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Tag: Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC)

  • ICPC warns public servants against leaking classified documents, fraud, others

    ICPC warns public servants against leaking classified documents, fraud, others

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has warned civil servants against leaking classified documents, fraud, bribery and other forms of corrupt practices.

    The commission cautioned that anyone found to have leaked unauthorised documents would be dismissed.

    ICPC gave the warning at a sensitisation forum organised by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Federal Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the commission yesterday in Abuja.

    The commission’s Director of System Study and Review Department, Olusegun Adigun, expressed the confidence that Nigeria is winning the war against corruption, but should do better.

    Warning civil servants against leaking classified documents, he said: “The release of classified documents is a serious misconduct which can lead to dismissal in civil service. This is because we are not expected to release any document without the permission of the authority.”

    Read Also: Likely outcome of rebasing the Nigerian economy

    Adigun expressed the confidence that Nigeria is winning the anti-graft war, adding: “We are winning the war against corruption. Though we are not there yet, but by the grace of God, we are going to be there. Without the ICPC and our sister agencies and other law enforcement agencies, the situation would have been worse. My appeal is for a change of attitude, and Nigeria will be better for it.”

    The acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation, Musa Ibrahim, said the forum would help sustain the tempo of zero tolerance for corruption and corrupt practices in the ministry by encouraging staff to institutionalise integrity, honesty and transparency in the discharge of their duties.

    Musa, who was represented by the ministry’s Director Special Duties, Dr. Vivian Nwosu, described corruption as a killer of development.

    He said: “Corruption is viewed as a misuse of resources or power for private gain or the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. You will agree with me that corruption is a national cancer, a national malaise and indeed a merciless national development killer.

    “It deserves concentrated efforts through enthroning integrity, honesty, transparency and good governance in the workplaces to bring the monster under strict control.

    “Integrity in the work place benefits the government and its citizens in that it fosters and open and positive work environment and promotes strong and resilient teams.”

  • N209m seized asset: ICPC to prosecute Fed Govt official

    THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Sunday said it has secured final forfeiture of a N209million property by an official of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr. Henry Ilemona Oyibo.

    Oyibo was alleged to have acquired Jerijo Plaza and Event Centre in Karu, Nasarawa State far above his legitimate income.

    A statement by the spokesperson for the commission, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa, said Oyibo would still be prosecuted.

    The statement said a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Nyanya, Abuja, presided over by Hon. Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris, granted ICPC a final forfeiture order on the property.

    The statement said: “The property, a shopping mall, known as Jerijo Plaza and Event Centre, located at No. 6 Muham Street, Off Abacha Road, Karu, Nasarawa State, is believed to have been acquired by Mr. Henry Ilemona Oyibo with the proceeds of crime.

    “Oyibo’s travails started when ICPC profiled him as a result of investigation into another matter. Further investigation revealed that he could not have acquired the property from his legitimate income.

    Read Also: EFCC, ICPC: our battles against graft

    “This necessitated an application for an order of interim forfeiture which was granted by the same court on the property on 17th October, 2018.

    “The court then adjourned the matter to 5th November, 2018 for ‘’interested persons to show cause why the property should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria’’.

    “Following a newspaper publication by ICPC, ‘interested persons’ including the respondent and his brother, Raymond Oyibo  ‘showed cause’, but this was countered by the commission in an affidavit stating that the respondents had not shown ‘good cause’ for the court to vacate the interim forfeiture order, and the matter was again adjourned to 18th June, 2019.

    “On the adjourned date, Justice Idris found no merit in the separate affidavits of the respondents and consequently ruled for a final forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government.

    “Following the final forfeiture order by the court, the stage has been set for the prosecution of Mr. Oyibo.”

     

  • Trying times for Obono-Obla

    These are not the best of times for the Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, Barrister Okoi Obono-Obla. His office was last weekend sealed off by the police, leaving everyone guessing as to what he could have done wrong to merit such treatment.

