The Nation Newspaper

Tag: officials

  • Lagos trains top officials

    Lagos State Government has held training for top officials including the permanent secretaries to meet the challenges of the 21st century through the ‘Change Mindset Advocacy programme.’

    The training, aimed at cultivating in public servants, the right culture and mind-set needed to attain the smart city status of the state.

    Speaking on Tuesday at the training programme organised for permanent secretaries, heads of agencies and parastatals in the state, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Kehinde Bamigbetan, said the government had since realised the importance of changing the mind-set of public servants to align with the ever changing time.

    According to Bamigbetan, “we have 24 million Lagosians; many of them travel a lot and are exposed to international standards, while some have become sophisticated. Therefore, the benchmark for services has increased, and people can compare how they are served in public service in Lagos with the private sector.”

    Earlier, the Director-General, Office of Transformation, Creativity and Innovation, Toba Otusanya said the expected outcome of the training and the sensitisation are civil servants who are competent, knowledgeable, creative, innovative and can challenge the status quo, adding that they would embrace new ways of doing things as well as deliver services in better ways.

    “Realising this vision is not something that is farfetched because when you look at strong public institutions across the world like Kenya and Rwanda, these things are already happening there; Lagos cannot continue to be on the side-line, we have to take the bull by the horn”, he said.

    He said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in his quest to accelerate development in the state, realised the critical role of public servants in this regard, hence, his support for this campaign to ensure that all public servants embrace the “Growth Mind-set” and be well equipped for the challenges of the modern world.

  • VAIDS: Fed Govt warns against fake tax officials

    VAIDS: Fed Govt warns against fake tax officials

    The Federal Government has raised the alarm over the activities of fake tax officials, who want to swindle unsuspecting public over the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).

    Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun yesterday advised tax payers to demand for written notice when they receive phone calls from tax officials.

    She gave this advice in response to the activities of some fake tax officials alleging to be officials of the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).

    A statement issued yesterday  by Special Adviser, Media and Communications to the minister Oluyinka Akintunde said: “My attention has been drawn to reports of some unidentified tax officials requesting for bank details and address of tax payers.

    “If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Tax Office, do not panic. Ask them to send you a written notice. Do not provide any details like your address or bank details,” she urged.

    The statement added that Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai and Mrs. Adeosun honoured a consistent tax-payer, Elder Lema Jibrin.

    It said: “Jibrin was honoured during the VAIDS sensitisation programme in Kaduna last Thursday.

    The governor noted that Jibrin had consistently paid tax to the government for 40 years.

     

  • LASTMA arrests five officials for extortion

    LASTMA arrests five officials for extortion

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested five traffic officials for extorting motorists last week.

    Bamidele Sheu, Ope Adisa and Babatunde Aluko were arrested following a complaint by a clearing agent, Babatunde Akinmolayan, that his container truck, marked AA 553 NGW, was illegally impounded on the Marina, in Lagos.

    The trio allegedly demanded N80,000 bribe to release the vehicle.

    Akinmolayan said he was accompanying the container truck on Monday to deliver goods at Walter Carrington Street on Victoria Island, Lagos.

    He said the truck was stopped on the Marina, close to the State House by the three LASTMA officials and others in mufti, for driving at unauthorised hours.

    Akinmolayan said they ignored pleas to release the truck,  which they eventually took to their yard at Olowu, where they demanded N80,000.

    The vehicle was later released when the zonal head  intervened, and N7, 000 was given to some men in mufti.

    In the same week, Jimoh Olaosebikan and Emmanuel Padonu were arrested by LASTMA surveillance unit at Okokomaiko and Mile 12.

    Olaosebikan collected N20,000 from a female motorist for ‘making’ an illegal u-turn at Okokomaiko.

    The motorist said “all explanations that other vehicles have been turning there before failed to convince him and efforts to see his superior officers in their office were frustrated by him, only for him to collect N20,000 from me before their surveillance team emerged from nowhere to arrest him.”

    Padonu was picked up following a tip off  from the public that some traffic officials were conniving with men in mufti to arrest and collect money from commercial drivers.

    LASTMA’s General Manager Olawale Musa advised motorists to report any LASTMA official found wanting.

    “LASTMA operates a cashless policy and motorists should not give money to any LASTMA official under any circumstance. Furthermore, LASTMA officials on duty are always in uniforms, with names conspicuously displayed on the breast pockets, and motorists should disregard anybody not in uniform claiming to be agency officials,” he said.

