The Nation Newspaper

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  • Romancing death on the highway

    Thousands of pedestrians in Lagos prefer crossing the expressway to using the pedestrian bridges provided by the state government. OLATUNDE ODEBIYI and IBRAHIM ADAM examine the dangers pedestrians who cross the expressway expose themselves to on daily basis at the Ojota axis along Ikorodu Expressway.

    If one stands at the Ojota axis of the Ikorodu Expressway in Lagos for about 10 minutes, one will notice that over 100 people would have crossed the expressway. Those who cross the road are aware of the pedestrian bridge at that point, yet they prefer crossing the road to using the pedestrian bridge.

    Motorcyclists and wheelbarrow pushers are not left out. They not only romance death on the highway but also hinder free vehicular movement on this axis every day.

    Southwest Report observed that people cross the road at the axis where there are two pedestrian bridges in Ojota. The median are getting damaged and the wire mesh is already removed.

    Recall that when pedestrians complained years back that the old footbridge was not enough to accommodate the volume of human traffic on  the pedestrian bridge, the state government constructed the second bridge in 2017. But, despite the provision of two pedestrian bridges, many still cross the expressway.

    Read also: Taxi driver hit, speed off with LASTMA official hanging on car bonnet

    It was also observed that despite the presence of police, officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), people still cross the road. None of the offenders has been arrested by any of the officials.

    Thousands of people cross the road on a daily basis; wheelbarrow pushers neglect the provisions made for them on the new bridge and the commercial motorcyclists jostle for space with motorists on the expressway.

    A journalist Samuel, who shared his experience on this axis said: “I was driving from Ketu to Maryland on the express road when a commercial motorcyclist who was not supposed to be on the expressway, carried his motorcycle and crossed to the other side of the expressway. He crossed the median and broke through the wire mesh and impeded vehicular movement on the other side.

    “I had to quickly apply the brakes and all he could do was to do waka waka to me.

    “The concrete median and the wire mesh that government spent millions of naira to put in place are being destroyed.

    “The wire mesh is costly and it has been pulled down; this is the same place government has invested money following initial complaints that the old pedestrian bridge was not enough to accommodate the volume of human traffic. Government spent money to make another one, but the wire mesh is now destroyed right under the bridge.

    “Despite the fact that the new pedestrian bridge has a roller for wheelbarrow, none of them uses the platform as they too cross the road.”

    He described the axis as where lawlessness pervade, noting that security personnel are always at the spot but they do not arrest the traffic offenders.

    ”There is complete breakdown of order on that axis and government should do something about it. I know there is an existing law that bans all of these; all government needs to do is to enforce the law. The law is that okada operators should not ply the entire Ikorodu Road. Even danfo drivers are not supposed to drop or carry passengers on the expressway. They should park well on the service lane and pick their passengers. All these are happening and government is not doing anything. Government needs to enforce the existing laws; people should be encouraged to use the pedestrian bridges to ensure safety,” he said.

    A worker in one of the firms in Lagos, Comrade Busari Jelili said people cross the express road without giving a thought to their lives.

    “The funniest part of all is that if a car or a truck hits them, there will be no case, because they are crossing the road instead of using the pedestrian bridge.

    “Despite the two pedestrian bridges that government provided at Ojota axis of the expressway, people still prefer crossing the highway to using the bridges. Before the wire mesh was removed to create a passage, people made use of both bridges but today, only few use the bridge.

    “Recently, a man was knocked down by one of those motorcycles and the motorcyclist ran away.”

    He begged government to fix the open space and also mount CCTV cameras everywhere to provide surveillance around that environment.

    A motorcyclist who didn’t want his name in print for security reasons, said no one has been arrested for crossing the road.

    “As you can see, people are crossing the expressway as they like. If you want to cross, you can cross the road and no one would arrest you.

    “Okada riders too carry passengers here and we cross with our motorcycle, because we have no other place around here to make a U-turn and nobody arrests us. Just look at the cars well before you cross.

    “Our lives belong to God and He protects us but, if you want to cross, be very smart,” he said.