    While there were speculations that he had been relieved of his position, the Presidency was not forthcoming on that, as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said he had not been briefed on any such development.

    While the Presidential Panel Chairman would blame his plight on the antics of an official of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) who was facing corruption charges and who he said had boasted that he (Obono-Obla) would soon be removed from office, others said his problem had to do with allegations of certificate forgery that has dogged him for some time. The latter group is hinging its claim on the outcome of an extensive investigation conducted into Obono-Obla’s academic credentials by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

    The picture is bound to become clearer in the coming days.

  • Hospital equipment found in private home

    THE Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) has recovered multi million naira equipment from a private residence in Akwa Ibom State.

    The equipment, allegedly meant for a cottage hospital in Essien Udim Local Government Area, include one dialysis machine, two 15 KVA generators, an infant incubator and others.

    ICPC Commissioner Shola Shodipo, who led reporters to recover the items, said: “ICPC is interested in constituency projects and has set up tracking groups in 12 states. In the course of our assignment, we discovered that the equipment – three dialysis machines and others – meant for the Ukana Cottage hospital, were not delivered. We found only one in a private place which was not delivered or put in place in the hospital.

    Read Also: Hospital ‘detains’ indigent patients over unpaid bills

    “These machines and other equipment were meant to be delivered since 2018. We have taken the equipment to the appropriate location. The equipment are supposed to help the community in healthcare.

    “We are still investigating. I will not be able to tell for now, but I can tell you that the equipment were meant for the Cottage Hospital and a particular company was awarded the contract.”

    The hospital consultant, Dr. Mary Udoh, who received the equipment, thanked ICPC for ensuring that the equipment were delivered to the hospital. She said the equipment would facilitate healthcare delivery to the communities.

    “On behalf of the hospital management, I want to say we are very happy receiving the equipment today. I thank the ICPC for ensuring that these equipment were delivered to the right place. The equipment will help us in our service delivery to the people,” she added.

  • ICPC recovers N26bn in four years – Chairman

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said  it recovered N26 billion from 2015 till date from public officials and companies.

    Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said the recoveries included cash and houses.

    He said during the process, monies were traced to houses,  noting that recently, the commission recovered 32 houses from a civil servant.

    “There are situations whereby our efforts lead to recovery of assets, though much has not been done in terms of conviction.

    Read Also: Poll: ICPC moves to seek solutions to vote buying

    “Anti-corruption is not measured only by convictions alone.

    “If you look at our law for example, it gives us powers to do enforcement which means we can investigate and prosecute. This is what leads to conviction.

    “And the biggest part of what we are supposed to do is prevention to stop the crime from happening,” the chairman said.

    Owasanoye said public officers who had embezzled public funds usually did not act alone but in concert with owners of companies.

    “When we are recovering, we can trace to wherever the money is, which sometimes is in the hands of a company.

    “If we follow some of the corruption cases very well, we realise that when you find a public officer, very rarely will they put the money in their account.

    “They cook up a process where the money is stolen either by awarding contracts to themselves, by claiming Duty Transport Allowance (DTA) which they did not attend and by diverting money from an approved vote to somewhere else.

    “But when you are doing recoveries, irrespective of how it was initiated, and you follow it to whoever is holding it to the end point that your investigation can reach.

    “It can  be a company, you can  trace it to both liquid and hard assets,” the chairman explained.

    On alleged level of corruption in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Owasanoye said that “not all the allegations are validated.

    “There are a lot of allegations of corruption against agencies that interface with the public.

    “And where these agencies are not organised and coordinated, there will be this allegation of corruption,” he said.

    Referring to  Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Owasanoye said that “we get a lot of allegations that are against the directorate’s personnel who defraud pensioners”.

    “However, some of these allegations are not genuine because some pensioners don’t give details of their information to PTAD.

    “However, that is not to say that sometimes we do not find credibility in some of the allegations.

    “People scam pensioners and pretend they represent PTAD.

    “The directorate has come to us to complain and we have designated a liaison person to work with PTAD toward investigating and prosecuting some of these persons,” he said.

