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Tag: looters

  • Corruption: Group urges FG to publish names of looters

    The Centre for the Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP), has called on the Federal Government to publish the names of looters alongside the amount recovered from them.

    The Executive Director of the organization, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, made the call in a signed press statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Warri.

    Ikimi said that the publication would not only engender transparency, it would also boost the confidence of the people in the anti-corruption policy of the government.

    According to the Warri-based lawyer, the publication would also discourage others from indulging in corruption.

    “Publishing names of looters side by side the various currencies of monies recovered from them will go a long way to deter other serving public office holders presently engaged in the social vice of looting our public treasury.

    “CENTREP is of the view that non release of the names of looters side by side their loots will create the impression that the government has something to hide,’’ he said.

    Ikimi, said that since the treasury looters were not being prosecuted in the Law Courts, it was expedient that their names and the amount stolen were published to strengthen the anti-corruption drive.

  • How to curb delay in trial of treasury ‘looters’, by experts

    •Continued from last week

    The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof Itse Sagay, (SAN), said some professionals, particularly lawyers and judges, have been frustrating the efforts to curb acts of corruption.

    Deploring the delay tactics by some professionals, Sagay said the Federal Government was looking at how to bring those who aid fraudulent and corrupt acts to justice. He said the workshop on the role of professionals in the anti-corruption fight, was to seek the support of professional bodies and awaken them to their responsibilities in the crusade.

     

    How to ensure success

    Experts say there are ways to curb the delay being experienced in the trial of the rich and mighty in the society, especially, those who have allegedly plundered the commonwealth.

    They have suggested that one of the sure ways of reducing delay in the conduct of criminal proceedings is to engage competent judges and lawyers, who understand the law and are guided solely by the need to ensure justice.

    According to them, where a judge is competent and understands the law and rules of procedure, such a judge will not fall for the tactics of lawyers, who seek to delay proceedings. A judge with firm control of the court knows when to call a lawyer to order.

    Dr. Ahmed Abubakar of the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) urged the court to always be guided by the fundamental constitutional requirement provided for in Section 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution that every litigant shall be entitled to a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court or other tribunal established by law.

    Abubakar said: “The importance of prompt dispensation of justice cannot be over emphasised. A judge must therefore ensure that everything is done to give effect to this all important provision of the Constitution. It is axiomatic that justice delayed is justice denied.

    “This saying is of utmost relevance in Nigeria, having regard to the general social, political and economic trends which could have far- reaching effect on the outcome of litigation. A judge should therefore accord priority attention to prompt dispensation of justice,” he said.

    He argued that judges should be guided by the realisation that by stealing the funds set aside for job creation, corrupt politically-exposed persons are responsible for the majority of armed robbery and kidnapping being committed by unemployed youths.

    His words: “By stealing the fund earmarked for building hospitals and roads, the looters are responsible for many avoidable deaths and the spread of dangerous diseases. By cornering the funds provided for building schools, the looters are responsible for promoting illiteracy and ignorance in the society.

    “The public officers who diverted ecological funds of billions of naira to buy choice properties in foreign countries are responsible for the flood that has caused tragic death of people, displacement of others and the destruction of the properties of the victims.

    “In societies where the rule of law operates, criminal suspects who are liable for such crimes against humanity cannot hide under human rights to avoid prosecution.”

    There is also the argument that lawyers, who, deliberately subvert the course of justice by frustrating the prosecution of his client, or aid his client to escape justice, should be penalized. By so doing, lawyers will know that much as they have a right to earn their fees, they are not entitled to clogging the criminal justice system and denying victims and the society the justice they deserve.

    Rights activist Femi Falana (SAN) suggested many ways of dealing with delays in the on-going trials of alleged looters of public treasury.

    He suggested among others, the establishment of special court for corruption, to be manned by men and women of proven integrity; trial of military looters by military courts (to decongest the regular courts and enhance speed), denial of automatic bail to people charged with corruption, among others.

    In a paper titled: “Why Nigeria urgently needs a special anti-corruption Court,” Falana argued that the little success recorded by the EFCC between 2003 and 2007 in the prosecution of some politicians and public office holders was because the defendants were denied bail by the court, acting under the provision of Section 40 of the EFCC Act.

    He argued that the judicial policy of denying bail to politically-exposed persons had contributed to the speedy hearing of corruption cases in the past until it was jettisoned by the court in the case of former Delta State Governor James Ibori.

    Falana contended that there is no legal justification for asking the EFCC to handle cases of military officers, who have committed war-related crimes and treasonable offences.

    He added that since the indicted military officers are subject to service law, they should be referred to the military police for urgent investigation and prosecution before convening special or general courts-martial by the relevant military authorities in line with the provisions of the Armed Forces Act, Cap 20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

    Falana said: “It is my submission that the military officers who diverted billions of dollars and naira earmarked for the procurement of arms and armament are liable to be charged with the serious offences of aiding the enemy, mutiny by impeding or sabotaging the counter insurgency operations, and stealing in contravention of Sections 45, 52 and 66 of the Armed Forces Act.

    “Thus, by diverting the funds, the indicted military officers aided the terrorists in the brutal killing of unarmed civilians and poorly equipped soldiers. Although retired military officers cannot be subjected to trial after three months of retirement, the limitation does not apply to mutiny by virtue of Section 169 (2) of the AFA.

