The Nation Newspaper

Tag: list

  • More fireworks over list of public treasury looters

    • Falana backs list

    ‘Panel recovers N4b, $800,000’

    Critics  of the listing of treasury looters got some knocks yesterday.

    They are wrong, some stakeholders said in Abuja at the Second Forum of the Anti-Corruption Situation Room, organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).

    Activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) said there was nothing wrong with the listing of looters by the Federal Government, contrary to the claim by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and some of its leaders.

    PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus and another top member, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, have sued Minisster of Information Lai Mohammed and others over the inclusion of their names on the list.

    Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) Chairman Prof Itse Sagay (SAN), one of those who defended the action, said: “I still insist that anyone who has a good reason to include a name should put the name.”

    He said a court ordered the government to publish the names of those who looted the nation’s resources and the list was released in accordance with the court’s directive and in public interest.

    Sagay added that he would not be surprised if more names surfaced, stressing that “there is a very large number of these people who presided over the looting of the assets of this country.”

    On Tuesday, at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), acting Chairman Ibrahim Magu said the agency had recovered over N500 billion since Nivember 2015 when he was appointed.

    Some of the people from whose hands assets and cash were recovered are on the looters lists released in two instalments b y the federal government.

    Falana said if the police could parade common men for petty crimes, treasury looters should be named.

    He said: “Recently, the names of looters were published in the newspapers and I read a lot of publications in the media. Media men and women were challenging the violation of the rights of the looters.  They are saying how can you do that?  How can you publish the names of looters? You have violated their rights to fair hearing. I say ‘wow, beautiful’, but please we must not join such hallelujah people.

    “Please, let us begin to interrogate the literature of corruption. In this country, common people are paraded daily for committing petty offences by the Police and the media men and women attend such media parade. They even interrogate the suspects, particularly armed robbery and kidnapping suspects.

    “With blood gushing out of their faces, the police will tell you that they have made confessional statements. The media would then ask, why did you rob?  Somebody who has not been taken to any court, you force them to make incriminating statements regularly in our country. Nobody talks about human rights. Nobody talks about the presumption of innocence.

    “It is only when you are talking of the rich that we are sounding so eloquent and singing about human rights. Human rights are for all of us.

    “So please, let us stop the practice of talking about police brutality when a senator is involved because the police brutalise Nigerians daily.

    “We don’t talk of human  rights when we are dealing with the poor but even all of us, I am sure you know when a rich man is fat and you are obsessed and you want to lose some weight,  you go around our cities, jogging and that is normal. The police will even cheer you, ‘well done sir, we’ll done ma’, but if a poor man does that, that is wandering and you are arrested. How can you be running around? A poor man running around the city, you want to steal in the neighbourhood. So please, we must begin to look at the language of the law. I am happy with the use of the word ‘looters’; it is better than just saying corrupt people, money launderer.”

    Falana also said the resuscitation of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIPRPP) as legal.

    He asked the federal lawmakeers seeking the disbandment of the panel to go to court.

    He added: “Let me talk about the law establishing the panel; those who are opposed to the law are advised to go to court to challenge its constitutional validity.  You cannot sit down in Parliament and say the law is illegal. Only a court of law can do that.

    ‘You can amend the law, you can even repeal the law, but you cannot sit down and say this law is illegal.  When you do that, you are entertaining yourself jurisprudentially.

    “Let me tell you why they are criticising it. I have been fighting the anti-graft agencies since 2003, why this law is not being used and I am happy now that they have stumbled on the law.

    “The maximum punishment under that law is life imprisonment. If you fail to declare more than N1million, you go for life imprisonment under that law.

    “In some areas; 21 years imprisonment and that is the fear of corrupt elements in our society.  It is not about the legality of the law; it is the stringent penalty that can land people in prison for life.”

    To Falana, the panel is necessary because the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission have been castrated.

    He said: “The Code of Conduct Bureau has been castrated. ICPC has been castrated; the EFCC is managing.

    “The names of the chair and the board members of the Code of Conduct Bureau as well as the ICPC have not been looked at by the National Assembly not to talk of whether considering to confirm them. You can talk of the Acting EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, who has been rejected but those ones that have been presented to the Parliament since last year have not been confirmed. ”

    The Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Eugene Efere, said more than N4billion had been recovered.