    The Chairman further said that ICPC and PTAD were collaborating to rid the directorate of scammers.

    “We have an officer that is designated, that liaises with PTAD so that PTAD can quickly investigate and put a closure to whatever the issue is and get back to those who have petitioned.

    “We are prosecuting quite a number of them,” the chairman said.

  • ICPC alarmed over multi-billion naira Abuja estates abandoned by owners

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is alarmed at the rate owners of multi-billion naira housing estates in Abuja abandon their property the moment the Commission initiates investigation into their ownership status.

    Chairman of the ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye who made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday, said the development has become a great worry to the ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies in the country.

    Owasanoye, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr. Esa Onoja, also raised concerns over illicit financial flows abroad estates springing up every day in different locations in the Federal Capital Territory.

    The ICOC chair spoke as a special guest at a Forum of Special Anti-Corruption Situation Room, organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).

    According to him, in many cases where Non-Conviction Assets Forfeiture proceedings are initiated against the numerous sprawling estates, nobody comes forward to claim ownership.

    He explained that the ICPC has initiated a number of Non-Conviction Assets Forfeiture proceedings, in line with Section 17 of the Advanced Free Fraud Act.

    Owasanoye added that Sections 37 and 38 of the ICPC Act also empowered the Commission to initiate such proceedings in court where there is suspicion that such assets were proceeds of crime.

    Where nobody comes forward to claim ownership after publication of Temporary Forfeiture Orders from the courts, the assets become the property of the Federal Government.

    The ICPC boss however, could not immediately provide the number of such Abuja assets so abandoned by their owners, saying it’s a big problem that required information from members of the public.

    Read Also: Poll: ICPC moves to seek solutions to vote buying

    “We feel that citizens should provide information and after providing information, to act as witnesses. The current administration has a very strong and viable whistle blowing policy.

    “Over N.5tn has been recovered through this policy. But a lot more information is required. If we can only get just 25 percent of what has been stolen and if that money is deployed to education, health, security, I think we would be on the road to joining other nations that our citizens will like to fly to and use their resources”, he said.

    Owasanoye enjoined Nigerians to stop seeing corruption as a “victimless” crime, saying, “When funds meant for health, education, security, housing etc are diverted and end up in private hands, we all feel the impact”.

    Also speaking at the event, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Garba Abari said the anti-corruption war was being waged at all levels of government.

    Abari said citizens owed it a duty and responsibility to key into the anti-corruption campaign of the government, stressing that the cumulative effects of corruption are felt by the generality of the citizenry.

    “We must rise to demand for transparency in governance, to demand for accountability and begin to hold people accountable against all manners of infractions”, Abari said.

    Head of HEDA’s Human Right project, Olanrewaju Suraju bemoaned the huge resources in foreign exchange the country had lost to corrupt practices in the oil industry.

    Suraju cited the case of the controversial OPL 245 issued to Malabu and how the Federal Government lost billions of dollars to unethical practices by past government officials.

    He said “What we have done before now is to have taken a legal action compelling the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to revoke the OPL 245 licenses issued to Malabu on the strength that it was issued by Dan Etete while serving as a Minister of Petroleum Resources.

    “This is actually against the Constitution as at the time and also against the Code of Conduct which prohibits an office holder from superintending over a process that he will benefit from.

    “What the law says in that situation is that such benefits should actually be recovered by the government. So we have gone to court to get an Order of Mandamus to compel the Attorney General to revoke the license.

    “What we have seen is that $1.1bn that was paid as bribe to officials of Nigeria/ENI was what was supposed to have come to Nigeria as part of the profit that was calculated and paid in advance to oil companies, individuals and public office holders.

    “So monies meant to provide for health and education was actually paid to private individuals to buy jets and luxury apartments outside the country”.

  • ICPC arraigns public servants for alleged N26.7m fraud

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday arraigned two public servants at an FCT High Court, Apo, for alleged N26. 7 million fraud.

