The Nation Newspaper

Tag: officials

  • Man held for alleged impersonation of revenue officials

    Man held for alleged impersonation of revenue officials

    Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives have arrested a 37-year-old man, Olaitan Shofolahan, for allegedly impersonating Lagos State Land Use Charge officials.

    Shofolahan, according to RRS, cited unemployment for his action.

    The Accounting graduate of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, was arrested last Thursday in Lekki Phase 1, in Eti–Osa Local Government Area of the state while allegedly attempting to defraud an estate resident of millions of naira in Land Use Charge dues.

    The suspect, who was working in his brother’s audit firm in Sabo, Yaba, Lagos Mainland, before leaving in search of greener pasture, told RRS that he could not get a job in Lagos State Civil Service because there were no vacancies.

    He was quoted as saying: “I was working with my brother in his audit firm in Sabo, Yaba, earning N45,000 monthly before I left the firm in search of employment. I was at Lagos State Civil Service Commission several times to seek employment. It was during one of my visits that I learnt that payment for Land Use Charge in the state is through a code. The code is engraved on every metal sticker issued to every house.

    “It is with this code that you get an annual bill of the house and that you can get your charges printed out with the bills. That was how I started moving round choice locations to get their codes and print their bills.Any house that does not owe, I discard but those with huge bills, I work on them. But I noticed that some of them requested for my identity card. I forged a Lagos State Government identity card using a sample that I saw somewhere in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

    “I have been in the business since February, 2015. I have observed that owners of buildings in Lekki have capacity to settle their bills quickly, that was why I have focused there. Unfortunately for me, it was in this location that I was caught. I entered the building in Lekki Phase 1 unknown to me that the officials of the Lagos State Land Use Charge were there with the house owner. I saw the owner discussing with them but I didn’t know their identity. The owner of the building after sitting me down invited RRS officials to arrest me.

    “Since I have been impersonating, I have only realised N30,000 which I collected from an home owner in Alausa while pretending to be an official of the state. I have not collected any other money apart from that. Each and every time I visited these buildings, they ask me to come back later”.

    RRS said it found five land use bills with charges above N1 million and a forged Lagos State Government identity card on the suspect.

    Police spokesperson Olarinde Famous Cole, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), said the suspect, has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.

  • Between contractors and officials

    Between contractors and officials

    •Uncompleted projects have become an index of our underdevelopment

    Abandoned or “failed” contracts became a pervasive feature of governance at every level in Nigeria since the Second Republic. A first-time visitor, seeing so many projects in various states of uncompletion, may go away with the impression that the country is bustling with work in progress and moving in the right direction, the volume of on-going construction being one of the indicators of the economy’s health.

    If the visitor were to return to same terrain the following year, the chances are that he or she would find those projects in the same state of uncompletion, with tell-tale signs of abandonment.  The scaffolding might still be in place, but construction equipment will have been transferred elsewhere.

    What had seemed to the visitor like work in progress was in reality not merely work suspended but work abandoned with impunity, after the contractor will have collected as much as 60 percent of the contract sum upfront as “mobilisation fee.”

    The contractor usually entertains no fear of punishment, much less reprimand. There is no reason for that.

    He or she must have secured the contract through connections with persons of consequence in government or in the ruling party. A good part of the upfront payment is handed back in under-the counter-payments to the awarding and vetting authorities, sponsors, and the political bosses. Whatever remains is then expended in partial and perfunctory execution of the contract.

    With the upfront payment thus distributed, the contractor is confident that no repercussions will flow from abandoning the project. Nor is that confidence unwarranted. For, in the long and sordid history of abandoned projects and failed contracts, no contractors have been prosecuted, none have been made to return payment collected for services not rendered or rendered only in part, and among the awarding authorities in under-the counter payments.

    To compensate for decades of neglect, the Federal Government set up special bodies in the Niger Delta, funded them reasonably well and tasked them with building the infrastructure and generally fast-tracking development.

    Instead, abandoned projects litter the place, as the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo found to his consternation during his recent official tour of the area. The treasuries are empty, and outstanding debts for dubious contracts stand in the tens of billions of Naira.

    This practice has endured for far too long. It is subversive of development and must be checked.  Professor Osinbajo’s warning that prosecution awaits those who bid for, and then abandon public projects, is timely.

    The impunity that runs so deep in the business must be curbed. With such projects strewn all over the landscape, many of them going back more than a decade, prosecutions should commence shortly.

    It has to be said, however, that not all contractors engage in this shady practice. Nor is government always an innocent party. Even after a contractor has fulfilled all obligations, payment is often not forthcoming. Debt owed bona fide contractors stands at hundreds of billions of Naira.