    “The proposed trial before military courts will meet the justice of the case and the expectations of the public. More so, that the rules of procedure applicable in courts-martial have no room for frivolous adjournments, motions for bail, interlocutory appeals, stay of proceedings and interim or perpetual injunctions.”

    Also speaking at a workshop organised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on “The state of the nation,” Adeniyi Akintola, (SAN), toed Falana’s line of argument.

    He contended that it was out of laziness and lack of coordination that the military authorities and the AGF have decided to saddle the EFCC with the responsibility of prosecuting military personnel, both serving and retired, implicated in the Dasuki-gate in the regular courts.

    According to him, the trial of indicted military personnel by military courts will not only be cheaper, but it will be faster and legitimate.

  • ‘Let’s give ‘amnesty’ to looters to revive economy’

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of ABX World Nigeria, Captain John Okakpu has urged the Federal Government to grant ‘amnesty’ to looters to enable them repatriate stolen funds back into the country.

    According to him, those who stashed away looted funds should be encouraged to return such monies and deposit them in commercial banks in the country so as to turnaround the economy.

    The aviation expert, who made reference to British Prime Minister’s statement about Nigeria’s corruption status, however said the UK is one of the countries fantastically supporting corruption.

    “Therefore, the amnesty portends that there should be ‘cease fire’, whatever anybody has done wrong, lets grant them amnesty. Whatever you embezzled, we are forgiving you under some strict conditions. First, you have all the money you stashed in foreign account, bring it back, deposit it with the Nigerian banks.”

    The CEO maintained that the country’s dwindling fortune is as a result of government policies that have not allowed agro-allied products to be properly marketed.

    He said: “Today, Kenya is leading in a network called Global Gap Certification (GAP) it involves all the supermarkets in Europe and North America. But, neither the federal government nor state government GAP, which is one of the reasons we can’t even sell our agro-allied produce direct to Shoprite.”

    The fastest way to get any economy stablised is agriculture, he stressed, adding: “Agriculture is private sector driven. What is expected of the government is policy direction and structures in place to empower subsistence farmers, not commercial farmers only. I have a road map that can change the system and strongly believe it can create about 50million jobs in this country.”

  • Lawyer faults FG’s failure to disclose names of looters

    The decision by the Federal Government to withhold names of individuals from who looted funds were recovered has been faulted.

    A senior lawyer, Ajibola Oluyede argued that the decision by the government to rescind it’s earlier pledge to name those from who looted funds were recovered as an incentive to corruption.

    In a statement yesterday, Ajibola argued that the government’s decision to be silent on the names of identified looters cannot be justified in law.

    “It is strange to hear that some legal minds advised the President not to release the names of persons who had admitted wrongdoing and in restitution returned sums of money to the government.

    “That would be strange legal advice indeed , it is not legal advise, clearly pure political advise.

    “These are not persons who had been illegally enriched in contract but in criminal law. Naming in such circumstances must be done as a step towards prosecution and there must be prosecution to activate plea bargaining under the ACJA.

    “What the public should be very concerned about is the reason for which the names are being withheld.

    “It’s that reason that exposes how deep and pervasive corruption has become in Nigeria.Certainly not any legitimate legal advise,” Oluyede said.

  • SANs, top politicians disagreee over naming of suspected looters

    SANs, top politicians disagreee over naming of suspected looters

    Prominent Nigerians yesterday disagreed over the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to “name and shame” looters of the treasury.

    While some are of the view that the Federal Government acted well by not reading the names of those who have refunded looted cash, others believe the non-disclosure of their names has robbed negatively on the anti-corruption war.

    Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Niyi Akintola  yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on corruption and the economy because, according to him, Nigerians are suffering.

    He said the President disappointed Nigerians by refusing to disclose the names of looters, whose activities led to the economic adversity and despair in the land.

    The lawyer, who spoke with The Nation on phone, advised President Buhari to suspend the rule of law for a season so that he can genuinely fight against corruption with speed and efficiency.

    He said the N74 billion recovered from suspected looters fell below expectation, adding that the Federal Government should beam the searchlight on former government officials.

    But, to a Lagos politician, Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, disclosing the names of suspected looters is risky and may be counter-productive.

    He said: “The disclosure by the Federal Government that the huge amount has been recovered is excellent. It is the right step in the right direction. But, no name can be mentioned now. If you mention their names, they will not return the rest of the money.. If you mention their names, they will resort to litigation to frustrate the process.”

    Akintola, who recalled that he was at the forefront of the clamour for the return of looted funds, maintained that the non-disclosure of suspected looters is a minus to the anti-graft war.

    He said: “The refusal to disclose names fell below expectation. We should name them and name them. Who made the refund? from which ministry? Which agency? We want to know from what sector. We are yet to get refund from the oil sector. What about the pension scam; the aviation sector? They claimed to have repaired Yola airport. It has spoilt again. They said they repaired the Murtala Muhammed Airport, but they are using buckets to clear the water there during the raining season.

    “What about the SURE-P? There is the allegation that the recruitment of beneficiaries in Yobe is sectional. A minister even told me that they are not even from the state. What about the NNPC?”

    In Akintola’s view, it is sad that only N78 billion was recovered in the last one year.

    He said the Federal Government should declare a state of emergency on corruption and the economy, stressing that the anti-graft battle will only be fought with speed and vigour, if the country can suspend the rule of law for one year.