    “This panel was first mandated to do discreet investigation on all Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), devoid of media conviction. The panel does not announce those to be investigated.

    “We do a thorough job and until we get to the court for interim and final forfeiture, we do not make any disclosure.

    “The panel has recovered N1billion and $800,000 in NEXIM and more than N3billion in some other quarters.

    “The panel was inaugurated in August 2017 and by August; we will be one year old.”

    The Coordinator of HEDA, Comrade Olanrewaju Suraj, said: “As we go into 2019 polls, it is very crucial to engage leaders in accountability.

    “We should question the wealth of characters that will be throwing money around.”

  • ‘Don’t remove drugs from exclusive list’

    The National Council of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) has urged  the National Assembly not to remove drug matters from the exclusive list.

    It said  since independence drug matters  had remained in the exclusive list and would be dangerous for the country with insecurity and poor regulatory controls to contemplate having 37 authorities for products and premises licensing.

    The PSN warned that the plan would boost drug fakery, misuse and abuse as well as other aberrations in drug distribution.

    Meanwhile, PCN President Ahmed I. Yakasai and Secretary, Emeka C. Duru, have expressed anxiety at the level of restiveness of healthworkers, which has led their unions and AHPA to declare another 21-day ultimatum to the government since February 8.

    Yakasai urged the Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate an  Information Technology (IT) policy, which will centralise information about registered drugs and products,  pharmaceutical premises, and business partners of the PSN, PCN and NAFDAC.

    The PSN Council  advocated strong collaborations between the PCN  and other agencies, such as the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).

    It, therefore, advised that when breaches were brought to the attention of the CPC, it should report them to the PCN for sanctions.

  • AU, AFRIMA RELEASE FULL NOMINEES LIST

    TWO weeks after the Nominees list for the Regional Categories of the awards were unveiled on Monday, August 22 at a Press Conference in Lagos, the 2016 AFRIMA Continental Nominees List was released to the public via the media and on the AFRIMA website www.afrima.org on Tuesday, September 6.

    The 22 continental nomination categories include different music genres, as well as coveted categories of “Artiste of the Year in Africa”, “Best Video in Africa”, “Best Producer in Africa”, “Best Songwriter in Africa” and “Revelation of the Year in Africa”.

    This year also saw the introduction of an innovative category by the International Jury of AFRIMA titled “African Fans Favourite”, to recognize African artistes who create chartbusting, anthemic songs that propel the artistes to great popularity within and outside their respective countries and regions.

    Reiterating the Jury’s position on fairness and transparency, Associate Producer, AFRIMA, Ms. Adenrele Niyi, said the gap between when the Regional and Continental Nominees List were released was necessary for the Jury to ‘painstakingly review and grade the qualified entries submitted and carefully and accurately fit them into their appropriate categories’.

    “There is the need to be accurate right from the process of verifying eligibility of entries, to the process of collating and finalizing results. Screening and selection of entries are evolving processes which we work painstakingly at to ensure transparency and fairness”, Ms. Niyi stated.

    The Regional Categories which featured Best Female Artistes and Best Male Artistes of the five regions, nominated 65 artistes while 184 nominees make up the newly released continental categories with online public voting expected to begin on Monday, September 12 on the AFRIMA voting platform domiciled on www.afrima.org

    Public voting for the nominees in the different categories of the awards opens on Monday, September 12 and ends Saturday, November 5.

    In partnership with the AUC and the Official Host City, Lagos State, AFRIMA 3.0. calendar of events for November 4-6, 2016 will include the Africa Music Business Summit on Friday, November 4, and the AFRIMA Music Village, an open concert-style festival featuring nominees and other top billed music stars. The grand awards ceremony holds on Sunday, November 6 with over 6,000 guests expected in Lagos, Nigeria for the various events.

  • N115b loot: ex-Air chiefs, politicians top refund list

    N115b loot: ex-Air chiefs, politicians top refund list

    INEC officials, others also surrendered cash 

    EFCC probes ex-Akwa Ibom governor

    Barely 24 hours after the confirmation of the recovery of about N115billion, The Nation yesterday glimpsed a likely list of some of those behind the huge refund.