    Many a contractor has been brought to grief by government’s failure to honour its commitment promptly.

    This dereliction has to be addressed, too.

  • Re: LASTMA officials in Ogun State

    Re: LASTMA officials in Ogun State

    SIR: The attention of the management of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has been drawn to a letter published with the above captioned in The Nation of Tuesday, February 7, witten by Abiodun Taiwo Rauph, from Sango Ota, Ogun State.

    The writer submitted that agencies created by each state in the federation are exclusively responsible to the state and their services begin and end within geographical boundary of such state, with exception of federal agencies that may function under different s scenario and circumstance.

    Abiodun claimed that he saw some officers of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) arresting commuter drivers and extorting money from them at the former toll-gate in Sango Ota, Ogun State. According to him, he approached them to inquire where the cross border order for Lagos State traffic officials came from and why they did not stop their activities at the Lagos State side of the border like the Police. “The men replied that their boss was aware of their presence at the point and nobody can stop them”.

    He stated further that series of twitters sent to the LASTMA office for clarifications on this issue are without response till now, and this illegal act still continues unabated.

    The agency wishes to thank Rauph for his letter, even when we would have preferred all other communication avenues were fully exhausted before going to the media. Furthermore, the agency is not in possession of the supposed twitter sent to it. Otherwise we would have swung into action and arrest the alleged LASTMA officers. More so, if they are LASTMA officials, they acted on their own and the agency’s searchlight will be beamed in that direction and others.

    However, it is not out of place to have LASTMA officials lending helping hand to their counterparts in Ogun State to help ease traffic in and outside Lagos in the spirit of oneness.

    But suffice to point out that when dealing with LASTMA officials, watch out for names. Abiodun’s inability to mention any name in the letter has made the investigation into the matter awkward and allegation spurious. The agency has zero tolerance for corruption and indiscipline. Therefore, our fervent belief is without discipline, the agency will fail in its core responsibilities which are to achieving seamless traffic on Lagos roads and functioning in line with the global best practices.

    It may interest the writer that many officers have been dismissed; many are currently facing Personal Management Board (PMB) discipline for various acts of indiscipline contrary to the extant rules. Officers on duty are enjoined to always demonstrate high level of decorum and discipline. It is to curb such nefarious act and interface with the public that we operate an open door policy for report to be lodged or phone call to the following: 08025876702, 0802340337 or Twitter: @followlastma, FB: Lagos State Traffic Managament Authority and Instagram:eko_lastma.

     

    • Mamud Hassan,

    LASTMA Headquarter,

    Oshodi, Lagos.

  • Falana: stop public officials from seeking treatment abroad

    Falana: stop public officials from seeking treatment abroad

    Activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday said public officials should be banned from seeking medical treatment abroad.

    This, he said, will force the government to fix the health system.

    He called for psychiatric tests for those seeking public offices as a way of checking “unprecedented” looting of public treasury.

    “Having regard to the unprecedented scale of looting of the public treasury by the ruling class, the mental state of contestants ought to be examined by psychiatrists,” Falana said.

    He also advocated the amendment of the 1999 Constitution to make it mandatory for medical reports of contestants to be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He said the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act should be amended to allow the public to obtain medical records of public officers.

    Falana spoke in Lagos while delivering the 11th Beko Ransome-kuti memorial lecture.

    The lawyer said instead of wasting precious time over the state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerians should join issue with the government over the parlous state of medical facilities.

    “In other words, the Nigerian people should take advantage of the President’s health to demand the provision of adequate funds to fix our hospitals which General Buhari and his colleagues described as consulting clinics in 1984.

    “The President should be made to know that the consulting clinics have since become mortuaries for the masses.

    “The practice of allowing poor citizens to die of preventable diseases while top public officers and rich private citizens are allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment can no longer be justified.

    “In line with the letter and spirit of the National Health Act, 2014 public officers should no longer be permitted to travel abroad for medical treatment at public expense,” Falana said.

    According to him, since Nigerian citizens have the right to health by the combined effect of section 17 of the Constitution and article 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights Act, it is high time medical facilities were fixed while drugs were made available and affordable.

    He said the usual excuse for not equipping hospitals is that funds are not available, which he said is a matter of priority and not poverty.

    Falana said: ”The life span of an average Cuban is 79 years while ours is 52. Cuba is a very poor country but education and health are free for all citizens.

    “The greatest killer disease in Africa is malaria. Not less than a million Africans are lost to malaria fever every year.