    Another motorcyclist, who identified himself as Sodiq, said even though their movement on the express roads are risky, he said they have no option than to go about their businesses.

    “We know it’s risky plying the the expressway, but this is the only business many of us do to keep body and soul together. We have to put our motorcycles on the axis where passengers are. We are here because this is where the danfo buses drop passengers. If we are not here, how will we get passengers?”

    He added that the wire mesh was removed by Area Boys and usually done in the middle of the night.

    “I cannot tell you that I have seen anyone removing the wire mesh, but it is obvious that it is removed by those homeless Area Boys,” he said.

    A pedestrian, Yetunde Alao said using the pedestrian bridge takes time, adding that crossing the road is faster and less stressful.

    “I cannot waste my time using the pedestrian bridge. I only have to be smart and look well before I cross the road; after all there is nobody here that will arrest us,” he said.

    A trader around the new pedestrian bridge lamented that those who display their wares on the pedestrian bridges for people to buy are not happy that people are crossing the express way. She said the proceeds from sales to buyers who make use of the bridges have reduced, noting that the situation has affected sales badly.

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Dr Taiwo Salaam, said enforcement of the law to arrest those who cross the road would be reintroduced in the area.

    “The officials that are on that axis currently are there to ensure free flow of traffic and movement of people in the environment. They are not there to arrest people who cross the expressway.

    “Initially when we wanted to stop people from crossing the expressway, we had to prevent them from crossing by fixing wire mesh in between the expressway because of the increasing casualties recorded on the road.

    “In  Ojota, we later observed that only one foot bridge was not enough for people crossing the road. We told government to construct another bridge which was done. Wire mesh was also put in between the expressway to prevent people from crossing the road.

    “We do not want to treat people like animals, we expect them to voluntarily use the two bridges. They give all manner of excuses why they do cross the road. Some say their legs were paining them, some say they are tired.

    “Before the wire mesh, there were officials there to arrest those who cross the road but since the wire mesh was fixed and there was another bridge, we decided to take away the officials because we expected that people will naturally use the bridges.

    “Now that we have noticed that people don’t want to do the needful, we will redeploy officials to man the area.  We will reintroduce taskforce in that area to arrest people who cross the expressway.

    “Even motorcycles are not meant to  ply the road because there is a law in the state that bans commercial motorcycles from plying some routes in the state,” he said.

    On the wire mesh that has been removed, he said: “Those people who remove it probably do so at midnight. We need you journalists to help us to investigate those who remove the wire mesh. When we know those who remove the wire mesh through your report, then we will take it up from there.”

  • Rotary Club donates facility to school

    Rotary Club of Akowonjo, District 9110 Nigeria has donated four toilet facilities to Shasha Primary School, in Shasha, Lagos State.

    According to the club’s President, Bisi Taiwo, the gesture was in line with the focus of Rotary and to be of help to others.

    She said the club renovated one of the already existing toilet buildings in the school.

    “We reconstructed the building because the only things remaining were the foundation and the walls. We fixed the roof and the ceiling; we removed the previous water closet because they were broken and we fixed new ones, with wash hand basin, we fixed all the doors and did the painting. We spent about one million naira.

    “We began the project in January. There were four toilets; two for the boys and two for the girls.”

    She urged the school authorities to maintain the facility, noting that if they have issues they should inform the club.

    “Rotary has six areas of focus and we have been able to touch all the six areas which include Child and Maternal health care, diseases prevention and treatment, and this project we have inaugurated, water and sanitation. We have also done basic education and literacy, which include donation of books and other educational materials to schools,” she said.

    District Governor of Rotary International District 9110 covering Lagos and Ogun states, Kola Shodipo, said the toilet facility is to enable the students maintain hygienic environment even when they are in school.

    “We believe that apart from having an environment conducive to teaching and learning in terms of structure, materials, text books; teachers, other members of staff and the students also need restrooms in an environment that will enhance their self-esteem.”

    He urged the students, members of staff and management to ensure sustainability and maintenance.