    The LASTMA boss said: “I want to assure motorists that we have put everything in place to ensure free-flow of traffic during the Yuletide period and I want to implore motorists to imbibe the culture of voluntary compliance with directives, obey road signs and laws so that we can have seamless traffic during this Yuletide period”.

    Over 20 officials of the agency were dismissed this year for misconduct.

  • ‘Stop cursing elected officials’

    Lagos State House of Assembly’s Minority Leader Sanai Agunbiade has urged the electorate to demand explanations from council officials rather than curse them for their shortcoming.

    Agunbiade said the public had the right to know how elected officials perform, adding that this is more effective than raining curses on them for their lapses, which he said cannot improve people’s lives.

    The lawmaker spoke at Ikorodu at a public lecture on good governance and community participation at the local government level.

    It was organised by African Democratic Development Initiative (Afridevi) in collaboration with Gbawat Foundation (GF) with the theme: The Roles of Community Participation in Good Governance at the Local Government Level: Challenges and Prospects.

    Chairperson of Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Olajumoke Ademehin; Vice Chairman Sesan Dada; Ikorodu West All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Nafiu Olakitan; Council Leader for Ikorodu West LCDA, Agbaje Olomu and Afridev Director, Olusesan Olukoya, are among dignitaries at the event.

    Agunbiade advised the public against making too many financial and other demands on council officials because their sources of income are limited to salaries and sitting allowances.

  • ‘Stop cursing elected officials’

    Majority Leader in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Sanai Agunbiade, has urged the electorate to demand explanations from council officials rather than merely cursing them.
    Agunbiade said the public needs to exercise its right to know how elected officials are performing and that this is more effective than raining curses, which cannot improve people’s lives.
    The lawmaker spoke in Ikorodu, Lagos on Wednesday at a public lecture on good governance and community participation at the local government level.
    It was organised by African Democratic Development Initiative (Afridevi) in collaboration with Gbawat Foundation (GF) with the theme ‘The roles of community participation in good governance at the local government level: challenges and prospects.’
    Chairperson of Ikorodu West LCDA, Olajumoke Ademehin; Vice Chairman  Sesan Dada; Ikorodu West All Peoples’ Congress (APC) party chairman, Alhaji Nafiu Olakitan; Council Leader, Ikorodu West LCDA Agbaje Olomu and Afridev Director, Olusesan Olukoya were some of the guests at the event.
    Agunbiade discouraged the public from making too many financial and other demands of council officials, because their sources of incomes are limited to salaries and sitting allowances.
    He noted, for instance, that different groups are already expecting gifts from elected officials for Christmas and that this occurs for every national festival.
    Agunbiade said: “Please pray for us. Support us with your prayers, not curses. Ask questions, ask us questions about what we are doing, don’t just jump to conclusions.
    “….You have the power to call your councillors and ask them questions. Christmas is coming, call your representatives in government to ask them what they have been doing.”
    The lawmaker urged the public to be reasonable. He cited the example of a community leader who prevented him from providing water for the residents of the area because “he was not consulted.”
    “I told the workmen who had already started work to pack their tools and we moved the project to another community. I had no choice,” Agunbiade said.
    Council chairperson Ademehin said a programme she initiated which related to the people ward by ward, had found that their major concerns were about roads, healthcare and education.
    “We are tackling the problems as funds become available. In Ward A for instance, they complained of water, and we have solved that problem by sinking a borehole for them.”
    Host, Olomu, who is also Gbawat founder, said the non-governmental organisation (NGO) focus was on youths, the elderly and the infirmed.
    “We provided entrepreneurial skills for young people, we assist the aged as well as widows.
    Afridev director, Olukoya, said the programme was aimed at sensitising the people at the grassroots about the rights and responsibilities towards the people in government.
    “People need to be enlightened about their roles towards the government. Who is the government? People need to know that we ourselves are the government. They need to know this,” Olukoya said.

    The officials also fielded questions from participants including several residents of the LCDA.

  • Jungle justice for petty thieves, promotion for corrupt officials

    Jungle justice for petty thieves, promotion for corrupt officials

    57 years after Nigeria’s independence, justice is delayed (and eventually denied) for the elite, but it is immediate for the poor and helpless writes  Omotola Omolayo

     

    Abdulrasheed Maina first became popular when he uncovered the legendary N100 billion pension loot in 2013.

