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Tag: Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption

  • Oshiomhole, Ezeife, Sagay disagree on Nigeria restructuring 

    Oshiomhole, Ezeife, Sagay disagree on Nigeria restructuring 

    …Modify 1963 constitution, Sagay

     

    Former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay and a former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife Friday disagree on whether restructuring will lead to development of Nigeria.

    They spoke in Benin City at the 20th Professor Wole Soyinka annual lecture series organized by the National Association of Seadogs.

    Former Governor Oshiomhole who delivered the keynote address said those canvassing for restructuring were diverting Nigerians attention from the real issues of governance and leadership.

    Oshiomhole who noted that it was not the right time to discuss on whether Nigeria should remain as one said what was viable was to do things differently as a nation to make the country great and Nigerians benefit from its huge resources.

    The former Edo Governor stated that many of the country elites advocating restructuring were the same persons that pushed for creation of states since the days of the military.

    He said those pushing for the implementation of the National Confab report were doing so because part of its recommendation was that 18 additional states should be created.

    Oshiomhole who insisted that President Mohammadu Buhari is fighting corruption the right way said what should engaged Nigerians should be how to make the Nigeria project a reality.

    He noted the many states that received the 13 percent oil derivation deviated for using the purpose of the fund to procure aircrafts, built state of the art government house without building state of the hospitals, health centres and schools.

    His words, “There is no one part that is doing the rest of the country a favour more than the other parts.

    “These same people were there at the beginning. Some of the people talking now were those that said the regions were not balance and states should be created to bring government clsoer to the people.

    “They said the center was too weak. Today they turn around to say the states are not viable and the center is too powerful. We should be talking about how to apply our natural wealth to benefit Nigerians.

    “What we need to restructure are our values, the attitude to governance, issue of corruption. There are structural problem because there are two main tribes in Nigeria, the tribe of the very rich and the tribe of the very poor.

    “We should be talking about how to apply our national wealth in a way it will bring about equality in wealth distribution. We need to restructure our attitude, character and value system in a way it gives opportunity to all Nigerians.”

    On his part, Prof. Itsey Sagay called for the scrapping of the federation account to make states viable.

    He stated that restructuring the country meant return to true federalism and autonomy of the federating units.

    Prof. Sagay said it was an insult to federalism for states to be paid allocations as currently being experienced in Nigeria.

    Sagay insisted that Nigeria would never develop if it remains as a civil servant waiting for monthly salary.

    He stated the only way out was to have a national conference on ways to have devolution of power.

    Prof. Sagay however lambasted the Organised Labour, Federal Lawmakers, and the northern elites for opposing true federalism and autonomy of the federating units.

    He said organized labour want wages to be determined by the federal government instead of states.

    “The Northern elites are so used or proceeds of oil that they abandoned the thugs that make them great as a region. It is better for them to accept federalism and autonomy because it will be better for them.

    “The North will be the greatest beneficiary of autonomy. They have a great means of revenue which they are ignoring. They should convince cattle rearers to build ranches instead of whipping cattle to the south.

    “Federal legislators reasons are selfish. If you have true federalism, that free allowances will not be available for them.”

    “Any act misgovernance in Abuja reverberates across the country. The current unitary system suffocating and states are struggling to grow and dependent on the federal government feeding bottle. It is imperative we return to the 1963 modified to suit our present challenges if we are to coexist in a crisis free Nigeria.”

    Chief Ezeife however said Nigeria faced extinction if there was no restructuring.

    Ezeife noted that only restructuring would free Nigeria from the plot by the British government to keep the country underdeveloped.

    He urged Acting President Yomi Osibanjo to before 2018 convoke a conference that would discuss the country.

    “Every honest Nigerian knows we are at the brink of extinction. Nigeria will cease to exist if we do not restructure. It is a joke for people to think we should not restructure.

    “Northerners will loose most from the disintegration of Nigeria. We need to go back to the agreed Nigeria. Make the six zones federating units. Allow states in the zones to develop their own constitution.

    “Osibanjo should make sure the issue of restructuring is complete by the middle of 2018. Make sure the zones control their security.”

     

  • We will support media on anti-graft campaign – Sagay

    We will support media on anti-graft campaign – Sagay

    Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption has expressed its readiness to cooperate with the media in the fight against corruption.

    Prof. Itse Sagay, the chairman of the committee, gave the assurance at the 12th Annual Ramadan Symposium organised by the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja.

    He advised the media to be more determined and focused in identifying and reporting corruption in the country.

    He also urged journalists not to be deterred, scarred or frustrated in exposing corrupt practice.

    Sagay also appealed to media outfits to give their employees a decent salary with a view to make them more ethical and professional.

    He emphasised the need for journalists to evolve the strategy and use of investigating journalism effectively.