    “This has been provided of the Rotary Club of Akowonjo. The school should take normal care of these facilities so that years later when we come as rotary, we will be proud that these toilet facilities that have been provided are maintained. That will also encourage us to do more in other areas of life,” he said.

    The Secretary to Alimosho Local Government Area, Hon. Dare Ogunkoya, said the local government and the school are happy about the project, noting that they are the kind of projects that other people should emulate.

    “We thank Rotary Club for what they have done and we implore others to take the issue of corporate social responsibility serious. If everybody is doing one or two things in their communities, the society would be a better place to live in,” he said.

  • Women get tips on strategic partnerships

    Think global, act local; cultivate strategic and sustainable partnerships were some of the tips the Head of Oando Foundation, Adekanla Adegoke gave to those at a mentorship conference during her Masterclass session at the 2019 Women in Development Summit, a network of women working in the social sector, which held in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The 2019 edition whose theme was “Women-led Business as a Tool for Social Change and Nation-building” was a platform for women to speak on various topics such as “Are Women Entrepreneurs Ready to Drive Social Change in Nigeria?” “What would it take?” and “New Media: Platforms for Entrepreneurial Opportunity”.

    Hosted by Ideation Hub Africa, the summit was a high-octane networking conference for women working across Africa on development and social-change in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), social enterprise, public sector as well as corporate organisations; providing a rallying point for change makers working actively for social good.

    Speaking on the topic “Strategic Alliances: Activating Partnerships Between Non-profits and Businesses, Adegoke encouraged those present at the summit to have a global outlook to their social work without losing focus of local programming implementation approaches and their operating environment.

    She spoke on the power of association through volunteering activities and the need to be passionate about the cause they choose to support.

    Speaking further on the foundation’s investment in basic education, she said when Oando Foundation-an independent charity established by Oando Plc began operations in 2011, it learnt from international development agencies already working in the Nigerian education space that public schools needed at least eight years of holistic intervention to see significant results. This formed the premise upon which the foundation’s school adoption model was designed.

    “Research has shown that it takes eight years to move a school from zero to 80 per cent. You cannot achieve 100 per cent if the teachers themselves do not have the requisite skills and competencies to promote quality teaching and learning experiences.

    “So, we get into a school, improve the infrastructure, train the teachers, empower the school-based management committee and keep improving the school and the Education Management Support System at the state and local levels,” she said

    Apart from the funding that the foundation provides for its adopted schools, Mrs Adegoke said it leverages strategic partnerships with various local/international organisations to bring in more resources to the schools.

    She mentioned, for instance, that the foundation’s partnership with Sumitomo Chemical, one of Japan’s leading chemical companies, has resulted in the provision of ICT centres in three of its adopted schools annually since 2017, impacting on over 7,000 beneficiaries to date.

    Adegoke said the foundation is also utilising its proof of concept to advocate for project replication with various state governments.

    “To run effective non-profits, structure, networking and providing evidence are all important,” she said.

    She encouraged the participants who were mostly young women in the development sector to operate a well-structured, non-profit organisation in order to attract productive and sustainable partnership in the interest of their core beneficiaries.

    The keynote speaker at the summit, Mrs Hansatu Adegbite, said effective communication was necessary to NGOs getting the kind of funding they needed to run.

    In her address, Mrs Adegbite reiterated that there was an abundance of financial resources in the private sector that could be spent on developmental issues if the right message got to them. She noted it was important to think of adopting a sustainable funding model that would work for them.

    “To get that (financial) resource, you must solve a problem. There are two models you can adopt-develop a profit business to finance social problems or identify funding models that work for non-profit.

    “Why women are relevant is because women are empathetic and emotional; they are not thinking of money but impact. That is why it is important for women to know how to get their own funding,” she said.

    Founder of Ideation Hub, Mrs Debola Deji-Kurunmi said the programme was organised to expose entrepreneurs and those in the development sector to build their capacity to deliver impact.

    “We want to grow the capacity of development practitioners, young corporate leaders and social entrepreneurs to deliver impact; to succeed in their work. But we also want to see entrepreneurs partner with NGOs so that they can provide support and funding in solving a problem they are also passionate about,” she said.

