that exists between the commission and the state.

    Leader of the ICPC delegation and member (South West), Prof. Olu Aina, who represented the ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, described the visit as an attempt to refocus the mission of the commission and also meet with the governor to facilitate the location of an office before the end of the year as Ogun, like Ondo and Ekiti states don’t have ICPC offices.

    Aina also praised the state government for its achievements, noting that it was providing “quality service.”

     

     

  • NAICOM, ICPC mobilise against corrupt operators

    NAICOM, ICPC mobilise against corrupt operators

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has sought partnership with the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to fight insurers who engage in corrupt practices, particularly in returned premiums through third parties.

    Returned premium occurs when a policyholder seeks to cancel his insurance policy before end of the policy period, which is legal and allowed by the law.

    However, insurers, brokers and agents connive to manipulate the policy by inflating the value of the premiums without the policyholder’s knowledge.

    Brokers, who are intermediaries between the insurer and the policyholder (client), inflate premiums above the normal values, and afterwards, the surplus is shared by broker and others involved in the shady deal.

    For instance, a broker negotiating for a N1 million premium on a particular cover for government or organisation, colludes with the underwriter and staff of an insurance company and inflates the premium to N1.5 million, after which the excess N.5 million is shared between the broker, underwriter and the staff involved in the deal. This inflation of premium is done keeping the client completely in the dark.

    During the meeting between the two federal agencies in Abuja, NAICOM Chairman, Governing Board, Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, urged the ICPC to join hands with the insurance regulatory body in the fight against fraudulent transactions or activities in the insurance industry. He said the collaboration will help deepen insurance penetration in Nigeria.

    He told the ICPC that while NAICOM is saddled with regulating the insurance industry, it does not have the requisite powers of enforcement especially in terms of arrest and punishment of fraudulent culprits.

    NAICOM Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, reiterated that the primary responsibility of the commission is to ensure protection of policy holders.

    He added that insurance is built on the principle of utmost good faith and thus, every insurance practitioner is expected to uphold this principle in words and deeds.

    He said: “We are seeking assistance of the ICPC in fighting corrupt practices in the industry particularly in the area of returned premiums. We assure that NAICOM will not tolerate returned premiums through third parties.”

    The ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, appreciated the board and management of NAICOM for the initiative. He expressed the readiness of the ICPC to collaborate with NAICOM to ensure a corrupt-free insurance sector in Nigeria adding that NAICOM has also improved insurance services in the country in recent years.

    He said: “Insurance regulator has become more effective in recent years as evident in the prompt settlement of insurance claims by insurance companies. I am looking forward to such a time when Nigerians will go out of their ways to get insurance cover.

    “The ICPC over the years have been working with regulatory bodies in the monitoring of activities within their sectors saying that it is faster and cheaper to adopt this model in checkmating activities of operators in the various sectors through the regulators.”

  • Engineers, ICPC to fight quackery

    Engineers, ICPC to fight quackery

    The Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) is partnering the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to fight quackery in engineering.

    COREN President Kasim Ali spoke yesterday in Abuja at the 23rd Engineering Assembly, with the theme: Commercialising Engineering: An Imperative for National Development.

    The engineer explained that to ensure prompt response to violation of engineering code of ethics, the council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ICPC.

    He said: “A copy of the MOU was circulated to all personnel with up-to-date licence. The council will not hesitate to use the provision in this MoU against any person or organisation that encourages quackery.

    “The major achievement in the last one year was the production of a revised Benchmark for Minimum Accreditation Standard (BMAS).

    “I am pleased to report that the council has accredited over 32 engineering programmes since the last engineering assembly. The council has also approved post-accreditation visit to accredited institutions. Under this policy, COREN will pay unscheduled visits to engineering programmes that had been visited, to ensure compliance with standards during accreditation.

    “Over the years, COREN received complaints that engineering graduates were not being posted to engineering establishments during mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    “The NYSC Director-General has given the approval and directed appropriate directorates to ensure that henceforth engineering graduates should be posted to engineering establishments.”

    Kasim said the onus was on members to provide details of such establishment where engineering graduates could be posted.

    Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang said engineering technology plays a strategic role in nation-building because it provides the bedrock and catalyst for meaningful development.

  • Fraud: Ogbulafor, two others know fate Thursday

    Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two others standing trial on a 17 count-charge will know their fate on Thursday.

    The Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC) on May 10, 2010 arraigned Ogbulafor, Emeka Ebilah and Jude Nwokoro, before an FCT High Court presided by Justice Ishaq Bello.

    They were charged with offences bothering on abuse of office and defrauding the Federal Government of N107 million in 2005 by using their position in the National Economic Intelligence Committee.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused persons had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Besides, the ICPC had alleged that Ogbulafor collected “kick-backs’’ amounting to two million naira and N28 million from Ebilah, and one Chris Nwoke, respectively to facilitate the release of the funds.

    During Ebilah’s cross examination in September 25, 2013, he told the court that the ICPC compelled him to refund N4.39 million to the Federal Government.

    Ebilah told the court that his statement to the ICPC was made under duress.

    “I was humiliated and dehumanised with a gun placed on my head when the ICPC took my statement.

    “I was humiliated, downgraded and put in a room without airconditioner and was also asked by one Basil Mohmodu and Prince Hassan, to write what they want me to write for then. My passport was collected,’’ Ebilah said.

    Ebilah also told the court that he had never met Mohmodu, a staff of the ICPC before April 2006.

     

  • ICPC prosecutes Abia chief of staff

    ICPC prosecutes Abia chief of staff

    Chief of Staff, Government House, Umuahia, Abia State, Dr. Cosmas Chukwudi Ndukwe, is facing trial for alleged contract inflation. The alleged offence, according to the eight-count charge, was committed when he was the managing director of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA).

    The charges were brought against Ndukwe by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The charges ranged from contract price inflation to accepting gratification through an agent.

    The case, which has suffered many adjournments, came up on Thursday, July 3 before Justice K. O. Wosu of Umuahia High Court. It was called up and adjourned to July 17 this year. The reason for the adjournment was defence counsel, Livy Uzoukwu’s (SAN) absence due to bereavement.

    A little drama played out just before the resumption of the court. Some men attacked and manhandled a camera crew brought by the ICPC to cover the case. No one could tell the mission of the attackers or who was behind them. But ostensibly, they were there to stall press coverage of the proceedings.

    The Chief of Staff had made strenuous efforts to exonerate himself from the charges but his efforts could not impress the ICPC operatives. He had, in a written statement to the ICPC, blamed his travails on the contractor of ASEPA, Messrs Ancold Nigeria Limited.

    He said: “The allegation and petition against me by Ancoold Nigeria Limited and his proxies are made in bad faith just to tarnish my image and settle traditional scores by the petition. Ancoold Nigeria Limited to collect waste as an agent was consummated at my back as the ministry annexure, Ancold letter of proposal and governor’s approval suggest.”

    He said in the statement that he did not use his position to subject Ancoold into monetary extortion. Rather he said: “An in-law to owner of Ancold Nigeria Limited, Mr. Kelvin Okpoka named one Uche Eze, a brother from my village is behind the accusations to settle scores. And as a result of non-performance his (Ancoold) job which was consummated by the governor of the state was also terminated.”

    The prosecuting counsel, Adenekan Shogunle, Chief Legal Officer, ICPC in the first count charge which is inflation of contract price, said it is punishable under Section 22(3) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act of 2000. Ndukwe was alleged to have, between November and December, 2008 or thereabout at Umuahia “while being a public officer and in the course of his official duties as the managing director/chief executive of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), inflated the price of the contract for the provision of environmental sanitation services awarded to Ancoold Nigeria Limited from N13 million to N15 million per month.”

    The second count charge of gratification by an official punishable under section 8(1) (b) of the ICPC Offences Act 2000 accused Ndukwe of having “corruptly received benefit in the sum of N5, 850, 000 purportedly as a loan for himself out of the monthly payment of N13 million contract sum due to Messrs Ancoold Nigeria Limited on account of contract for provision of environmental services in Aba.”