    They include some politically exposed persons, ex-military chiefs and some of those involved in the $115million poll bribery scandal.

    Besides, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is said to be tracking about $3.9billion believed to have been stolen.

    A Presidency source however said the government was not yet aware of the said $3.9billion.

    The recovered cash includes the following: $3.1b  from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) accounts (the money was paid to the oil giant by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited); $1m seized from a former Chief of Air Staff;  National Broadcasting Commission (N10,061,172,600); another Chief of Air Staff(N2.3b); an ex-presidential aide (N900m); a businessman (N750m); an ex-governor of Delta State ($15m); an ex-Chief of Staff and others (N420m); and an ex-Minister (N140m); an ex-Military Administrator  (N100m).

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials in Oyo and Ogun (N359millon); a former Minister (N2m); a former state Speaker N1m and N580 million (£2 million) in jewelry, allegedly from a former minister.

    An EFCC source said: “We cannot release the names of those affected because some of them are already on trial before the court. We do not want to take any prejudicial action. We have been advised against doing so.

    “As soon as it is legally convenient, we will release the full list.”

    Also yesterday, It was learnt that the EFCC was probing a former governor of Akwa Ibom State in connection with N450million which was allocated to the state out of the N23.29billion allegedly provided by former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. The cash is believed to have been for INEC officials as bribe to change the results of the 2015 presidential election.

    The anti-graft agency had questioned a former Military Administrator of the state and others in connection with the bribe.

    But during one of the interrogation sessions, one of the suspects said the ex-governor allegedly “deducted N150million out of the bribe sum for personal use”.

    “We are likely to invite the ex-governor for interaction,” the EFCC source added.

    But there were indications  yesterday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was tracking about $3.9billion.

    The said amount was allegedly not yet captured in the fact-sheet which was released to the public on Saturday by the Federal Government due to an outstanding reconciliation process.

    The $3.9billion includes the $15million seized from former Delta State Governor James Ibori, who is serving term in the United Kingdom.

    Other components are about $3.1billion intercepted in the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), which was yet to be moved to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in line with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

    A reliable source in the anti-graft commission, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said the list of recoveries issued out on Saturday might not be the final.

    The source said: “The EFCC has also intercepted over $3.9billion, including those in the NNPC and NLNG accounts and put in the TSA account.

    “This has not been captured yet. So, what we have on Saturday was certainly not the final list of recoveries.”

    “Following a judgment of the Court of Appeal, a $15million recovered from ex-Governor James Ibori has been paid into the treasury too.

    “We will soon make the breakdown available to Nigerians accordingly. This process is a continuous one .”

    A top Presidency source said: “The affected $3.9billion is unknown to this government. The list of recoveries released to Nigerians on Saturday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, went through vetting and other checks before the announcement.

    “Do you know the value of $3.2billion? If there is such money in the system, do you think we will go to AFDB for a loan of $1billion?

    “I only hope you will get the figures right from whoever is giving the information. Some people have sent an online link to the government but the source only quoted a member of the House of Representatives.”

  • Now that the list is here

    Now that the list is here

    For a list that that took four long months in coming, it was perhaps expected that Nigerians would swing into the overdrive as soon as it was released. That was exactly what happened penultimate week when President Muhammadu Buhari finally released the first batch of his would-be ministers. As one might imagine, not only are Nigerians are still somewhat divided on the question of whether the wait for it has been worth it, there is also the more pertinent question of whether the nominees can be said to exemplify the change that the administration promised. All of this, I suspect, flow not just from the weight of expectations from the ordinary and the not-so-ordinary folk on the administration’s promise of a new direction, but also from the image of the no-nonsense, perhaps saintly President that Nigerians have come to know – one not only expected to do things very differently and more importantly, one sworn to set a new moral tone for the polity.

    To be fair to the President, I cannot exactly recall him – or any of his aides – promising Nigerians angels as ministers. In any case, the whole idea that the administration would require angels to get the job done can only be arrant nonsense. However, much as I would agree that the judgment of who best to work with the President to deliver must necessarily be his, the issue of whether the President needed nearly the whole of four months to come up with the same faces that have dominated the space in the last 16 years and more has suddenly become legitimate in the increasingly shifting perceptions of this Presidency as a tardy one. And while the charge of gerontocracy might sound somewhat exaggerated, the fact that the average age of cabinet nominees is 61  in a nation where some of the biggest corporations are run by 30-something to 40-something year olds would again tend to speak volumes about the president’s understanding and judgment of the complexities of current time.