    The lawyer also advised the Federal Government to expand the personnel for fighting corruption, adding that, apart from expanding and fortifying the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC), the State Security Service (SSS), the police and other agencies should be part of the coordinated approach.

    He also said the anti-corruption war should be extended  to the 36 states by governors, who should investigate the activities of past government officials.

    Akintola added: “Attention is not paid to corruption in the states. Governors should look at the states. They take bonds and spend it on elections.”

    The lawyer also urged the government to spend the recovered money judiciously by investing in capital projects for the benefit of the people.

    He added: “Government should stop being bad economic managers. They should use the money to tackle infrastructural decay. Don’t keep the money in the bank. Inflation will catch up with it. The money will not be productive.  Obasanjo left N70 billion in the reserves. The Jonathan administration spent it and left N17 billion when it was leaving. The Bible says the foolish man is keeping money without knowing who will spend it.”

    The chairman of United Progressives Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, said looters should be punished to deter others.

    He said: “The money recovered so far is mind boggling. The amount, put together, is about N3.5 trillion, an amount more than 2015 budget. President Buhari must be commended for refusing to be blackmailed that the anti corruption fight is one-sided.

    “Government should be encouraged to deploy the money toward doing what is good for the people.  The government should also map out measures to make public officers account for any money entrusted to them because there will always be a day of reckoning.”

    Okorie added that those who were allocated funds and never bothered to find out the source of the money, but refunded the money should be spared.

    “Those who used their offices to make this kind of money should not be spared because there is no evidence that they have returned all the money in their care.

    “This will serve a lesson to people who are likely to engage in such practices in future, that there is no running away from law.”

    Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), Chief Emeka Ngige (SAN) and Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) said the government deserved praises for not hiding the returned assets.

    But, another former NBA President Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said the looters should be “named and shamed” to deter others.

    Olanipekun said: “May I first commend those who advised the Federal Government not to publicise the names of the purported or so called looters. Doing so would have resulted in protracted litigation against the government for libel and defamation. I doubt if the recovered sums would have been sufficient to meet or offset the damages which various courts would have awarded against the government by those who believe they’ve been defamed and blasphemed.”

    According to him, Nigerians should be careful at labelling every person who returns money to government as a looter without weighing the peculiar circumstances and the contingencies compelling the return.

    For instance, he said a citizen who was awarded a contract by the past administration and who received advance payment cannot be fairly described as a looter if the present administration compels him to make a refund, using coercive powers of state to back up the demand.

    “Another citizen who, on his own volition goes to the government to make a refund or return of money transferred or lodged into his account by a serving government functionary who wanted to use him as a front cannot, in good conscience, be described as a looter.

    “Rather, he should be commended. It’s also fluid whether we can stigmatise any citizen as a looter without a court pronouncement adjudging that person as such,” Olanipekun said.

    He urged the government to lay more emphasis on preventing corruption and wanton looting of the treasury rather than always crying over spilt milk and entertaining Nigerians with stories of looting.

    “Why is the treasury so porous? Why is government the easiest way of making money without working? Why do political office holders see political appointments as a payback time by their appointors?  Why is the race and struggle to become ministers or commissioners or board members still a question of do or die?

    “Why is politics the most lucrative profession and enterprise in Nigeria? Why do we have so much excesses at the federal level to the disadvantage of the so-called federating states , and to the extent that a federal assistant director is more powerful than a governor? Why are we afraid and scared at restructuring our warped and fake federalism and diluting the awesome powers and riches at the centre? More questions than answers?

    “For now, I advise the government to divert all the funds claimed to have been recovered into revamping our decaying infrastructure, particularly our educational sector at the tertiary level and all the federal roads which are caving in , if they’ve not already totally caved in.

    “Before then, the government must let us have details of the accounts where the recoverd funds are lodged without necessarily revealing the names of the payees. This is very important as higher figures had been released and or bandied in the past as coming from recovered loot.

    “We should be very transparent on this matter. If any money has been recovered on behalf of any state , the federal government should return it to the state concerned immediately , and should not convert it to federal property,” Olanipekun said.

    But, Akeredolu said looters should have been named. His words: “We commend the government for its efforts so far in the recovery of these sums.

    “I hold the view that releasing the names of those from whom the monies were recovered would send a clearer message of the government’s determination to rid the country of this cankerworm called corruption, which has eaten too deep into the fabric of our society.”

    Former governor of old Anambra State Chief Jim Nwobodo commended the Buhari administration for making public details of recovered looted funds.  He said: “It is a plus for President Muhammadu Buhari and his government. It is a good thing that the government was able to recover such huge amount within one year.

    “The recovered fund will assist the government in executing projects contained in the 2016 budget. Those criticising the president’s fight against corruption should have a re-think. The anti-graft war is yielding positive result.

    “I support the president in its efforts to get rid of corruption in the system. He should not relent until every kobo looted from the public treasury are recovered. Now we have a leader that Nigerians can trust.”

    To Fagbohungbe, naming names could result in needless litigation, and may defeat the purpose.

    “If their names are published, those who still want to return stolen money may become reluctant and scared. If they are charged to court, the matter will be prolonged.

    “Technically, what they have done is plea bargaining. We should not forget that government needs the money to execute a lot of programmes. The government should go ahead and direct its attention to recovering more of the stolen moneyý. Litigation will only impede recovery,” Fagbohungbe said.