    “But the scourge of malaria can be substantially eliminated if the leaders are prepared to muster the political will to ‘offend’ the manufacturers of anti-malaria drugs by acquiring the technology to destroy malaria.

    “As far back as 1967, Cuba developed a vaccine, called larvicides that destroys malaria parasite instead of treating it.  Cuba has also developed an anti long cancer vaccine called cimavax which is expected to arrive in the United States any moment from now.”

  • Ex-Kogi officials get N2b

    The National Councillors Forum in Kogi State has hailed Governor Yahaya Bello for releasing N2 billion to clear salary arrears and severance package of former political appointees.

    The money is a carry-over from former Governor, Capt. Idris Wada’s administration, as part payment of their salary and severance package.

    Chairman Musa Abdullahi Adakeke expressed their relief at the gesture when he led over 512 members on a ”thank you” visit to the governor.

    Adakeke thanked the governor for releasing the money, saying: “We appreciate the determination of the governor to transform the state in the area of infrastructure at the rural and urban cities. This will help in no small way to gainfully engage our youths, thereby reducing the incidences of crime.”

    They urged Bello to provide 5,000 membership cards to them and their supporters, and approve a date for their formal decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Bello said his administration would welcome those ready to work with him, adding that everyone in the state belongs to his administration.

    He said all former chairmen and secretaries of local government councils hadbeen paid part of their salary and severance package owed by the previous administration.

    According to him, his administration will take care of civil servants, noting that virtually all genuine workers have been paid up till December.

  • DisCos ‘probing corrupt officials’

    DisCos ‘probing corrupt officials’

    Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) are investigating their employees  suspected to be corrupt, The Nation has learnt.

    The exercise will help in checking workers who extort money from consumers before attending to their electricity needs. It will also fish out those who collect bribes under the pretext of providing meters, transformers, poles, cables and other equipment to customers. Those who connive with consumers to by-pass meters and tamper with their meters, among other untoward practices, will also be flushed out of the system.

    Any official found guilty will be sanctioned.

    The DisCos have been urging customers to provide information on workers who demand bribe from them.

    An official of Ikeja Electric (IE), who pleaded not to be named, said the DisCos were requesting for coded information to shield their customers from attacks.

    Executive Director of Research and Advocacy of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Mr Sunday Oduntan,  told The Nation that the power firms were battling corruption. Besides, he said they were meeting the Ministers of Power,  Finance, Senate Committee on Power and its counterpart in the House of Representatives on how to recover N100 billion debt.

    He said the sack of corrupt officials would enhance their operations.

    According to him, the 11 DisCos were relying on ANED to deal with corruption.

    Oduntan said: “Members of the team have been travelling from one part of the country to another to investigate officials with questionable conducts. They were  in Abuja in August, and were planning to go to Bauchi, Gombe, Jos, Yola and other areas in the North on issues that border on corruption this December.

    ‘’Besides, the association and the power companies are relying on members of the public to furnish them with information that would help them in detecting corrupt officials in the sector.’

    “ANED and the DisCos are not trying to blackmail customers; they are helping to sanitise the industry. Bribery revolves round two sets of people – the giver and taker of bribe. The body is adopting an all inclusive approach to solve problems such as corruption, illiquidity, poor power supply, estimated billings, metering, and others in the industry,” he said.

    Oduntan said corruption was widespread in the sector, because people did not follow due process. He stressed that the average consumer of electricity offers bribe to DisCos’officials for services they had paid for.

    IE’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr Anthony Youdeowei said the firm would deal with workers found guilty of criminalities.

    Youdeowei, who spoke to The Nation, on the sideline of a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos, said the IE would sack workers with  questionabe characters.

    He said the stealing of cables and other equipment was affecting the firm’s  operation.

  • Borno goes after officials stealing IDPs’ rice, other relief items

    Borno goes after officials stealing IDPs’ rice, other relief items

    Security agencies have placed under watch some government officials entrusted with the distribution of food and other relief materials to the hundreds of  thousands of people displaced by the Boko Haram terror in Borno State.

    The action followed persistent allegations especially on the social media that officials have been stealing, re-bagging and selling rice donated to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) by government, charity organizations and philanthropic individuals.

    The situation is said to be causing severe hunger among the IDPs spread across the over 20 camps around Maiduguri, the State capital, while officials keep smiling to the bank with the proceeds from their illegal business.

    Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State at a meeting with the police and the State Security Services at the weekend asked them to arrest officials involved in the act.

    That was after he had travelled to Bama, 75km away from Maiduguri, to personally verify the allegation.