    In 2010, he was appointed the head of  Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), charged with ensuring that pensioners are paid when due. At the time when disgruntled retirees were frustrated at the non-payment of their pensions, Maina became the anti-corruption hero.

    For Mr. Akin Thompson, a retired surveyor, Maina gave him hope. “I stopped receiving my pension from September, 2008. It just stopped without any explanation, nothing. After numerous trips to Abuja with my colleagues yielded no fruitful result, we lost hope. Things became so difficult.”

    Mr. Thompson recalled that during this period, he lost some friends due to hardship and poverty. Therefore, their hopes were renewed when Maina “cleansed the system.” However, the former chairman of PRTT lost favour, when he allegedly embezzled N2 billion of pension funds in the country. All efforts by the police and other law enforcement agencies to get him to appear before the Senate proved abortive. He was said to have sought refuge in the United Arabs Emirate since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared him a wanted man.

    However, on the 20th of October, Nigerians woke up to the news that Maina has been appointed as the Acting Director of the Ministry of Interior by Abdulrahman Dambazau, the Minister of Interior. At the  time of this news report, Femi Adesina, President Buhari’s spokesman claimed  he was unaware of the reinstatement. This led to the question on the lips of most Nigerians, is it possible for Dambazau to appoint or reinstate someone without the knowledge of the President?

    In 2015, during President Buhari’s campaign, one of the promises he made that further endeared Nigerians to him was to wage war against corruption. Given his antecedent as a former head of state during the military regime, a lot of Nigerian had high hopes in his ability to tackle corruption. It is more than two years into his tenure and it is obvious that the president has either gone soft or has lost his grip so much so that a wanted corrupt official was reinstated and even promoted right under his nose.

     

    Recently in the report of the presidency on achieved milestones, it was mentioned that the EFCC is empowered with the requisite political will and resources to prosecute corrupt officers.

    To the anti-graft agency’s credit, it has reportedly secured 140 convictions and the whistle blower policy has yielded cash recoveries in billions of Naira. However, some of the former highly placed officials who are allegedly corrupt, still walk freely and undeterred in Nigeria due to laxity of law enforcement agents, porous judicial system and an unaccountable government.

    In the case of an average Nigerian, suspected or caught stealing, an irate crowd immediately gather to claw, beat and drag a suspected person. Without allowing the law to take its course, they set the person on fire and ensure he is burnt beyond recognition. In some cases policemen have been known to turn a blind eye to these human sacrifices.

    But fraudulent officials get away with a few negative comments on social media and seem to endure weeks of newspaper reports, then the world is back to normal. Maina, despite his alleged fraud, he is said to be gearing up to contest for the gubernatorial seat in Benue State. He is seen by his kinsmen as a “messiah” and the hope for his state of origin.

    This is what Nigeria has turned out to be, 57 years after its independence, justice is delayed (and eventually denied) for the elite, but it is immediate for the poor and helpless. Jungle justice is seen as an immediate respite for the petty thieves in the market, but against corrupt leaders, Nigerians become toothless bulldogs.  While jungle justice is totally condemnable, one would expect such collective anger at the depth of lawlessness in the country. Instead, unscrupulous leaders are seen as heroes, hailed as messiahs.

    Over the years, Nigeria has continuously been ranked as one of the highly corrupt countries in the world which has hindered the growth of the nation. Till date, the corruption perception index by Transparency International places Nigeria among the bottom 50 countries and there has been no considerable improvement in its scores.
    It is essential to identify where corruption blocks good governance and accountability, in order to break its corrosive cycle.” – Huguette labelle, chair of transparency international 2009.

    According to Victor Dike, the CEO, Center for Social Justice and Human Development (CSJHD), the question to ask may be “to tame corruption, Nigeria has to use words as well as actions a multifaceted approach.”Buhari’s anti-corruption policies may not be of any use if those guilty are not made to face the full wrath of the law. The citizens also have a major role to play. As said by Jose Ugaz, Chair, Transparency International, “Corruption can be beaten if we work together. To stamp out the abuse of power, bribery and shed light on secret deals, citizens must together tell their governments they have had enough.”