    But, Prof Ajayi said except there was an agreement, the government should name the circumstances in which the assets were returned.

    “There is no law that says you cannot disclose. It is neither in the Constitution nor in any law. I do not know of any except there is an agreement not to do so,” he said.

    To Ngige, there is no point naming suspected looters when they have not been tried and convicted by a court of law.

    “The government’s decision is right and proper. This will encourage other looters to return their loot or part of it. The government deserves commendation for its act of transparency in informing the nation on the details of the recovered loot,” he said.

    Prof Akinseye-George said it would be improper to name those who returned looted assets, especially if there was a promise by the government not to do so, as any government which does not keep its promise would be seen as not trustworthy and lacking in integrity.

    “Breaking the promise not to mention their names would be a disincentive to others. They will go into the trenches and use the ill-gotten money to fight the government, using the rule of law. That’s why the lawyers are there to protect all, including suspected looters. All the cases so far being prosecuted have not yielded as much as those plea bargained in terms of assets recovery. All the negative publicity in the papers are meaningless without convictions.

    “Stealing from the country was condoned by past Governments and many Nigerians were involved. Politicians needed huge sums of money to win elections. Delegates to primary elections and voters in general elections were bribed openly by political ‘money bags’. Where did all the money come from? No genuine business man would spend his hard-earned money the way politicians spent looted assets,” he said.

    According to Akinseye-George, while asset recovery is welcome, government ought to pay attention to the root causes of corruption.

    The first major cause, he said, is the excessive use of money to influence the outcome of party primaries and general elections. This, he believes, calls for a fundamental overhaul of the electoral system because it creates an unhealthy rivalry amongst political office holders who often feel pressured to abuse their offices in order to gather funds to compete in future elections.

    “The former administration entrenched corruption. The present administration is merely treating the symptoms of corruption. We need to begin to address the root causes. This is the greatest change Nigeria needs.

    “If this Government does not make it impossible for corrupt people to manipulate elections, they will use their money and influence to block the change intended by this government. It is a great shame that former PDP governors and some incumbents are already regrouping to take over the government when they should be behind bars. Government must not treat the issue of corruption with kid gloves,” he said.

    A member of the Ogun State Judiciary Commission, Abayomi Omoyinmi, said the looters should have been named.

    “ýI feel the government should have named such persons, not necessarily that it will amount to shaming such persons, but at least for the people of Nigeria to know people or persons that have looted our treasury.

    “In any case those that are charged to court are known already. I say this because some of these people do not care about shame,” he said.

    Former Minister of Works and Housing Chief Ebenezer Babatope said the government should have done more than releasing the figures.

    “They are just talking about corruption without getting to the root. What message and lesson is the government impacting? Government said it had recovered money, but no name is written against the money recovered. You cannot publish amount without giving us names of those who took the money. That is not how to fight corruption; the names of those who took the money should appear beside the amount they returned.”

    To Lagos lawyer Mr. Festus Keyamo, the returned money indicate that a lot of stealing took place in the past.

    “The money was not picked from the dustbin, human beings were responsible for that. It only goes a long a way to confirm what has been going on in the country. My own concern is that people are still bringing partisanship into the issue.

    “This is our common patrimony, and I thought that we are on the course of recovering our common patrimony; therefore, we should put partisanship aside in order to recover the looted funds.

    “It is just like the case of an armed robber who stole money and someone pursues the robber and recoveres the money, but another person is saying ‘why did you fight the robber so hard to collect the money?’ Some are saying that the federal government is recovering money without regard to the rule of law; I think that is not fair enough on the government. We must encourage the government to recover looted funds.

    “The last time we had something like this was during the regime of General Murtala Mohammed; we had such aggressiveness in fighting corruption. We also had this in the first coming of Buhari and incidentally he is the one that is doing the same thing again. I think everybody should support him in the fight against corruption,” Keyamo said.

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said the government should publish the names of high-ranking public officials from whom the public funds were recovered.

    It also advised the government to  spend the recovered funds in a transparent manner so as to remove opportunities for re-looting of the recovered loot.

    In a statement issued yesterday by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation described the publication of the recovered stolen funds as a positive development towards entrenching a culture of transparency and accountability in government.

    The organisation advised: “The recovered funds must be spent to directly benefit Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations, particularly to improve their access to quality education, healthcare including for children, women and the elderly, and regular and uninterrupted electricity supply. It will be a double jeopardy for victims of corruption if recovered funds are re-looted, as it was the case with Sani Abacha recovered loot.”

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. John Olushola Bayeshea yesterday the release of the list of recovered funds by the Federal Government has vindicated President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to transparency.

    He said the government should also involve Nigerians on how the loot will be used for the nation’s development.

    Bayeshea, who with our correspondent, said: “I think it is a very transparent and honest information frpm the government. We don’t have this kind of transparency often. This is the first time I will see the Federal Government being transparent. That is vintage Buhari.

    “I am saying so because when ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration recovered some funds from the Abachas and others, we never knew the value of the amount. And under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, the situation got worse. The $2.1billion arms procurement cash was part of the Abacha loot but it was re-looted.

    “I hope the money will be well utilized and the government should publish what they will use the recovered funds for. Nigerians should be carried along.”