    Count three alleged that Ndukwe as “ used his position as managing director of ASEPA to confer corrupt advantage upon himself by accepting the sum of N5,850,000 purportedly as loan from Messrs Ancoold Nigeria Limited. Count four which borders on acquiring private interest in public contract runs also as in count three.

    The fifth count alleged that between January and December, 2009 or there about, Ndukwe allegedly “did receive the total sum of N42,750,000 or its approximate in various monthly instalments by means of an act constituting a felony, to wit, when he tried to disguise the source of the money by using proxies to receive the sum of N4 million monthly from Ancoold Nigeria Limited and depositing same in the account of Conk Productions Limited to which he is sole signatory.”

    Counts six, seven and eight are related to count five. The accused had earlier pleaded not guilty in all the charges.

  • Systemic failure

    Systemic failure

    •Too many corruption cases pending and it does not show a serious fight from the anti-graft agencies

    On the surface, the news that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) are currently probing 150 private companies as well as Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the violation of various parts of the Public Procurement Act (2007) gives the impression of a vigorous drive by government against corruption in Nigeria.

    This was revealed by the Director- General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Emeka Emeze, at the opening of a recent Procurement Cadre Conversion Training Programme in Abuja. We are unimpressed by the disclosure that about 200 persons are under investigation for sundry violations of the Act, including collusion in contract bidding, use of false documents, false claims by contracting firms and suppliers, and manipulation of the procurement process.

    The large number of individuals and organisations allegedly involved in these infractions of the Procurement Act only reinforces the abysmal and pervasive degree of corruption in the country. Perversion of the procurement process is one of the major avenues of criminal enrichment through frivolous and fraudulent contract awards. Speaking on the occasion, the Lead Procurement Specialist of the World Bank, Chief BayoAwosemusi, noted that 30 per cent savings would be achieved if the country’s procurement procedures meet international standards and reflect the principles and objectives of economy, efficiency, value for money and timeliness. This shows to what extent the country is being bled through procurement violations in both the public and private sectors.

    The reported scale of violations of the Public Procurement Act is suggestive of an alarming systemic failure and the impotence of existing checks and balances to help minimise corruption, particularly in the public sector. A certain category of contracts, for instance, must go through the Ministerial Tenders Board, the Due Process Office and the executive council at the federal level. Also, contracts above a certain magnitude must pass the scrutiny of the State Tenders Board and the Executive Council at the state level. In addition to this, there are audit departments in the various MDAs as well as private sector organisations, which are expected to ensure adherence to due process. The offices of the state and federal Auditor- Generals are required to routinely report violations of the financial process to the Public Accounts Committees of the legislature for necessary action. How could there be such a high degree of violation of the Act if the systemic checks and balances are functional?

    There is every reason to believe that neither the EFCC nor the ICPC has the capacity to deal with the scale of these infractions of the Procurement Act. The EFCC, for instance, has claimed that one of its limitations is paucity of finance. How then can it cope with this additional burden, especially when scores of cases it has been prosecuting, some of them for over a decade, remain unresolved? There is, therefore, no alternative to ensuring that systemic checks and balances work so that fraud is prevented in the first place and scarce public resources are not expended on investigating and prosecuting indicted fraudsters.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, was certainly unconvincing when he charged those involved in the procurement process to conduct themselves with the highest sense of responsibility, ethics and integrity, warning that those found culpable would be punished. These words sound hollow because the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan does not itself adhere to the lofty standards espoused by Mr Anyim. Not only does it pardon persons found guilty of corruption, it has turned a blind eye to scandalous allegations of corruption by some of its top officials. In such a climate of pervasive corruption, large-scale violations of the Procurement Act is no surprise.

     

  • ICPC seizes 372 passports for alleged visa scam

    ICPC seizes 372 passports for alleged visa scam

    •Owners advised to collect them within two months

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said yesterday it has seized over 372 passports from Nigerians for alleged visa scam.

    The commission warned that anyone caught for such offences would be prosecuted.

    It urged the owners of the affected passports to collect them within two months from its headquarters in Abuja, adding that failure to do so may lead to the blacklisting the owners.

