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Tag: probe

  • TRCN launches probe panel

    TRCN launches probe panel

    The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has established Teachers Investigating Panels (TIP) nationwide.

    Its Registrar, Prof Addison Wokocha, said TIP will ensure adherence to ethics, to restore the lost glory of the ‘chalk profession.’

    “‘In exercising this mandate, we direct our vision to regulate teacher education, training and practice at all levels and sectors of the Nigerian education system in order to match teacher quality, discipline, professionalism, reward and dignity by promoting excellence in education through effective registration and licensing of teachers,” he said

    Wokocha spoke at the matriculation/graduation and induction for National Certificate in Education (NCE), Bachelors of Education (B.Ed) and Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) of about 300 students of Topmost College of Education (TOPCOED), Ipaja, Lagos.

    The Registrar said the TRCN has been empowered to do this through Act 31 of 1993 CAP T3 of 2004, which, among other things, recommends certain benchmarks for teacher qualification, including determining who are ideal teachers; what standards of knowledge and skills are to be attained by persons seeking to become one, as well as raising those standards from time to time.

    He said as the regulatory agency for the profession, TRCN is further empowered by the Act, to mount, monitor and supervise mandatory continuing professional development programmes and maintain discipline among teachers at all levels.

    For the graduands who took the oath of practice, Wokocha urged them to take the exercise with the highest level of seriousness and commitment to professionalism.

    Similarly, Provost of Topmost, Mabel Odunayo, also counselled the matriculating students to be serious as teaching is not for the indolent but indomitable minds.

    Dr Odunayo also urged the government to address the insecurity in the country.

    “Most worrisome is the incident of April 14, 2014 where over 230 female students of the Federal Girls College, Chibok,Borno State were abducted and have since not been found. This new dimension of wickedness must be resisted otherwise it is a slap to the nation and the world at large,” she said.

  • Security agencies probe ‘involvement’ of Malians

    Security agencies probe ‘involvement’ of Malians

    Security agencies are probing the likely involvement of Malians in the abduction of the 276 Chibok schoolgirls.

    There are allegations that some members of Boko Haram are Malian insurgents, who were displaced last year by French troops.

    A source, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, said: “We are suspecting that Malian insurgents, who were overpowered by French troops, have teamed up with Boko Haram to carry out the abduction of these girls.

    “Some locals in Birno and Adamawa claimed to have heard some of the insurgents speaking French, which is typical of Malians.

    “So, there is no doubt that Boko Haram has recruited more hands from Mali, Niger Republic, Chad and border towns in Cameroon.

    “Whatever is the outcome of our findings on Malian insurgents, we will pass it to the allied forces to assist their intervention.

    “This is why the allied forces have decided to involve France in the campaign to free the girls. With the backing of the French Government, there is no more hiding place for Boko Haram insurgents.

    The police attempted yesterday to sack #BringBackOurGirls protesters from the Unity Fountain in Abuja.

    A statement by the Media Lead, Rotimi Olawale, said: “As early as 7am, the police drafted a team of policemen to the venue of the rally. At about 8.30am, a sound system company that was setting up speakers and microphones for the rally scheduled for later this afternoon was ordered out of the Unity Fountain or face arrest.

    “As at 2pm, over 20 policemen have occupied the particular spot at the Unity Fountain where concerned Nigerians had peacefully gathered for days to demand that the Government #BringBackOurGirls ALIVE before the commencement of the World Economic Forum.

    “Despite the looming police threat, #BringBackOurGirls Campaign is determined to continue its sit-out and will assemble at the Unity Fountain from 3pm today. We remain resolute that we have a constitutional right to gather and protest in a peaceful and orderly manner.”

    The group went ahead with the sit out.

    A former World Bank President, Mrs. Oby  Ezekwesili, justified the defiance. She said: “Over 50 policemen took over the Unity Fountain venue and tried to forcibly prevent us from having our sit-out for our Chibok girls. We held it.

    “We promised the Chibok community that we shall stand with them all the way. We are resolved. Federal Government is in our prayers to bring back our girls.

    “In a democracy where Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees us right-peaceful gathering; the Federal Government uses the police to intimidate us? No way.”

  • APC seeks probe of firms in NNPC’s swap programme

    APC seeks probe of firms in NNPC’s swap programme

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the National Assembly committees probing alleged revenue losses and sleaze at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), especially through the crude-oil-for-refined-product barter, to beam their searchlight on the activities of the two companies involved in the programme.