    The visit confirmed that not only were many of the IDPs hungry and malnourished on account of inadequate care,they were dying rapidly.

    His aides said he even saw fresh corpses of persons killed by hunger being buried.

    The governor reportedly ordered that 61 of those with acute malnutrition be transferred to the intensive care unit of the Umaru Shehu Ultramodern Hospital, Maiduguri, immediately to save them from dying.

    Another set of 478 children, alongside 219 adults with lesser cases of malnutrition, were also moved to a special care unit for proper feeding and medication, officials said.

    Sources said that apart from food items, medical drugs, toiletries, beddings and wrappers were regularly stolen and sold by greedy officials.

    The State House of Assembly has already invited the Chairman of the  State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Ahmed Satomi, to come and  explain why IDPs are dying of malnutrition almost every day.

    The Chairman, House Committee Verification on the plight of IDPs, Mustapha Ngala, who led other members to the office of SEMA Friday told journalists that his committee was mandated to go round IDP camps to see if there was any gap in feeding and welfare need of victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    “We have gone round most of the camps to see things for ourself and report back appropriately to the House and the authorities, we have been to Dalori Camp I & II, Bakassi Camp, Shettima Ali Monguno Camp among other resettlement camps,” Mr. Ngala said.

    “We have had discussions with those managing these camps and the victims themselves (IDPs). We have not concluded our findings to tell you what we have gathered yet, but very soon, when we are through with our findings, we are going to tell the public.”

  • ‘No leave for AOCOED officials’

    The Governing Council of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Oto/Ijanikin, Lagos, has debunked rumours that its former provost, registrar and bursar, have been asked to proceed on compulsory leave.

    According to the Council, they were only “queried” after considering the report of the committee set up to implement the recommendation of an earlier committee that looked into the institutio’s financial status.

    “The Governing Council in considering the report of its Implementation Committee resolved to query some officials of the college so as to be able to find answers to some administrative and financial observations noted by the committee,” said a statement by the PRO Adebowale Odunayo.

    “All due process with emphasis on the college conditions of service and public service rules are being followed to ensure the college’s smooth running,” it said.

     

  • SERAP gives CCB 14 days to probe officials named in Panama Papers

    A rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has called on the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to investigate current and past high-ranking public officers in Nigeria named in the Panama papers.

    The call, contained in a statement issued by the group’s executive director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, in Abuja, gave CCB 14 days to carry out the investigation.

    It said that anyone one found culpable should be sent to the tribunal for prosecution.

    It added that if the bureau failed to investigate the cases, the group would not hesitate to use legal means to compel the bureau to discharge that constitutional responsibility.

    “SERAP believes that the Panama Papers have shown the extent to which public officers in the country are concealing their stolen wealth in safe havens and secrecy jurisdictions.

    “This is contrary to the code of conduct for public officers, which prohibits public officers from maintaining and operating foreign accounts.

    “We request Mr. Sam Saba, Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau, to use his good office and leadership to urgently investigate current and immediate past high-ranking public officers named in the Panama Papers.

    “They should also investigate others that are maintaining and operating or have maintained and operated foreign accounts in other safe havens and secrecy jurisdictions, and where appropriate, refer such to Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution,” it said.

    According to the statement, SERAP hopes that the bureau will learn from the lessons of the Panama Papers to combat the abuse of the asset declaration requirements.

  • Irate Akure fans beat up 3SC officials

    Ugly scenes of violence marred Sunday’s Nigeria Professional Football League Week 9 encounter between Sunshine Stars and Shooting Stars in Akure.

    Sunshine Stars triumphed 2-1 but the game itself was overshadowed by the vicious, unprovoked attack on 3SC General Manager, Rasheed Balogun, and the team General Coordinator, Abubakar Abubakar a.k.a Dan Fulani, by the irate Akure fans at the VIP stand of the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure.

    Eye witness accounts revealed that the unruly fans descended heavily on Balogun and Dan Fulani after 3SC equalised through Tope Orelope, with both administrators sustaining injuries.

    Balogun and Dan Fulani were immediately rushed to the hospital.

    All the cameramen recording the match were forced to stop recording before Okiki Afolabi”s late goal.

    “It was God that saved me because at a point when they were beating me, I never knew if I was alive or not. I lost money, wrist-watch and other valuables at the process of the attack,” Balogun said while taking medical attention in the hospital.

    It would be recalled that both administrators were attacked last season at the stadium.

    However, it took the intervention of heavily armed security men before the match officials were rescued out of the stadium after the match.