  • ‘We don’t want to lose more lives’

    Perhaps, a number of lives would have been saved had any serious steps been taken to contain the excesses of tanker drivers and okada riders who have inflicted so much pain on residents of Oriade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State through their reckless driving.

    Apart from the recurrent gridlocks, residents, including school children, are being killed on daily basis due to their inconsiderate use of the roads in the area.

    Consequently, many families have been thrown into unending grief and sorrow, as most parents become apprehensive whether their children who left for school would come back safely.

    “The loss of lives must stop; we cannot continue to lose our children this way. Something must be done now to stop this,” a resident in the area said.

    But rather than allowing the people to take laws into their hands which sometimes result in violence, the Executive arm of the local council area has decided to enact a bill to regulate the activities of tank farm owners and allied operations within the local government area, especially on the Ijegun-Egba and Ibasa axis to forestall further dangers.

    Read also: Council presents N2.9b budget

    In a public hearing, the executive arm is seeking the views and opinions of the people on the proposed bill. The Executive Chairman of the local government, Hon. Ramotalai Akinlola Hassan, who spoke through the Council Manager, Adeyemi Adebola, said with the law in place, entry for all trucks to the depot would only be from Abule-Ado into Fin Niger Junction while exit out of Fin Niger will be only towards Alakija. She added that trucks will no longer be permitted to enter into Fin Niger and Alakija or exit through Abule-Ado.

    According to her, any faulty truck on MuminAdio Badmus Road must be towed within a given time frame while the same road shall not serve as repair workshop, even as she revealed that the local government, in conjunction with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will take care of offenders.

    “Henceforth, Old Ojo Road and MuminAdio Badmus Road shall not be used as parking space for any tanker or truck except with parking permit duly authorised by the local government.

    “Again, okada and tricycles shall no longer load at Fin Niger bus stop as alternative routes shall be created for them to access MuminAdio Badmus Road with the exception of ‘koropes’ that will still be allowed to carry people but not at the Fin Niger Junction. This is to prevent unnecessary accidents that occur daily on MuminAdio Badmus Road,” she said.

    Hassan further stated that tanker drivers shall not be allowed to dispense or sell petrol or diesel to any black marketers along Old Ojo Road and MuminAdio Badmus roads, insisting that there shall be speed limit to be introduced for all tanker drivers which must not be strictly adhered to.

    Furthermore, operators of tank farms must comply with environmental impact assessment of the state government and ensure that water properly flowed into the river and also ensure that water did not flow back into the communities around them. She stressed the need for tank farm owners to acquire space as loading bay from where they issue call notices for loading products.

    In his speech, Adebola reiterated the urgent need to regulate the way tank farm owners operated in the area, including the allied operators such as the tanker drivers, okada and keke NAPEP operators.

    He said: “We want to regulate their activities so that people can go into their premises safely, do their businesses safely so that we don’t continue to record casualties that have been experienced in the past.”

    Adebola expressed his worry that accidents occur in the area almost on daily basis. More disturbing, he said, is the fact that school children were being killed due to the recklessness of the tanker drivers. He added that the traffic gridlocks on the roads could prevent school children from reaching their homes on time.

    “We cannot continue to watch this happening, that’s the reason we want to control the activities of tanker drivers and okada riders. They need to ride cautiously,” he said.

    “The councillors are coming up with the bylaw. We have told all the stakeholders that we intend to sanitise the environment. They have come up with some suggestions. We want the executive arm to make an input to the draft and at the end of the day we come up with a bylaw and anybody who goes against the bylaw will be sanctioned.

    “Even though the Federal Government has given them the license to operate, their operations are causing hardship to our people. That is why we have to regulate their activities.

    “We have said a truck can only come in through one way and exit through another way. That’s the regulation and anybody who contravenes that will be sanctioned. We are going to get rid of okada from Fin Niger Junction and provide alternative route for them so that we stop this incessant killing of people and those who don’t comply will be punished.