    In a statement yesterday in Washington, DC, the United States, by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC said the call was necessitated by the fact that the two firms involved in the swap programme, Taleveras and Aiteo, submitted the highest and unmatched bid of $2.85 billion for the largest of Shell Nigeria’s four oil blocks slated for sale, the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29, which Shell is selling with its 97-kilometre Nembe Creek oil pipeline.

    The party described as incredulous the fact that the two firms, which were oil marketers – and not explorers – of less than five years, could make such a huge bid.

    APC noted that this has put into a glaring context what may be the opacity of the barter programme under which the NNPC exchanges a huge chunk of the 445,000 barrels per day – which the government allocates for domestic refining – for refined petroleum products.

    The statement added: “This bid, by the two upstart firms, must attract the attention of the various National Assembly committees, including the House (of Representatives) Committees on Downstream, Upstream and Justice, and the Senate Committee on Finance.

    “How is it possible that these two companies, which were nowhere prior to now, have metamorphosed, in just five years, to become companies that can buy assets of $2.85 billion? Is there a link between this sudden leap in fortunes and the possible underhand dealings in the swap programme, considering that they are the two firms involved in the programme? Is it a coincidence that while Nigeria continues to get less and less from the programme, those who service the programme are feeding fat on it?

    “Is there any link between the stupendous wealth of these firms and the ever-expanding huge revenue losses going on at the NNPC? How did it happen that Taleveras and Aiteo have, in less than five years, grown from obscurity into the oil sector hegemony by simply exchanging crude oil for an equivalent refund of petroleum product? And is there a link between the activities of these firms and the alleged missing $20 billion oil funds?

    “Nigerians will also like to know: why is it that the highest bidders on the OML 29 are not big industry players but some deal-making firms? How did swap become the most lucrative sub-sector of the oil and gas market in Nigeria?

    “These and other questions are begging for answers, and we do hope the committees will provide the answers.”

    The party said it would also be necessary for the committees to examine the five-year audited report of the two companies to know the source of their record-breaking earnings and achievement, within such a short time of their active participation in the industry.

    “For the avoidance of doubt and lest we are misunderstood, we are not accusing these companies of engaging in any misdeed. What we are saying is that those who are saddled with investigating the alleged revenue losses and possible sleaze at the NNPC must not leave any stone unturned in their attempt to unearth the truth.

    “Since the two firms are the main players in the NNPC’s swap programme, and in view of their recent (planned) expenditure profile, they must also come under the scrutiny of the committees,” APC said.

  • NLC backs Reps on probe of Petroleum Minister

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed the move by some members of the House of Representatives to investigate the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Madueke’s expenditures on hired private jets.

    In a statement titled “Create Jobs; Stop the Private Jets Jamboree NOW!,” issued on Sunday,  President, Abdulwahed Omar, urged that lawmakers to probe the ostentatious spendings of the state governors and other public office holders in the country.
    “We support the move by the National Assembly to probe Mrs. Allison-Madueke. The probe should equally be extended to the Governors and other public office holders involved in this national shame, ” Omar said.
    According to him, the NLC is alarmed at the reported level of waste by public office holders in Nigeria, particularly high profile public officers such as State Governors, Ministers and even their aides in the use of hired private jets.
    The NLC boss added that the allegation that Madueke spent the sum of N3.120 billion in two years maintaining a private jet which will be probed by the House of Representatives, is a welcome development.
    Omar said that the probe is timely as it is coming at a time that other public office holders, including state governors had also been alleged to have squandered as much as N130 million monthly to hire and maintain private jets.
    He expressed concern that in a country in urgent need of development infrastructure that are capable of lifting up our local industries, create real employment, deliver quality social services; it is not only sad that our public officers are shamelessly enmeshed in financial recklessness, it is equally condemnable that so much public funds are being expended on acquisition and hiring of private jets even to destinations conveniently plied by commercial airlines.
    ” It is abhorring that state governors who have always complained of inability to pay the minimum wage to public servants in their states under the pretense of paucity of funds could embark on such wastage at the expense of the sweat and sacrifice of workers and to the detriment of the development of their states.
    ” The governors, in particular, have collectively made attempts to sponsor bills at the National Assembly to undermine workers interests, particularly on the minimum wage. Each time issues of wages come up, they are the first violators, insisting often times that their states lack the resources to accommodate increase in wages while their tastes and thirsts for high profile life styles goes on unabated.
    The NLC noted that : “It is nauseating that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, whose ministry supervises the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, which has become the most prominent in financial scandals involving public institutions in Nigeria, will chose to be flying in hired private jets while the petroleum industry is sliding in stinking rots.”
    “Refineries and other infrastructures under her supervision have totally collapsed; management of resources meant to uplift the industry has become subjects and sources of several scandals in recent times.
    “While the alleged disappearance of over $20billion from the accounts of the NNPC is still a subject of probes by both arms of the National Assembly, the public is still groaning under shortages or complete absence of petroleum products at pump stations.
    “This same minister was recently quoted as advocating further excruciating hardships for Nigerians through complete removal of petroleum subsidy, including kerosene which the poor and the working class depend on.
    “Indeed, what is further required is a holistic, transparent and result-driven probe of the entire financial recklessness of public resources on adventures that contribute nothing to the development of our country.
    “The lifestyles and greedy thirsts of our public officers are completely deceptive and inconsistent with our collective reality as a country with a non performing economy, high unemployment rate, mass poverty and near total infrastructural collapse, ” Omar stated.