    More importantly for an administration that has been accused of lacking direction, the cabinet list did very little to assuage such concerns. At the individual level, there is no question that some of the nominees having proven their mettles in different theatres of our national life can be counted among the very best perhaps anywhere in the world. I could even go as far as to describe the team as star-studded as far as pooling a team goes. But then, like the story of our national soccer team – the Super Eagles, having the greatest players does not always translate to the deliver of great outcomes!

    At this time, the question must be – what does the team represent? In other words, where is the country headed? Yes, I am willing to recognise and celebrate the individual brilliance of say – Babatunde Raji Fashola, the famed technocratic pedigree of an Ibe Kachikwu or a Chris Ngige; question is how does these square with the gut instinct of a team leader stuck to ancient paradigms?

    Let me illustrate. Few weeks ago, in a moment of rare candour, the Group Managing Director of NNPC told us that any expectations of optimal  performance of the refineries coming after the latest cycle of Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) was at best misplaced. Those were the same refineries said to have falling under the Buhari Effect and over which some Nigerians were already popping champagne.  Save for the President who apparently wanted the refineries working at all costs – he told Nigerians that the refineries would have long been auctioned off to save the nation the pretence of having working refineries! Did I hear someone say that President looks forward to the return of Nigeria Airways and perhaps the Nigerian National Shipping Line?

    We know where we are today: the country is in a mess today because of the corruption and maladministration of the past. Our public service is in shambles. Major infrastructures have over the years suffered neglect hence the nation is currently ranked among the least competitive in the world. Today, our price of our principal commodity – oil has dipped to a point that we now struggle to meet recurrent bills.

    Yes, corruption is a major problem. That was why I couldn’t agree more with the President when he said that we either kill the menace or it would kill us. Our President has no doubt rightly placed a lot of stock on killing corruption. It bears stating however that killing corruption does not in itself guarantee the good life! The pathway to the good life is new paradigms, bold ideas and lots of discipline and hard work. Yes, money answereth all problems but ideas – and well conceived paradigms – rule the universe! Problem is – Nigerians haven’t begun to see the kind of ideas on which the future optimism can be anchored.

    So, what do we expect in the coming months? An economy in which the state remains the dominant player as the President’s instinct for the nostalgia would appear to prefer, or one which the private sector is given the muscle to do what it does best while the state strengthens its regulatory arm? If it settles for the former, where would the funds come from? That is the simple question that the organised private sector has long sought answers for. And that is what Nigerians expect answers for even before the ministers take their seats.

     

  • Oyo APC members await exco list

    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State are “waiting anxiously” for the announcement of executive council members and local government caretaker committee members by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

    The names, it was gathered, will be announced “any moment from now”.

    The announcement will follow payment of salary arrears, which is expected to be completed this week.

    The government began payment of the four-month salary arrears last Wednesday.

    May salary was paid on Wednesday; June on Thursday.

    It is expected that the balance will be cleared this week in line with the agreement reached with labour leaders.

    A source close to the governor said yesterday that Ajimobi had compiled the list of potential appointees with the party’s inputs.

    But the governor has the final say on the portfolios.

    The source explained that the appointees were drawn from the 33 local governments but that both the governor and the party agreed to stay action because of the outstanding salaries.

    “Both the party and the governor thought that it would be better to delay the announcement till after salary arrears have been cleared to identify with the plight of the workers.

    “But now that workers will be fully paid, the announcement will be made soon.”

    The source added that the delay has helped Ajimobi save some funds that would have ordinarily gone into salaries and allowances for the appointees.

  • Battle of Calabar: Keshi to release Eagles’ list next week

    Battle of Calabar: Keshi to release Eagles’ list next week

    The Super Eagles list for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda in September will be released next week, Prompt News gathered Thursday.

    “We are expecting the list of players for the game against Rwanda from Eagles handler Stephen Keshi soon and we shall make it public latest by next week. I think we are at par with Keshi despite the fact that the contract talk is still going on.