    Besides blacklisting, ICPC said the bearers may be barred from travelling abroad until their status is verified.

    ICPC Chairman Ekpo Nta spoke yesterday in Lagos at a seminar on curbing visa scam.

    The agency chief said the 372 passports were seized following intelligence information on the activities of some travel agents and other persons involved in “illegal” visa procurement.

    He said if the owners fail to collect their passports from the ICPC office in Abuja, they would be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), which could bar them from travelling abroad.

    Nta cautioned unwary travellers from patronising touts at embassies for visa acquisition.

    The ICPC chief urged embassies to simply their online visa acquisition process.

    He said: “I want to use this opportunity to invite Nigerians whose passports are seized from various agents of the ICPC to visit the commission’s headquarters in Abuja and collect their passports within the next two months. Failure to do so will result in ICPC handing over the passports to the Immigration Service for further necessary actions. These might include blacklisting of the bearers of the passports and barring them from travelling abroad until their status is verified.”

    Nta advised embassies and high commissions to sanitise their visa processes and entrench a culture of integrity in the visa acquisition process in Nigeria.

    He said: “The imposition of unreasonable procedures by some embassies seems to have exacerbated the already complicated visa acquisition processes. This tends to promote corruption-prone processes by unofficial cartels within and outside the embassies.

    “This seminar is part of further intervention in restoring sanity and integrity in important sectors of our nation. We have now turned our searchlight on visa procurement process.

    “We are creating awareness on how to acquire visas in a transparent manner and helping to eradicate corruption-prone processes.”

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who was represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Dr Wale Ahmed, urged the ICPC to educate Nigerians on the matter to save them from the antics of visa scammers.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Bashir Wali, said the involvement of some Nigerians in visa scam had tarnished the nation’s image.

    He said: “Today, touts and miscreants have constituted themselves into visa procurement agents, luring peace and law-abiding citizens into engaging knowingly or unknowingly in visa scam.

    “Some of those who deliberately patronise touts, using fake travelling documents to deceive visa issuing officials, often travel out of the country to indulge in all forms of criminal activities which dent the image of our country.

    “It is unfortunate that despite the laws and sundry control mechanisms put in place by the government to curtail the activities of touts in embassies and our airports, the sharp practices of obtaining visa illegally have persisted.

    “It is in this regard that we commend the ICPC for sanitising the process, which has led to the arrest and prosecution of suspects and their collaborators.

    “This seminar will further expose the dubious tricks of visa procurement scam and encourage responsible individuals and corporate bodies to avoid such unwholesome malpractices.

    “In this regard, I would like to advise embassies in Nigeria to monitor the activities of their officials and report any unscrupulous visa agent to ICPC through the appropriate channels.”

     

  • ICPC seizes 372 passports over visa scam

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission said on Tuesday that it has seized over 372 passports from Nigerians involved in visa scam.

    The commission warned that those caught for such offences would be prosecuted henceforth.

    It mandated owners of the seized passports to within two months collect them from its headquarters in Abuja, as failure to do that may lead to the blacklisting of the owners.

    Other than blacklisting, the bearers may be barred from travelling abroad until their status are verified.

    The chairman of ICPC, Ekpo Nta, disclosed this at a one- day seminar on curbing visa scam held in Lagos.

    Nta said 372 passports were intercepted based on intelligence information on the illegal activities of unauthorized travel agents and other persons involved in visa procurement scam.

    He said the authority is therefore giving the holders of the seized passports to come to the ICPC office in Abuja to pick up their passports, else they would be handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Services, which could bar them from travelling abroad.

    He cautioned unwary travellers from patronizing touts at embassies in the visa acquisition process, even as he urged the embassies to streamline and simplify the online visa acquisition process.

    The ICPC chairman said, “I want to use this opportunity to invite Nigerians whose passports are seized from different agents by ICPC to visit the commission’s headquarters in Abuja and collect their passports within the next two months.

    “Failure to do so would result in ICPC handing over the passports to the Nigerian Immigration Service for further necessary action which might include blacklisting of the bearers of these passports and barring them from travelling abroad until their status are verified .”