     

  • House of Reps to probe Eagles’ new kits’ colour

    House of Reps to probe Eagles’ new kits’ colour

    • Colour is in order, says NFF

    The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has faulted the choice of colours for the new Adidas manufactured Super Eagles jerseys unveiled on Thursday by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) at its permanent Secretariat, Sunday Dankaro House, Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.

    The Committee’s bone of contention was the lemon colour of the jerseys which according to the Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Godfrey Ali Gaiya, was not suitable when compared with the green colour of Nigeria’s former kits made by Adidas.

    Gaiya frowned at the lemon colour of the new jerseys and also threw to the dustbin the explanations given by the leadership of the NFF for choosing the colours of the kits. He vowed to probe the reasons for that choice.

    The legislator vowed that his Committee would not sweep under the carpet the complaints of a majority of the public who alleged that the NFF adopted the colour of their sponsor, Globacom.

    “For me, the Green is not our national colour, I would have preferred the green that we know, I would have preferred the colour that is in our flag, but again, those that designed it have their reason that they have explained.

    “I would not know whether Globacom influenced the choice of the colour of the new Super Eagles jersey, but we will look into it and whatever we find out we will let the world know,” he said.

    The General Secretary of the NFF, Barrister Musa Amadu, however, came to the rescue of the football house and debunked the insinuation that the colour of their sponsor, Globacom, was deliberately adopted. He explained that the colour is a balance between tradition and innovation.

  • Reps to probe NITEL’s, Mtel’s non-core assets

    Reps to probe NITEL’s, Mtel’s non-core assets

    • Detention of 400 northerners in Bayelsa for investigation

    The House of Representatives is set to ascertain the worth of the non-core assets of former state-run but now moribund Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, Mobile Telecommunications Limited (Mtel).

    The lawmakers also resolved to investigate the detention of 400 traders from the northern parts of the country by the Bayelsa Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

    The House has directed its House Committee on Communications to investigate the sale of the non-core assets of the two telcos and report back to the House within three weeks.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion by Ali Yakubu (PDP, Yobe) who said the non-core assets of the telcos amounted to billions of naira.

    He however said the liquidator of the national carrier, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has commenced the sale without remitting the amount realised to the designated account of the Federal Government.

    “The billions of naira realised from the sale of non core assets of NITEL and Mtel may have been fraudulently frittered away without proper accountability to the detriment of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he added.

    Besides, he noted that it is the responsibility of the lawmkwrs to ensure probity and accountability in government transactions.

    “The House would be failing in its duties if it does not act now in a manner that involves a national asset like NITEL and Mtel,” he added.

    The motion was referred to the Commmitee on Communications by the Speaker, Waziri Tambuwal, for further legislative action.

    On the ‘alleged’ arrested northern traders in Bayelsa State, Aminu Suleiman (APC Kano), who raised a motion of urgent national importance explained that the arrested persons were northern traders that frequent the coastal region of the country to trade.

    He said the issue should not be waived aside as it is becoming a recurring phenomenon. Suleiman added: “Last month, over 300 northerners, mostly traders, were arrested by the police while travelling in Rivers State, and another 200 northerners were arrested in Imo State under the same idea of fishing out illegal immigrants.”

    The prayer of the motion was unanimously adopted and refered to Committees on Interior and Human Right for further legislative input.

     

  • Lagos Assembly to probe LASU crisis

    •House appeals to authorities to open portal for two days             •Hoodlums hijacked our protest – SUG President 

    LAGOS State House of Assembly has intervened in the recent crisis in the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos (LASU), appealing to the management of the institution to open the portal for two days to enable students who have not registered to do so.

    The House is also to set up a committee of enquiry to investigate the remote cause of the crisis and those who instigated it.