    In his speech, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, said media practitioners had a great role to play in the ongoing fight to emancipate the country from corruption.

    Ribadu, therefore, cautioned the media to continuously rise up and resist attempt to desecrate the country, insisting that the media should be up against corruption in all forms.

    Alhaji Abdur-Rahaman Balogun, the chairman of Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria, said the aim of the symposium was to support the ongoing anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    The theme of the symposium was “Anti-corruption: The Role of Media as a Change Agent.’’

  • Judges who brought shame to the judiciary must be punished – Sagay

    Judges who brought shame to the judiciary must be punished – Sagay

    Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay has said that Judges who brought shame to the judiciary must be punished for authority, power and dignity of the judiciary to be restored.

     

    Also to be punished, according to Prof. Sagay, are public servants n politicians who conspired to bribe and corrupt the judges.

     

    Prof. Sagay said Senior Advocates of Nigeria ‘who shamelessly approach judges and introduce them to culture of corruption deserve harsh punishment.

     

    Speaking in Benin City on Monday at the 2017 Annual Law Week of the Nigeria Bar Association, Edo State Branch, Prof. Sagay urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to investigate, arrest, and jail lawyers who receive loots as fee from corrupt public servants and politicians. 

     

    In his paper titled: “Corruption in the judiciary; the disciplinary role of the NJC vis-à-vis law enforcement agencies”, Prof Sagay said Judges must be perfect and remain the repository of honour, integrity and high moral authority.

     

    He said when the law court across the country failed to interpret, apply and enforce the law, the existence of the any civilized society will be endangered adding that loss of confidence in the judiciary will amount to chaos and disintegration.

     

    “No one ever expected judges to throw caution, rectitude, honour, justice and the credibility of the judiciary to the winds by selling his judgment. This is the destructive culture brought about by election petitions which has spread like epidemic through our formerly hallowed judicial system.

     

    “The disciplinary procedures of the NJC were not set up for such crime. That is why tragically we are now experiencing judges being tried in court like common criminals. That is why the anti-corruption and security agencies have taken it upon themselves to continue from where the NJC’s authority ends.

     

    “The bottom line is that judges enjoy no immunity from investigation, arrest, trial and conviction.

     

    “In order to restore the authority, power and dignity of the judiciary, we must go through extra ordinary painful process of punishing those who have brought same and obliging to that sacred institution.

     

    “Lawyers should be treated like accomplice after the fact because they share in the proceeds of the crimes of politically exposed persons and once paid from that stained loot, it becomes their life’s struggle to protect and shield the primary criminals from the consequences of their crime.”

     

    In his keynote paper, Prof. Lawrence Atsegbua, stated that the law has failed as a tool of fighting corruption ‘because in spite of laws prescribing stiff penalties for corruption, more money than ever has been stolen from the public coffer by corrupt means.’

     

    Atsegbua noted that all the laws against corruption would fail if disequilibrium in the social status of citizens were not met.

     

    He said Nigerian leaders lack the political will to fight corruption a situation which has hindered socio-economic development.

     

    Atsegbua said, “Corruption has become institutionalized in Nigeria. Despite several efforts by successive governments to curb corruption by the passage of several anti-corruption legislation, it is now clear that corruption can’t be fought solely by legal prescription.

     

    “Fighting corruption within the rule of law in a Democratic society will fail because, the laws divergence from society environment, social and economic inequality in society, lack of implementation capacity and the gain of law breaking exceeds the loss of punishment.

     

    “No matter the number of laws therefore passed by the National Assembly, corruption will still remain a landmark in Nigeria. 

     

    “Unless the state start living up to its responsibilities in providing functioning health services, education, electricity, payment of salaries and gratuity as and when due, the law will fail in its quest to fight corruption in Nigeria.

     

    “The fight against corruption in Nigeria ought to be structural leading to attitudinal change in order to make citizen aversion to corruption a matter of more conviction rather than one legal coercion”.

     

    Chairman of the occasion and Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Esther Ikponmwen, said corruption if not tackled may continue to hamper the growth and development of the country.

     

    Justice Ikponmwen regretted that the judiciary has been affected by the sting of corruption noting that any act that deviates from acceptable standard of the law profession is corruption.

     

    She said successive governments have sought to fight corrupt practices without much result unlike the ongoing corruption fight which has yielded positive outcome.

     

    Justice Daniel Okungbowa in his paper said corruption would stop in Nigeria with the removal of immunity clause and ability to recall lawmakers.

     

    He also prescribed the death penalty for corrupt officials.

  • UK to expose Nigerian property owners

    The British Government will give the Federal Government information about Nigerians who own property in that country next year, a presidential aide has said.