  • Looters return N78billion, $185m, £3 million to FG

    Looters return N78billion, $185m, £3 million to FG

    •Why govt didn’t name and shame culprits 

    N126b, $9m forfeited pending trial of suspects
    •$321m, $6.9m expected from abroad
    •Interim report on financial, assets recoveries released

    The Federal Government’s anti-graft war is truly on. Three hundred and seventy-one days into its tenure, much of which it spent chasing looted funds and the perpetrators, government yesterday said it had recovered  N78,325,354,631.82 (Seventy eight billion, three hundred and twenty-five million, three hundred and fifty-four thousand, six hundred and thirty one Naira and eighty two kobo); $185,119,584.61 (One hundred and eight five million, one hundred and nineteen thousand, five hundred and eighty four US dollars, sixty one cents); 3,508,355.46 Pounds Sterling (Three million, five hundred and eight thousand, three hundred and fifty-five Pounds and 46 Pence) and 11, 250 Euros (Eleven thousand, two hundred and fifty Euros) of the money.

    A separate N126,563,481,095.43 (One hundred and twenty six billion, five hundred and sixty three million, four hundred and eighty one thousand, and ninety five Naira, forty three kobo was temporarily seized  pending the conclusion of corruption related cases.

    Also in this category of Recoveries Under Interim Forfeiture (cash and assets) are:  $9,090,243,920.15 (Nine billion, ninety million, two hundred and forty three thousand, nine hundred and twenty Dollars, fifteen cents; 2,484,447.55 Pounds Sterling (Two million, four hundred and eighty four thousand, four hundred and forty seven Pounds, fifty five Pence) and 303,399.17 Euros (Three hundred and three thousand, three hundred and ninety-nine Euros, 17 cents ) seized from suspects facing trial or under investigation.

    Information and Culture Minster Lai Mohammed said in a statement in Lagos yesterday that the government’s action “is based on the interim report on the financial and assets recoveries made by the various government agencies from 29 May 2015 to 25 May 2016.”

    More funds are also being expected from abroad.

    These are stolen monies stashed in foreign banks by corrupt government officials.

    They are tagged ‘Funds awaiting return from foreign jurisdictions’.

    Mohammed put the figures at: $321,316,726.1 (Three hundred and twenty one million, three hundred and sixteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty six Dollars, one cent); 6,900,000 Pounds (Six million, nine hundred thousand Pounds) and 11,826.11 Euros (Eleven thousand, eight hundred and twenty six Euros, 11 cents).

    Non-Cash Recoveries (Farmlands, Plots of Land, Uncompleted Buildings, Completed Buildings, Vehicles and Maritime Vessels) recovered by government in the last one year total 239.

    The war against corruption forms a key aspect of the policies of the Buhari Administration.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had promised, during his trip to Britain last month to take part in a global summit on corruption, that  government would publish details of cash recovered from looters by government to enable Nigerians know the extent of graft in the system.

     

  • Buhari to name looters

    Buhari to name looters

    • Says pipeline saboteurs, killer herdsmen won’t go unpunished

    President Muhammadu Buhari said in London yesterday that the names of corrupt Nigerians will be made public in a speech he intends to deliver on May 29.

    He also said that such corrupt individuals will be prosecuted.

    Besides, all those involved in blowing up oil installations and sabotaging investments in the Niger Delta region will not go unpunished.

    He spoke with journalists on the sideline of  the Anti-Corruption Summit.

    Buhari said that he has already directed   the Chief of Naval Staff and other service chiefs to fish out the brains  behind the attacks.

    He said: “What I know is that I was elected by the whole country and the least I can do is to keep the country together somehow. I assure you we will develop the capacity to do it.

    “If you can recall, the militants, I appointed a retired Brigadier General (Boroh). When I give people assignment, I develop terms of reference for them and I allow them to do their work. I understand the problem. I spoke with the Chief of Naval Staff and other service chiefs to work with him and help him to make sure that those who are blowing the installations, sabotaging investments in Nigeria, we will deal with them eventually.”

    The President also said  the Federal Government is investigating allegations that it has reneged on the amnesty programme.

    “They are saying that the agreement on amnesty, including payment and training and employment were not being met. These are their allegations.

    “So we put this officer who is from there to revisit the agreement and get them and see which part of the agreement the Federal Government needs to fulfill.

    “The fundamental thing is that we have to secure Nigeria before we can manage it efficiently. I assure you that we are going to do that. Try and develop confidence in our ability to do it eventually.”

    On the killer herdsmen, Buhari said they are non-Nigerians who came into Nigeria from Libya.

    His words:” because of what happened in Libya, when Ghadaffi, during his 43 year-regime, trained some people from the Sahel militarily. When his regime was overthrown, those people were dispatched to their countries. They found themselves in the Boko Haram and others.

    “It is a major regional and virtually African problem now. There is one called Al Qaeda, there is Boko Haram and so on. It is a governmental project now to trace them, disarm them, try them and discipline them.”

    He said the Fulani herdsmen  “culturally do not stay in one place; they move with the season.

    “Normally, harvest is complete much earlier in the North. They have to go southwards for greener pasture.

    “Initially, there was what they call cattle routes and grazing areas. They were marked. Infrastructures were put in terms of dams and veterinary clinics.

    “Later, the big ogas that came, took over these places and turned them to farms. If we have like 500 cattle, if they do not eat for 24 hours or they want water, you can’t stop them.

    “But what they used to do then, if anybody goes outside, he would be arrested, taken before a court and he is fined. If he can pay, the money is taken and given to the farmer. If he can’t pay, the cattle is sold and the farmer is paid. So, people are behaving well.