    While condemning the “unfortunate incident of students who went on rampage in the school”, the House directed the school management to carry out investigation on the extent of the damage done and effect repairs to enable students resume.

    It also said the students’ union must write a letter of apology to the school management, adding that the affected students should write a letter of undertaken to be of good behaviour henceforth.

    The House also resolved to pay an on-the-spot assessment visit to the school.

    These were the major resolutions taken by the House yesterday after listening to all the parties earlier invited over the crisis.

    In her presentation earlier, President of the Lagos State University (LASU) Student Union Government (SUG), Miss Mojirade Hassan, told members of the Assembly that the protest, which was embarked upon by the students to register their displeasure over the closure of the portal, was hijacked by hoodlums.

    Hassan explained that the affected students staged a peaceful protest to the school Senate building to appeal to the management to re-open the school portal for them to register, pointing out that despite all the pleas by the affected students for the portal to be reopened, the Vice Chancellor, John Obafunwa and other management staff of the school turned deaf ears to the pleas of the students, ignoring some of the students who were kneeling down to plead.

    According to Mojirade, several meetings were held with the vice chancellor to ensure that the portal was re-opened to students who were ready to pay the stipulated fees. “The school management closed the portal, but students were still paying and they could not access the portal to register. “When some of the students approached the Chairman, Governing Council, Mr. Bode Augusto, he was telling them of the financial problems being encountered by the school. I told the VC that we want to meet with him and he told me that if it is about the re-opening of the portal I intend to discuss, he will disappoint me.

    “I begged the VC to re-open the portal for just two hours, and I informed him that the affected students had threatened to protest if the portal is not re-opened, but he said ‘they should go ahead, they will meet there.”

    “The protest in front of the Senate was peaceful because the students were only carrying placards and they did not even sing. Some of them even knelt down to plead, but when the VC and other management staff came, they didn’t address them, but drove away from the scene.

    “The students, seeing this took to the streets and I still called the VC to let him know that the issue had gone out of hand, but he told me to pacify the students. I told him it has gone beyond what I can handle. It was then he told me that he has involved the State Security Service (SSS). If the VC had addressed the students, the issue wouldn’t have degenerated to violence.

    “The protest was hijacked by hoodlums because we saw some yellow buses coming into the school and in the process of the protest, some people were snatching phones and a phone belonging to one of my members was also stolen and when we called the line, the person said he’s not a student of LASU and that we should come to Alabarago to collect the phone,” she added.

    In his submission, the Vice Chancellor, John Obafunwa, alleged that some of the students chose to be negligent and that was why they failed to pay and register. He explained that the portal was closed and re-opened severally and “some of the students still refused to register.

    It is unfortunate to suggest that the management does not have the interest of the students at heart.

    “The issue is beyond the closure of the portal, because I witnessed what happened and if not for God, we would have been talking of obituaries this morning. The question is ‘do we really want a new LASU’? What we have done is to instill discipline in the students,” Obafunwa added.

    Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Governing Council, Bode Agusto said only about 1,300 of the over 12,000 students of the institution failed to register and are responsible for the protest and damages.

    Almost all the lawmakers who contributed to the deliberation blamed the students for indiscipline and irresponsibility for vandalising school properties bought with tax payers’ money.

    They also admonished the students for not taking advantage of the opening of the portal beyond the normal two weeks to about six weeks after earlier plea for extension to register, adding that it all amounted to unseriousness and irresponsibility on the part of the students.

    They, however, appealed to the school authority to open the portal, even if for two days, to enable the remaining 1,300 students.

  • Reps’ Committee to probe NNPC ‘s unremitted $10.8b

    Reps’ Committee to probe NNPC ‘s unremitted $10.8b

    Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are to explain to the House of Representatives why $10.8billion remains unremitted to the Federation Account.

    Both of them are to be summoned by the Finance Committee, it was gathered at the weekend.

    Also to be invited are Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and the Accountant General, Mr. Jonah Otunla.

    The House is due to return from recess tomorrow and top of the agenda of the Finance Committee is to probe the “missing” cash.

    A source said: “The Committee will probe the alleged non-remittance of $10bn to the Federation Account by the NNPC as a result of a hint of ‘missing $49.8bn’ by the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

    “We are interested in unraveling the true account of the figures because we cannot afford to just take these different claims on the face value.

    “The investigation will include the Finance ministry, which mediated to bring down the earlier quoted figures to $10.8 billion as the actual figure of the NNPC’s non-remittance.