    Prof. Bolaji Owosanoye, Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, told the correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that negotiations on this had reached  advanced stage.

    Owosanoye said the measure  being taken by the governments of  both countries was  a step forward in the fight against corruption.

    “There’s no doubt that rogues in government oppress and impoverish their people by corruption and this must be sanctioned by collective action.

    “We need to make sure that there is no safe haven for you (corrupt officials) to run to.

    “Britain has promised that by 2018, she will provide Nigeria with the information about who owns what and where; that’s very helpful.

    “These include all the houses that have been bought by public officials or accounts that are held by public officials on which they are right now not paying taxes or which they cannot explain the sources.

    “So if you cannot buy a house in England, you have to look for somewhere else.

    “But if all countries criminalise this, then it becomes much more difficult unless you want to buy the house on Mars,” he said.

    The presidential aide also explained that Nigeria and other African countries, who are victims of illicit financial flows, must challenge developed countries to block illicit financial flows from developing countries.

    “Receiving states – the countries of the North – need to be proactive to block the proceeds of crime even before a request is made by victim countries.

    “This is because, in many situations, it is clear that illegality is taking place.

    “We think that reversing the burden of proof to improve the confiscation of criminal proceeds of crime would help, especially when we are going after the asset and not necessarily the person.

    “If the person who claims to own the asset would not cooperate in giving information, then this should be a point in favour of the state,” Owosanoye said.

    He contended that the burden of proof for criminal proceeds should shift to the suspect and not the government, citing the case  of a former Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “A former Managing Director of the NNPC was found with nine million dollars cash and over 70 million naira in his house in a small place he has built.

    “He said the money is a gift. He was asked if he could tell the very generous angels who gave him this money.

    “He’s not been able to provide that information. That sort of disposition should be used to penalise a claimant of asset who cannot justify the origin of the asset.

    “The proposed “Unexplained Wealth Order in England,’’ which hopefully we were told would pass through the legal process this year, should really help to deepen the conversation in this regard.

    “It (Unexplained Wealth Order) would help to quickly recover assets,” the presidential aide said.

    Owosanoye said available research records showed that about 60 per cent of capital flight from Africa came from Nigeria because of the size of its economy.

     

  • Corruption, obstacle to economic growth – Sagay

    Corruption, obstacle to economic growth – Sagay

    Prof. Itse Sagay, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption says corruption is an obstacle to economic growth, development of the country.

    “It is also an obstacle to the eradication of poverty, improved life expectancy and improved livelihood of all Nigerians ‘’.

    Sagay said this at the 2nd Public Interest Symposium titled: “How to Fight and Win the War against Corruption; Challenges and Prospects”, at the Island Club, Lagos.

    According to him, corruption is the cause of the country`s low human development, as well as responsible for poor policy choices.

    He noted that the direct result of this was the execution of white elephant projects, mass unemployment and general misery and wretchedness of the masses.

    “Nigeria has been turned into the butt of jokes at the international community, for declaring itself the largest economy in Africa, while harbouring the poorest population in Africa.

    “So, we live in this paradox. Nigeria is rich; Nigerians are poor,“ Sagay noted.

    He said that President Muhammad Buhari had marked a turning point in the fight against corruption, whereas, previous administrations seemed to be have paid lip service to it.

    “The eradication of corruption is a major plank in President Buhari`s camp and as soon as he assumed office, he became the indicator for public conduct in the management of our resources.

    “Apart from Buhari`s unimpeachable integrity and known intolerance of corruption, which he has demonstrated since 1983, the various Anti-Corruption Agencies that had earlier had gone to sleep, have suddenly `roared back’ to life.

    “We are presently witnessing the dynamism of the EFCC under a new leadership and that of the Code of Conduct Bureau in recent months. The ICPC is also manifesting some resurgence in its activities,’’ he said.

    Sagay said that the major weapons established for the war against corruption were the Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs), — the ICPC, EFCC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

    “However, there are other anti-corruption bodies like the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Public Procurement, who are also engaged in combating corruption”.

    He said that the fight against corruption were numerous, however, some of these arise from poor standards of investigation and prosecution.

    “The prospect of effectiveness in the prosecution can be improved upon by prosecuting any person or persons who have compromised the process, be it a judge, a prosecutor or an investigator.

    “By identifying and selecting judges of the highest integrity, who have passion for justice and can never be compromised by financial blandishments, to form the core of judges,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Oladipo Okpeseyi SAN and current Chairman of the Island Club said that they floated the public lecture series in order to identify specific areas of interest in the society needing urgent individual and government attention.

    He also noted that maiden edition, which was held in September 2015 had a theme, “Nigeria’s War on Terror: How to Fight and Win’’.

    The event, which was to start at 1pm on March16 had to commence later in the day.