    “So, when people came and took away the land for the cattle route and grazing area, you find out that from Kaduna to Bayelsa, Nigerians are fighting cattle rearers now.

    “When I was in PTF, we made a comprehensive study of cattle routes and grazing areas throughout Nigeria. So, I am referring the Governors’ Forum to it and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Let them see what they can do and save the situation.”

    He said: “So far, what has come out, what has been recovered in whatever currency from each ministries, departments and individuals, I intend on the 29th to speak on this because all Nigerians are getting from the mass media because of the number of people arrested either by the EFCC, DSS. But we want to make a comprehensive report on the 29th.

    On whether the names of those indicted will be published, he said: “Yes, eventually, it has to be done because we want to successfully prosecute them. But you know you cannot go to the courts unless you have documents for prosecution.

    “People signed for these monies into their personal accounts, their banks gave statements that the money is there, when it came, how much and so on.”

    Also speaking on allegation of selective prosecution, Buhari said: “That is an accusation against the law enforcement agencies. But I assure you that we do not interfere. Try and get those who are now under arrest, you will find out it is across the board.”

    On 2016 Budget implementation, he said: “It depends on the efficiency of the technocrats. Yes, we have six months to implement the budget. You know why there was a delay. There is something called padding. I have been in government since 1975. I was governor of what is now six states: Borno, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, that used to be North East. Then I was in Obasanjo’s cabinet, Petroleum for three and a quarter years. I was Head of State for 20 months.

    “I hadnever heard about that one padding until this year. And what does it mean? It means that the technocrats just allowed the government to make its noise, to go and make the presentation to the National Assembly. They will remove it and put in their own.

    “When we uncovered this, we just had to go back to the basics again. Ministers had to go again and appear before the Minister of Budget and National Planning and make presentations again. This was clearly brought out by the Minister of Health.

    “I saw with my own eyes, nobody told me. I was watching NTA and he appeared before a committee that said the minister should come and defend his budget. He looked at what was presented to him as his budget and he said he had nothing to defend, that that was not what he presented.

    “Subsequently, we discovered that it was not only the ministry of health. So they allowed us to talk rubbish as government and they do what they like.”

  • Lawmaker advocates capital punishment for looters

    Deputy Whip of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Omotayo Oduntan has said the death sentence for kidnappers should also be extended to public office holders who embezzled money to serve as a deterrent to others

    Oduntan made the call during a chat with Assembly correspondents in a programmed tagged, ‘Time out with the press’ organised by correspondents for lawmakers in the House at the Assembly complex Thursday.

    According to her, if capital punishment is introduced for public officers who dip their fingers in the national till it will reduce embezzlement.

    The lawmaker who represents Alimosho 2 also advised that such public officials who embezzled the type of humongous sums of money that is being reeled out on a daily basis by newspapers needs to be taken to psychiatrist hospital to have their brains examined to see if they are normal.

    She said, accumulation of such huge sum of money and property that will last up to their fifth generation would only make their children wayward and unserious “because they have so much money to play around with and at the end of the day the children end up not being useful to themselves, their parents, anybody and the society at large.”

    On death sentence for kidnappers, she said she is in support of the death sentence as prescribed by the National Assembly members.

    She however advised the Federal Government to provide more jobs for Nigerians as joblessness is partly responsible for the increase in cases of kidnapping.

    “Joblessness is partly responsible for the spate of kidnapping; by the time somebody graduates from school and stays at home jobless for three to ten years, they take to kidnapping to survive.

    “If more jobs are provided kidnapping will be on the decrease, because joblessness is part of the reason why people take to kidnapping after waiting for three to ten years without job, they resort to kidnapping,” she said.

  • ‘Looters must return stolen money’

    ‘Looters must return stolen money’

    Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom recently spoke with reporters in Lagos on his efforts to recover looted funds, his projects and moves to ensure lasting peace in the Food Basket state. Musa Odoshimokhe was there. 

    hat is government doing to make Benue better than you met it?

    The challenge before us is how to pull our state out of ignorance, poverty and disease. These challenges have become acute in the face of dwindling fortunes of the Nigeria’s economy as a result of falling oil prices. As things stand now, governments at all levels have a herculean task of fulfilling their obligations. We must sincerely return to agriculture as a way of boosting our economy. Our government has put in place ingenious initiatives to boost agricultural production as listed in the 2016 budget. We must also provide the necessary infrastructure to boost our rural economy. The Ministry of Works and Transport shall be given the additional mandate of Power and Energy; this will now function as Ministry of Works, Transport and Energy.

    We met a debt of over N169 billion and still expect more as we continue to verify. We borrowed to commence the payment of salaries, implementation of minimum wage to teachers, take-off of our administration as well as the clearing of salary arrears of workers at the local government and state levels.

    The Federal Government also came to our rescue with a loan of N28 billion, which has helped in no small measure to tackle the salary arrears challenge and we hope that help shall also come for us to pay arrears of pensions and gratuities.

    Despite these, we recorded milestones which made a difference in the lives of the people. These include early composition of the state executive council. We hit the ground running, trimming the size of government and introduction of cost saving measures. We introduced amnesty program to tackle the security challenges that we met on assumption.

    How has the peace initiative introduced by your administration work out?