    Leader of Council, Hon. Jamiu Abiodun Kasali said convening public hearing on critical issues affecting the people either positively or negatively was a responsibility vested in the legislative arm of government.

    “The executive had viewed critically the activities of tank farm operations, the activities of tanker drivers, the hardship being experienced by residents, the behaviour of okada riders and keke NAPEP operators, the activities of union members at the Fin Niger Junction and decided to regulate their activities,” he said.

    This, he said, was to ensure the business activities of tank farms did not engender hardship for the residents, motorists and all road users. We decided to call for this meeting to hear from our people and seek their opinions, he added.

  • Intervention for 10 Osun health facilities

    No fewer than 10 primary health centres in Osogbo, the Osun State capital recently benefited from medical equipment worth over N1 million donated by a foreign society group, the Sisters Cities International.

    The health centres include the ones at Okebale, Olugunna, Enikaoyun, Ota-Efun, Oke Abesu, Odiolowo and Ilie. Also, the international project of the Osogbo Ashville Sister Cities Association (OASCA), the Atelewo Model Primary Health Centre (PHC) with Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) facilities, the state hospital at Asubiaro and the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Department of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Osogbo, benefited from the gesture.

    The donation was facilitated by the Osogbo Ashville Sister Cities Association (OASCA).

    Speaking during the distribution of the medical equipment to the health centres, the Chairman of OASCA, Dr. Oluseyi Atanda, revealed that they were carefully selected after a background investigation on their relevance and patronage by the public as well as their deficiencies in some areas.

    He further revealed that the intervention would strengthen health care delivery services in communities within Osogbo.

    According to him, the gesture was as a result of the collaboration between OASCA and Sister Cities International in order to improve the lives of residents, especially mothers, children and the youth in the communities.

    Atanda added that the medical equipment comprises labour and delivery instruments, paediatrics and anaesthesiology, apart from surgical gowns and drapes.

    He said: “It is my belief that the service providers in the facilities, project implementation committee and the local governments will ensure that the equipment are judiciously used to achieve the purpose for which they were provided.”

    He acknowledged that the event is historical; saying it will improve the health status of residents.

    Atanda, who noted that the event was first of its kind, maintained that it was the largest medical supplies from Asheville to Osogbo community.

    He further said: “Sister Cities International has facilitated assistance to over 550 communities in and outside United States of America. The organisation has over 2, 000 partnerships in 136 countries.

    “Asheville Sister Cities Incorporated is a member of SCI with seven cities relationships spread across the world and we are proud to be the 6th and only city in relationship with Asheville in Nigeria.”

    The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanioekun Oyetuni, Larooye II, represented by one of his chiefs, Bashorun Tunde Akanni, praised SCI for its gesture, promising to monitor the utilisation of the equipment.

    Also, the National President, Osogbo Progressive Union, Ambassador Adul-Rasaq Siyanbola, advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the equipment.

  • Govt advised to sponsor indigent students in varsities

    The Maye of Yoruba land and founder of the Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State High Chief Ramon Adedoyin has advised the Federal Government to show more commitment in the education of brilliant but indigent students. This, he said, it could do by ensuring the improvement of the education sector through investment in the sector which he described as catalyst for development.

    According to him, many brilliant students would continue to be denied university education as long as the current arrangement subsists.

    To ensure that more students from poor homes receive university education, the High Chief maintained that the Federal Government should sponsor more brilliant but indigent students in tertiary education.

    Adedoyin spoke while reacting to a recent statistics which revealed that “out of close to two million candidates who sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), more than one million would be denied admission not because they are not qualified but because the present carrying capacity of Nigeria tertiary institutions, especially the public ones, are not enough to cater for the teeming population of youths seeking admission each year.”

    The statistics revealed that “about 1.99 million candidates registered for the UTME, but the current carrying capacity of Nigerian universities, monotechnics, polytechnics, colleges of education and innovation schools is 750,000 which leaves a shortfall of over 1.2 million candidates who will have to join other candidates to jostle for the limited admission spaces next year or look for ramshackle universities in Cotonou, Republic of Benin or illegal universities in Nigeria.”