    ICPC charged Ademola Oluwatoyi, an officer with the Nigeria Law Reform Commission and Ala Kolade, who works in the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation with three counts bordering on fraud.

    Prosecutor Mr Ogechuku Iwuagwu told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offence in December, 2013 while in active service.

    He alleged that Oluwatoyin used his position and awarded contract worth N16. 3 million to his company, Mutoy Adekunle Enterprise.

    Iwuagwu also alleged that Oluwatoyin used his position and received N9.2 million through his Skye Bank account from the chambers of Mr Ala Abayomi & Co, being part of N10. 4 million paid for consultancy in a workshop organised by the commission.

    The prosecutor said Kolade, while serving in the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, acquired contract for consultancy worth N10. 4 million from the Nigeria Law Reform Commission.

    Justice Olukayode Adeniyi admitted the defendants to N10 million bail each, with one surety each in the like sum.

    He said the surety must be a deputy director in the civil service with a verifiable address in the FCT.

    Adeniyi adjourned the case till May 8

  • ICPC seizes 12 landed property in Abuja

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has seized 12 landed properties belonging to a construction firm and its owner.

    The Commission disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, in Abuja on Wednesday.

    According to the statement, the property, which are located in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja belonged to Mrs Ochuko Momoh, Director, Blaid Construction Limited.

    The commission said that Momoh is under the scrutiny of the commission in respect of an on-going investigation.

    The statement lists the property to include: two duplexes located at No. 14A, Lungu Crescent, Wuse 2 and No. 6 Casamance Street, Wuse Zone 3.

    Others are a mansion situated at No. 16 River Niger Street, Maitama; a bungalow at No. 35, Abidjan Street, Wuse Zone 3; two uncompleted residential estates located at Plot 618 Mabushi (B06) and Plot 1468 Katampe District.

    ”Terrace duplexes on Plots No. 21, 22, 23 and 26, Olympia Estate, Kaura District; a shopping complex on Plot 27, Waziri Ibrahim Waziri Crescent, Apo District; three vacant pieces of land located at Plot No. 1824, No. 1827 and No. 2017 Katampe District and a block of six apartments on Plot 799, Ebitu Ukiwe street, Utako.”

    The statement said that the seizure, which was carried out after an intelligence-led investigation, was based on the opinion of the commission that the properties owned by Momoh and her firm ”are excessive.”

    ”This is having regard to their past and present emoluments and all other circumstances.

    ”To this end, the commission will issue public notices of the seizure and shall cause them to be served on the appropriate land registries and Ministries and Departments where these properties are situated as required by law.” (NAN)

  • Group seeks diligent prosecution of ‘N114m fraud’ at SEC

    The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to step up its prosecution of anti-corruption cases.

    CACOL tasked the ICPC to properly utilise the evidence it furnished the government through a petition, which, according to it, led to the uncovering of a N114 million fraud at the  Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

    CACOL chairman, Debo Adeniran, stated this at a media briefing in Lagos.

    He said: “President Buhari, had upon the Centre’s petition, swiftly directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Minister of Finance to investigate the matter, which they did.

    According to him, “in strange twist, the matter was taken from the EFCC and handed over to the ICPC.”

    The Ministry of Finance, last November, suspended from office SEC Director-General (D-G), Mounir Gwarzo, in connection with the allegation.

    The ICPC, last June 28, arraigned Gwarzo at an Abuja High Court on a five-count charge of alleged N114m fraud, on June 28.

    Charged alongside him was a SEC commissioner, Zakawanu Garuba.

    Both men were accused of abusing their offices and breaching public trust by diverting over N114 million while they served as officers of the commission.

    They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Gwarzo is also challenging his suspension by the Federal Ministry of Finance at the National Industrial Court, Abuja.

    Adeniran urged ICPC Director-General Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, to ensure a diligent prosecution of the case, “so that justice may be done.”

    He warned that failure to do so could lead to a ICPC losing the case.

     

  • 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.

    Read Also:Saraki describes his resignation call by Oshiomhole as joke

    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.