    The first part of the programme we embarked on to make peace return to the state was through the Carrot Approach. This yielded positive results with the surrender of over 700 youths, 500 assorted arms and thousands of ammunition. The beneficiaries, who have undergone a retreat, are being sorted out into various aspects of the programme. These include a return to school, skills acquisition and integration into the information gathering system of the security apparatus. The result of the amnesty programme has increased security of lives and property. The confrontation between herders and farmers has minimized.

    Government has sought to unite the state through other programme like projecting our dress code towards unity and and peace. This is symbolised in what we do and wear. Our dress code represents the Tiv, Idoma and Igede, the three dominant tribes in Benue. We want to govern a state where all the ethnic groups see themselves as one.  Remarkably, many people are embracing the dress code. That is a loud statement on unity.

    What is your plan for turn the economy for the state?

    We want to stimulate the economy and allow the private sector do profitable businesses. There are plans to dispose off some facilities.  Even the facilities owned by government will be sold or leased out. For instance, the tomatoes factory at Wanune, we have someone who is interested in it and we had discussed on how it could be made better. The same thing goes to other industries which can survive well in private ownership.  The People are waiting to either lease or buy them. We want these factories to become operational as quickly as possible.  This will generate employment for Benue people and stimulate the economy. These factories will also provide opportunities to local farmers and other local businesses, to supply raw materials and other things.

    The Elizabeth Kpojime Commission of Inquiry discovered that N219 billion was looted. How are you handling this?

    If I have N219 billion, I will do wonders for this state. It is a lot of money. Let them bring back the money and even the other N802 billion we are talking about. Even that one, there are issues over it.

    We want to pay salaries, we want to pay pensioners their money, we want to pay gratuity and we want to fulfill our contractual obligations, including the ones we inherited.

    With N219 billion, it is enough to solve these problems. It we get the money, nobody will talk about bailout again. I can even take from it to repay the Federal Government the amount they gave us as bailout fund.

    We need rural roads, we need electricity, and we want our hospitals to work. We want our schools to be functional. This is where this money will go. So, it is imperative we recover.

    There is no political settlement on this matter of our commonwealth. It is very important they pay back the money.

    I invited stakeholders last year and they were unanimous that refund must be made on commonwealth. So, there will be nothing like settlement.

    If you can make refund, I have no case against you. If you said you took N10 billion and you refund the N10 billion, I will tell you to go and sin no more. But, where you cannot, this is when I will have problems with you.

    All parties were invited, non-partisan people were also invited and stakeholders in Benue unanimously approved the commission’s work. I want to assure you that I’m not alone in this business of knowing how our commonwealth was spent. Those who are in doubt at least from the presentations of the chairman’s report can appreciate that over one trillion came to the state within the space of this eight years that we are talking about and over N200 billion was not accounted for. Then you can begin to appreciate why we have salary arrears, pensions and gratuity of over N69 billion out of the 219 billion.  You can now see why you have contracts and jobs that were done and were unaccounted for. You can now see why we are still having challenges. You can see why civil servants who have retired are not receiving their gratuity and pensions. You can now see why the debt profile of the state went that high. You can now understand why some people are desperate to discredit this government, for trying to bring to light what they did in the past.

    What have you achieved in terms of infrastructure development?

    Following the payment of part of the money owed the contractor of the water works in Katsina-Ala and Otukpo, the taps are now flowing in the two towns. Similar payment has ensured resumption of work on the Daudu-Gbajimba road. Work is also on-going on the completion of the House of Assembly Complex in Makurdi. The resumption of the Benue State University and payment for accreditation of its programme at the College of Health Sciences has led to the graduation of the first set of 27 pioneer doctors, who had spent 12 years at the institution. There is massive on-going renovation at the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Makurdi, preparatory to re-accreditation which the school lost for three years. We purchased and installed a new transmitter at Radio Benue which has improved its services and coverage,

    In partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology and the Rockefeller Foundation we trained over 2,000 youths for on-line job opportunities. Our commitment to the payment of counterpart funding has seen the return of development partners who were leaving the state in their numbers. These are just the major highlights of some of the things we have been able to do since the assumption of office.

    Our target in government remains the implementation of the core objectives of “Our Collective Vision for a New Benue”. This will be done in accordance with the APC manifesto, this, I reassure you of our commitment and with the fear of God. This shall translate to the entrenchment of core values that make development inevitable.

    Whenever I tell you that our administration has zero tolerance for corruption, I mean it. We shall pursue and recover for the state public money and property converted to personal use. Once we receive the reports of the various investigative panels, we shall tell you who took from the commonwealth of the people and how we shall recover every kobo and property of the people in the hands of anybody no matter how highly placed.

  • ‘Looters should return looted funds’

    ‘Looters should return looted funds’

    Former Deputy Senate Minority Leader Olorunnimbe Mamora is excited by the anti-graft war of President Muhammadu Buhari. In this interview with LEKE SALAUDEEN, he speaks on the renewed anti-corruption battle, the performance of the National Assembly, the Biafra agitation and national security.

    Are you surprised by the revelations from the investigation of $2.1 billion arms cash?

    I am not surprised but only surprised with the magnitude of the revelations, it is mind boggling. The President Goodluck Jonathan administration appeared not to have put anyone in doubt as to the level of impunity under it; it was an administration riddled with impunity. I am sure the Dasukigate is just a tip of an ice berg. Definitely, there are more other gates that are yet to open. Let’s see how many gates President Buhari will open. Buhari made it clear that fight against corruption is one of the cardinal programmes of his administration and it is being pursued relentlessly.