    “At a joint news conference, Sanusi admitted an error in the figure, claiming that the unremitted figure was $12bn, but the Finance Minister maintained that it is $10.8 billion, only for NNPC to later claim that the alleged missing fund was part of its expenditure for the period under review. So we are duty-bound to verify these claims because we know what such money can do if pumped into our economy.”

    The crisis started when Sanusi wrote the president, alleging that $49.8 billion oil remittance that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) ought to pay in to the Federation Account was missing.

    This letter, it was alleged, drew the ire of President Jonathan, who directed Sanusi to resign for allegedly leaking his letter to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, based on which the former president wrote him a damning letter.

    The CBN governor allegedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he would not be stampeded out of office. He insisted that it is only the Senate that could remove him and not a presidential fiat.

    However, the NNPC has given more details of how it spent the alleged missing $10.8 billion, which is part of the controversial “unaccounted” $49.8 billion oil revenue. The corporation claimed that the bulk of the money was spent subsidising fuel in 2012.

    NNPC Group Executive Director.

    Finance and Accounts Directorate, Bernard Otti, said the $10.8b reflected expenditures incurred by the corporation during the period under review and are “really made up of the following: subsidy claims, $8.49b, pipeline management and repair costs, $1.22b, products/crude oil losses $0.72b, and cost of holding the strategic reserve, $0.37b”.

    The NNPC’s director of Finance said the expenditures were incurred as part of statutory responsibilities which the NNPC as the national oil company executes on behalf of the Federal Government and, by extension, the people of Nigeria, stressing that the NNPC has broken no laws in deducting those costs in line with the NNPC Act.

    But, former Vice President of the World Bank Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili has taken up the Minister of Finance and the NNPC over the sloppy manner the government has handled the issue.

    She challenged Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala to personally shoulder the responsibility of accounting to Nigerians about the “missing money”, pointing out that “a good place to start would be if the (Coordinating) Minister of Economy can sign off on NNPC’s breakdown of the “missing $10billion”.

  • CNPP urges Jonathan to probe NNPC over ‘missing’ $10.8b

    CNPP urges Jonathan to probe NNPC over ‘missing’ $10.8b

    The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) yesterday decried the “unprofessional creative accounting method” of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on the $10.8 billion “missing” oil revenue fund.

    The umbrella body of the nation’s opposition urged President Goodluck Jonathan to set up an independent enquiry to investigate the “blatant scam in the NNPC creative accounting, for the $8.49 billion could have been used to build two mega refineries and stop fuel products importation”.

    A statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu, said: “We regret that each time the pervasive leakage of funds and monumental corruption in the corporation comes under public scrutiny, the NNPC recklessly adopts the unprofessional creative accounting method.

    “We recall how painfully and grudgingly Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, wrote our dear President and raised the issue of the missing $49.8 billion from crude oil sales from January 2012 to July 2013.

    “A fire-brigade reconciliation approach among the relevant agencies – the NNPC, the CBN, and Ministry of Finance – ensued after several days. The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, concluded that ‘According to NNPC’s records, …$67.12 billion comprised the revenues which directly accrued to the NNPC (for the Federation Account) of $14 billion and additional revenues lifted by the NNPC on behalf of other parties.

    “…’$10.8 billion (N1.6 trillion) shortfall of domestic crude oil receipts due to Federation Account was not remitted’.

    “…The creative accounting went thus: $8.49 billion, unpaid fuel subsidy claims; $1.22 billion, pipeline management; $0.72 billion, crude oil losses and $.7 billion, cost of holding reserve stock.

    “We disagree with the so-called fuel subsidy payment of $8.49 billion by the NNPC…”

  • Reps probe SGF, ministry over N106b Service Wide vote

    Reps probe SGF, ministry over N106b Service Wide vote

    The House of Representatives will investigate the Ministry of Information for failing to account for N6.5 billion it received from Service Wide Vote between 2004 and 2009, it has been learnt.

    This is besides another investigation into the use of N94,005,343,963.81 released to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) between 2004 and last year, also from the Service Wide Vote account.

    The Debts Management Office (DMO) confirmed the releases.

    The investigation by the House Committee on Public Account (PAC) followed the revelation of the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Sade Yemi-Esan, that the ministry had single document on the releases made to it during the period under review.

    Though the permanent secretary was sent out of the meeting at the weekend, she was, however, mandated to ensure that all documents on the releases were made available to the committee.

    The ministry was given till Wednesday to present the documents to the committee.

    The investigation of the two agencies followed queries by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) to the two agencies between the period under review. But the office did not receive any response from either agency.