     

    This report was made possible by the BudgIT Media Fellowship 2017

  • Falana seeks sanction against indicted officials in Maina’s recall

    Falana seeks sanction against indicted officials in Maina’s recall

    Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to take action against officials involved in the controversial recall of former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Abdulrasheed Maina.

    In a statement issued yesterday titled: “President Buhari should act with dispatch on Mainagate”, the rights activist said “time is certainly not on the side of President Buhari”.

    Although the Federal Government has promised not to sweep the Mainagate under the carpet, Falana contended that the handling of the scandal generated by Maina’s recall has eroded the credibility of the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration.

    He said: “Therefore, the sanctions, which the Federal Government will mete out to all the officials who conspired to expose the administration and the nation to such avoidable shame will make or mar the fight against corruption and impunity, which is the cornerstone of the domestic and foreign policy thrust of the administration.”

    Falana’s advice was sequel to a statement credited to Maina’s family, accusing Buhari administration of official betrayal.

    He noted that at a news conference in Kaduna two weeks ago, the spokesman for the Abdulrasheed Maina’s family, Mr. Aliyu Maina, had stated that “Abdulrasheed was in fact invited by this administration and he was promised security to come and clean up the mess and generate more revenue to the government by blocking leakages. He has been working with the DSS for quite some time and he was given necessary security. So, one wonders why all the agencies and various individuals responsible for his return are now denying”.

    But Falana contended that those who recalled Maina, “deliberately set out to subvert the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration”.

    He argued that through such demonstration of impunity, the officials involved have exposed the country to ridicule before the comity of nations.

    “In view of the revelation of the family, which has not been denied, it is crystal clear that the highly placed officials of the Federal Government, who brought Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina back to the country, gave him a clean bill of health, provided him with “necessary security”, reinstated him, promoted him and paid his arrears of salaries and allowances totalling N22 million deliberately set out to subvert the anti-corruption policy of the Buhari administration,” the senior lawyer said.

    Falana described the payment of N22 million to Maina as “the height of insensitivity to pay arrears of salaries to a fugitive at a time when hundreds of thousands of workers and pensioners are owed arrears of their legitimate emoluments”.

    The senior advocate queried: “Having found Maina and exonerated him, why was Interpol not informed that he was no longer wanted to stand trial for his role in the unprecedented pension fraud?

    “Since Mr. Maina’s ‘necessary security’ provided by the State Security Service has not been withdrawn, why is the Federal Government requesting the Interpol to declare him wanted again? Will Interpol believe that a man, who was provided with ‘necessary security’ cannot be found by the Federal Government? Why is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission asking Nigerians to assist in searching for the fugitive?”

  • How pressure on public officials fuels corruption, by outgoing Perm Sec

    Outgoing Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ministry Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye has blamed financial pressure on public officials for the high rate of corruption.

    Enikanolaiye, therefore, urged Nigerians to stop mounting financial pressure on public officers, if the country is to win the war against corruption.

    He spoke at the weekend in Abuja during the sendoff party held in his honour.

    He stressed the need to join hands with the government to rid public service of corrupt practices.

    The retired permanent secretary explained that corruption thrives in many public offices because of how people make unnecessary requests from public officials.

    He said many public servants fall under the pressure from friends, acquaintances and sometimes, unknown people, who make unnecessary demands from them.

    “Nigerians should not try to mount too much pressure on public servants. The expectations are simply too much and too many expect you to give them cash, give them jobs and to help solve all sorts of problems.

    “People you never met before, they don’t know you, they just got your phone numbers and began to call that: ‘I want to get marry’, ‘I want to pay some fees’, ‘I want to do this and that; all sorts of thing.

    “I wonder how you want a permanent secretary or public officials to get that kind of money.

    “We are fighting corruption; Nigerians must join in the fight by not putting too much pressure on public servants, thereby encouraging them to look for all means to meet those high expectations,” he said.

    Enikanolaye said he was able to succeed in his 35 years of service in the ministry because of commitment and discipline, which he enjoined other public officials to imbibe.

  • Eight LASTMA officials held for alleged bribe taking

    Eight LASTMA officials held for alleged bribe taking

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has arrested eight of its officials for alleged bribe taking.

    They are Adeola Adebeshin, Idowu Davies, Folashade Abolade, Lanre Shittu, Olusoga Akinkotu, Said Olowu, Peter Olaoye and Said Adebola of LASTMA’s Agege Pen Cinema office.