    Do you think the beneficiaries should be pardoned, if they refund the money?

    One is tempted to sympathise with them because they don’t know the source of the money, particularly those of them who are hitherto men of respect in the eyes of the public. But lawyers will say ignorance is not an excuse in law. In that case, the suspects will still have to explain themselves before the court of law, if it gets to that stage to exonerate themselves. Even where some of them had the foreknowledge of the source of the money, they would still take it because it was an era of impunity.

    The most important thing is that those who benefitted from the sharing of $2.1 billion arms cash should return the money. We need the money to prosecute government programmes. Pardon will have to come under the prerogative of mercy of Mr President. If he’s convinced that certain individuals collected the money in error, he will not hesitate to pardon them. However, each case should be taken on its merit; it should not be a blanket cover in granting pardon.

    Are you impressed that the Senate passed only one Bill and none by the House of Representatives in six months?

    We should take a kind of holistic approach in assessing the National Assembly’s performance, especially the Senate where I served as the Deputy Minority Leader. I have always argued on the need of the people out there, especially members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm (the press) to educate the public on the functions of the National Assembly. Passage of Bills is just one out of the numerous functions of the Assembly. There are other responsibilities like oversight function, legitimising role, confirmation of appointments, consensus building, policy incubation etc. So, we should not base their performance on law making alone.

    It is only fair to assess the 8th National Assembly on the basis of its shaky start, especially on how the leadership emerged. It was a long drawn battle. The delay in finding its feet; it took time to smooth rough edges and to stabilise the foundation. You can’t build an edifice on faulty foundation. We should bear with this Assembly. Let’s give it time to put its act together with a view to perform its functions.

    I will expect the National Assembly to know that it constitutes the ears and eyes of the people. It is expected to give effect to the yearnings of the people. The National Assembly is the first hope of the common man. I had expected the Senate would ask for the portfolios of ministerial nominees so that the nominee will be asked relevant questions about the ministry he or she was nominated to serve.

    I consider the establishment of 55 committees in a Senate of 109 members wieldy. It will definitely task the efficiency of the Senate. Nine members of the House of Representatives have sued the Speaker on the rules of the House.  It is an indication that all is not well with the House. There is need for members to resolve their differences amicably in the interest of the country at large. A house that is divided against itself cannot stand. Such a situation will be sending wrong signals as to the stability of the House.

    If you look at the present National Assembly, less than 20 per cent are old members. It will take new members time to learn the rope of legislating.

    The federal troops have technically defeated Boko Haram, but we are still faced with suicide bomb attacks. What else can the Federal Government do?

    President Muhammadu Buhari is doing his best to rout the Boko Haram insurgents. Yes, Boko Haram has been technically defeated because their capacity or ability to wreak havoc or disaster in a similar way they used to do has been drastically reduced. I want to commend members of our Armed Forces for what they have been doing so far. Every day, they play to us the captured depots where Boko Haram manufactures their weapons and those of them apprehended. That is not to say it is all over.

    There was a time the Federal troops could not penetrate Sambisa forest. Cross border activities is now possible unlike before when Boko Haram ran over communities and hoist their flags. Boko Haram is an insurgency war, it is a global war, it is a war of attrition and a guerrilla war. They won’t give up immediately. That is why they now go to Internally Displaced People (IDP) centres, Churches, Mosques and motor parks to wreak havoc.

    Over time, they will be completely routed. Government should continue to give support to the fighting soldiers in terms of provision of arms and ammunition and boost their morale.

    Do you think the Biafra agitators are pursuing their goal in the right channel?

    Any move that attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria is not patriotic. Biafra agitation is not patriotic. It is largely political. Some powerful interest groups are behind the agitation, using the youths as cannon fodder. Anyone who has witnessed war will not pray it should happen again. If you have a goal that is not rightly being pursued, you will lose. The agitators may just be seeking attention. It should be done in a right way not through violence that threatens the peace of the land.

    I am happy to say that I have not seen any major Igbo group associating with these separatist groups like MASOB and IPOB. Rather they have come out to condemn their action. No governor in the South-east has come out to support the agitators. I want to plead that the Federal Government should listen to them. If people rightly or wrongly felt a sense of marginalisation, the best thing is to reach out to them to have a dialogue, constructive engagement, explaining issues to create a sense of belonging. We should not apply sledge hammer over their agitation.

    If the Federal Government extend olive branch to them, they will reason to come to the round table to discuss issues involved. There is strength in number. Nigeria is referred to as giant of Africa because of our population.  Our capacity, diversity and resources are derived from the strength of our population. We can maximise them if we manage them appropriately. Sometime, people act in ignorance but through dialogue they will know the truth.

    Are the Niger Delta militants vandalising the oil and gas pipelines doing this country good?

    The militancy of Niger Delta which started sometime ago should be seen as one of the ills of our society. Happily, the Yar’Adua administration introduced the amnesty programme for the Niger Delta militants. It was continued by the Jonathan government. Happily too, the Buhari administration did not stop it. That is to show to the whole world that the government of Buhari means well. It has brought a better management as shown by re-engineering the management of Amnesty Programme.

    The ex-militant should not over reach themselves but should co-operate with the government as some ex-militant leaders have called for co-operation and support for President Buhari.