    “Keshi has agreed to lead the Eagles for the game against Rwanda, we (NFF) are waiting for him to send his list so that we can release it to the public” an Executive Committee member said.

    Our source disclosed that the contract papers with Keshi will be finalised latest by next week Tuesday noting that there are few issues to be tidied when Keshi returns from his holidays in the United States of America (USA).

  • Confab: Middlebelt minority groups reject delegates’ list

    Confab: Middlebelt minority groups reject delegates’ list

    Northcentral minority ethnic groups have rejected the national conference delegates’list, saying that they were marginalised by the majority tribes.

    They compalined that the list has confirmed the deliberate efforts of Federal Government to silence the minority.

    In a statement, the Kwararafa Kingdom Cultural Development Association said that the conference is designed to protect the interests of the majority ethnic groups.

    Its National President, Stephen Sariki, lamented that traditional rulers from the minority tribes did not make the list.

    He said: “Of the seven-member Northern delegation of traditonal rulers, five are Hausa Fulani and only two are of the minority extraction.

    Describing the list as “unfair, unjust and a negation of the spirit of the conference, he added: “ The Aku Uka of Wukari, Taraba State; Osana of Keana, Andoma of Doma and Aren Eggon from Nasarawa State; Attah Igala, Kogi State; Ochidoma, Benue State; Long Gamai and Ngolong Ngas of Plateau State, and the Emir of Zuru, Kebbi State, are tactically schemed out of the conference, thus denying them the opportunity of representing their people and presenting the myriads of problems facing the minority”.

    Sariki acknowleged that all the traditional rulers cannot attend the conference. But, but he maintained that the minority tribes were sidelined.

    He urged the Federal Government to review the list so that the marginalised tribes can be accommodated.

    Also protesting its exclusion, the people of Igala said that it smacked of injustice.

  • Keshi lists Enyeama, 22 others for Malawi

    Keshi lists Enyeama, 22 others for Malawi

    The Technical and Development Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has accepted a list of 23 players submitted by Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, for next week’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Malawi in Calabar.

    “We have accepted the list of 23 players and they will resume camping for the match in Calabar as from Monday,” Barrister Chris Green, Chairman of the Technical and Development Committee, said.

    The Super Eagles need only a draw in next week’s clash at the U. J. Esuene Stadium to progress into the 10-team final elimination round, where two-leg, knock out fixtures will determine Africa’s five flag-bearers at the global showpiece in Brazil next year summer.

    The Flames of Malawi, who must win at a venue where the Super Eagles have never lost, to qualify for that final elimination round, are expected to arrive in Nigeria from Accra on Thursday.

    THE FULL LIST

    Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille FC, France); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

    Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga, Portugal); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); James Okwuosa (Chippa United, South Africa); Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor FC, Turkey); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria)

    Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Nnamdi Oduamadi (AC Milan, Italy); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

    Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Uche Nwofor (SC Heerenveen, Netherlands); Obinna Nsofor (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia)

  • How the list was decided

    How the list was decided

    This is our 27th year publishing the Forbes Billionaires list. Though we’ve been at it a long time, it is never an easy task. Our reporters dig deep and travel far. To compile net worths, we value individuals’ assets–including stakes in public and private companies, real estate, yachts, art and cash–and account for debt. We attempt to vet these numbers with all billionaires. Some cooperate; others don’t. We also consult an array of outside experts in various fields.

    The Forbes Billionaires ranks individuals rather than large, multi-generational families who share large fortunes. So Maja Oeri, who has a disclosed stake in pharmaceutical firm Roche, makes the list, but her eight relatives who, with a nonprofit foundation, share a $16 billion fortune do not. In some cases we list siblings together if the ownership breakdown among them isn’t clear, but here, too, they must be worth a minimum of $2 billion together, or equivalent to $1 billion apiece, to make the cut. We split up these fortunes when we get better information, as we did with the Matte and Rausing families this year. Children are listed with their parents when one person is the founder and in control. Those fortunes are identified as “& family.” Our estimates are a snapshot of wealth on Feb. 14, when we locked in stock prices and exchange rates from around the world. If a stock market wasn’t open on that day–as was the case with Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Shanghai and Shenzhen–the stock price is from the previous trading day.