    Adebeshin and Davies were said to have arrested two commercial buses with registration numbers FKJ 770 XT and KRD 558 XM driven by Olatunji Mayowa and Donatus Eze at Abule Egba for seat belt violation.

    A statement yesterday by LASTMA said the drivers violated the Lagos State Traffic laws, and the buses were seized and taken to the Agege-Pen Cinema office.

    But at the office, it alleged that the officials with the general duty officer demanded N7,200 each from the drivers to the release the buses.

    The drivers, the statement said, gave the officials marked money in a sting operation coordinated by LASTMA’s Provost Marshal Femi Ajibosho.

    The Provost Marshal, the agency claimed, arrived when Abolade was about collecting N7,200 from Eze; Mayowa’s marked N7,200 was found on her during a search.

    Shittu, Akinkotu, Olowu, Olaoye and Adebola were said to have arrested a vehicle and asked Abolade to facilitate collection of bribe from the owner on their behalf before releasing the vehicle.

    “All the traffic officials involved in this shameful act have been released on bail, but are to face the full weight of the Lagos State Public Service Rules and Regulations,” LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olawale Musa said.

    The agency, he said, had set a standard for itself to become one of the most disciplined, credible and efficient traffic management institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    “LASTMA under my watch will not tolerate any act of indiscipline and corruption capable of dragging the revered image of the agency and that of the state government in the mud.

    “To this end, all the officials involved in the shameful act will be made to appear before the Personnel Management Board (Discipline) to defend their action in accordance with the relevant sections of the Public Service Rules.”

    Musa described the officials’ action as disgraceful, saying it did not represent LASTMA’s training and operational manual.

    LASTMA had dismissed 20 officials for corrupt practices; 15 were warned for acts considered inimical to the agency’s operations.

  • 2015 poll: ‘Diezani gave N264m cash to bribe INEC officials’

    2015 poll: ‘Diezani gave N264m cash to bribe INEC officials’

    The Federal High Court in Lagos was told yesterday that two Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) employees, Christian Nwosu and Yisa Adegoyin, received N264million from former Petroleum Minister Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, allegedly to change the result of the 2015 general election.

    A prosecution witness, Timothy Olaobaju, said the money was paid to Nwosu and Adedoyin in cash.

    He was testifying while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo in the trial of Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir before Justice Idris.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused them of receiving gratification from the former minister.

    Adedoyin had pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted following a plea bargain.

    Olaobaju, who was his bank’s head of operations in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, said he paid the Nwosu and Adedoyin the cash based on Mrs Alison-Madueke’s instructions.

    “I was the Head of Operations for Ilorin Branch. I had cause to meet Nwosu and Adedoyin. Sometime in 2015, there was a meeting between our Managing Director and the former Petroleum Minister during which she explained that some companies and individuals would come to the bank to pay some money into some accounts.

    “The companies were Northern Belt Ltd, Actus Integrated Ltd, Midwestern Company and one Mr Leno Laitan. In addition, she said certain individuals would bring some cash to be kept for her.

    “A total sum of $89million was paid into the accounts. Cash sums of $25million was brought, totalling $114million. The money was kept in the bank pending her instruction as agreed.

    “On March 26, 2014, we got instruction that the money should be converted to naira. After it was converted, it was about N23billion. There was a list of beneficiaries that was sent, to be paid across the 36 states of the federation, including Kwara. I handled the transactions in my branch,” the witness.

    He said the defendants came to his office to collect the cash payment, and that he only acted on instruction.

    “There was an instruction that Nwosu and Adedoyin be paid N264,880,000. The instruction came from the head office based on instruction from Mrs Alison-Madueke and they were paid. They signed a receipt of payment for the money they collected,” Olaobaju said.

    Olaobaju said after the defendants were paid, they left with the cash and did not pay it into any account.

    Under cross examination by defence counsel Obinna Okereke and Nelson Imoh, the witness said he did not know the purpose of the payment.

    “The only instruction we had was that they should bring means of identification and should be paid. They even waited for the money to be released to them. We did not know the purpose of the payment,” he said.

    Olaobaju said he did not hand over the money to Bashir, and never met Mrs Alison-Madueke; nor was he at the meeting where she gave the instructions.

    “The instruction we received was through our Divisional Head of Operations who reports to the MD,” he added.

    Justice Idris adjourned till today for continuation of trial.