    The National Universities Commission (NUC) recently listed almost 100 illegal varsities in Nigeria and Republic of Benin, where many Nigerian students are currently studying.

    The statistics also stated that while most public tertiary institutions, especially the public ones already admit above their carrying capacity, none of the private universities is able to admit up to its carrying capacity because of exorbitant fees which they charge.

    Proffering solution to the unsavoury situation, High Chief Adedoyin said the way out is for government to ensure that the poor have access to quality education by sponsoring those students whose parents could not afford fees for tertiary education. He further noted that the carrying capacities of private universities are not met because they charge an average of 400,000 naira which most parents cannot afford.

    According to him, the government doesn’t need to give cash to private institutions for such sponsorships; rather such sponsorships can be in form of building laboratories, libraries, hostels as well as other facilities which shall be equivalent of the tuition charged by the private universities.

    “Private schools pay heavily on salaries and provision of facilities,” he said.

    He also advised that rather than proliferating private universities by giving approval for more of such institutions, the Federal Government should create access to private universities through sponsorships and other incentives.

    Stating that the minimum qualification for one to teach in a standard university is a doctoral degree, the educationist said many of the existing universities lack the requisite manpower, adding that there is need for the existing universities to work optimally before approvals are given for new ones.

  • APC’s victory must stand, says Ogun ex-commissioner

    Former Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Muyiwa Oladipo has said that the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM), governorship candidate in the just-concluded governorship and houses of assembly elections, Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, should have accepted defeat.

    He said Akinlade should have “accepted defeat in good faith and submit to the will of the people as the election of governor-elect Prince Dapo Abiodun by the people stands and nobody will upturn the election by any means, whether legal or illegal.”

    Oladipo explained that the election of Abiodun as governor-elect was the freest and most rancour-free in the history of the state as adjudged by various national and international observers who witnessed the election and gave the appraisal to the electoral body who conducted the election.

    In a statement signed by the former Commissioner in reaction to an interview granted a media outfit in Abeokuta, challenging the result of the election at the tribunal by the APM, Oladipo said Akinlade’s reactions on the election indicated that he was still suffering from defeat.

    Read also: PDP blackmailing Supreme Court, APC alleges

    He added that the APM and its candidate were yet to advance any concrete argument to discredit the election rated as most peaceful, saying that “their attempt to heat up the polity and create unnecessary tension through their unguarded utterances days before, during and after the election failed and were now blaming the APC for their failure.”

    In his reaction to the petition of Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mrs Modupeolu Sanyaolu, he said it was a tip of iceberg as the party has two factions in the state, saying that the two factional leaders have congratulated the governor-elect, including their governorship candidate.

    He added that he was surprised to hear that LP has headed to the tribunal to challenge the omission of its party logo on the ballot paper, noting that the party led by Comrade Abayomi Arabambi who double as Chairman of Intra-party Advisory Council (IPAC), has congratulated the leader of the party in the state, Olusegun Osoba and the governor-elect.

    He said the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. AbdulGaniy Raji, also expressed his surprise in the petition of Labour Party at the tribunal, adding that it’s supposed to have pre-empted the process before going to polls, which would have been addressed before the election.

    “There is no moral standing for LP to now file petition before the tribunal. As it is now, it is very clear that LP has no locus standi in initiating any petition before the tribunal and all efforts to truncate the election that produced Prince Dapo Abiodun will not stand,” Oladipo quoted.

    Oladipo said the party has once congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governor-elect, Prince Dapo Abiodun on their victory at the election. But it was a surprise when the same party filed application at the tribunal, challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its logo’s omission at the polls.

  • UCL: Son’s late winner gives Tottenham edge over Manchester City

    Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min’s late goal sealed a 1-0 home victory against Manchester City in an absorbing Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

    With Spurs talisman Harry Kane having hobbled off injured and favourites City beginning to turn the screw, Son sent the home fans inside the London club’s majestic new stadium into delirium.

    The South Koreasn fired past Ederson in the 78th minute.

    Quadruple-chasing City, beaten at the same stage last year by Liverpool, were not at their slick best.
    To make matters worse, Sergio Aguero’s first-half penalty miss proved costly.

    The Argentine’s spot kick was superbly saved by Hugo Lloris after VAR adjudged defender Danny Rose to have handled.

    Tottenham showed great discipline to preserve their lead and will now go to The Etihad next Wednesday with their hopes of a first Champions League semi-final appearance intact. (Reuters/NAN)

  • EFCC cautions bankers against money laundering, terrorist financing

    Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu has cautioned bank officials in the country against aiding money laundering and terrorist financing.

    Magu gave the warning in a statement by EFFC Spokesman, Mr Tony Orilade on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Orilade quoted Magu as giving the warning at an interactive session with Chief Compliance Officers of banks in Maiduguri, the Borno capital.

    The EFFC chairman urged bankers to ensure strict compliance with the Money Laundering Act.

    According to him, bankers must endeavour to report to the anti-graft agency, cash movements that fall above the allowed threshold.

    “Nobody should carry cash above the threshold of above N 10 million for corporate organisations and N5 million for individuals.

    Read also: EFCC arrests railway staff, two others for fraud

    “Anything above the threshold must be routed through financial institutions,” he said.

    He further said that the issue of money laundering, terrorist financing and leakage of information would be eliminated by the commission with the help of bankers across the country.

    Magu said the EFCC would soon commence the profiling of Non-governmental Oragnisations (NGOs) in the North-East with a view to monitoring their financial activities.

    “We must profile all the NGOs in the North-East, I don’t know why an NGO will open more than 40 bank accounts.

    “We are going to ask your various banks to give us statements of accounts for each and every NGO,” he said. (NAN)

  • Ex- Senate President Nnamani seeks implementation of Uwais report

    Former Senate President Ken Nnamani has called on the federal government to implement recommendations of the Mohammed Uwais Electoral Committee report.

    He spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 3rd Oronto Douglas Memorial Dialogue.

    Those in attendance included Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to late President Umaru Yar’Adua, Segun Adeniyi and Special Envoy to former President Goodluck Jonathan,  Nze Akachukwu Nwankpo among others.

    In an address entitled “Towards a more credible, fair and free elections in Nigeria,” the former Senate President urged the Buhari administration to learn from South Africa in the appointment of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Nnamani, who was represented by Mallam Mohammed Bello, urged Nigerians to work for credible elections.

    He said: “It is obvious the Uwais Report represents a high point in the search for an electoral system that will suit Nigeria’s perculiar circumstances.

    “The eminent members of that committee proposed many innovations that could restore credibility and fairness to our electoral system.  Unfortunately, many of these innovative proposals were not implemented.

    “The independence of the election management body is mostly determined by the mode of appointment. In South Africa and some African countries, the process of appointment of electoral management officials is more of competitive recruitment where those appointed will have a sense that they merited the position, not that they are beneficiaries of political patronage.”

    Nnamani, who chaired the Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee (CERC), also lamented the financial cost of conducting elections in the country.

    He added that despite the huge sums spent on election security, violence remained a challenge for those paid to maintain law and order.

    He said: “We spend so much on providing security yet we continue to witness a high level of violence and electoral crimes.

    “In a Third World country like Nigeria, public offices are very attractive. So politicians have incentive to fight dirty to gain access to these political offices.

    Read also: Unbundle INEC now, revisit Uwais Report, NGO advises FG

    “Until we can reduce the financial rewards of occupying political offices through anti-corruption and accountability measures, we should expect desperation from politicians.

    “We must deal with violence and other electoral crimes through institutional redesigning.”

    On the incessant violence at polls, Nnamani said: “The reason politicians sponsor violence and commit other crimes during elections is because they calculate the benefits of criminal behaviours are more than the costs.

    “To reduce the rate of these crimes, we must reduce the benefits and make it difficult for those who sponsor or commit such crimes to go scot-free.”

    He called for the prosecution of electoral offenders regardless of their status in the society to serve as deterrence to others.