The pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, Justice Mustapha Akanbi (retd), speaks on looters’ list recently released by the Federal Government and other anti-graft issues

What is your reaction to the looters’ list recently released by the Federal Government?

Corruption or stealing knows no colour. If anybody is guilty of corruption or indicted for taking public money, such person should be dealt with according to the law. The question of allowing the person to go scot-free does not help society. Once there are verifiable facts that a person had committed a crime, such a person should be dealt with whether or not the offender is a member of the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party or any other party. I do not like the idea of giving preference to A or B. I am not concerned about a particular party. If you belong to any party and you have misappropriated or embezzled public funds, let the law take its course. That will demonstrate to the people that no matter who is involved, the government is committed to fighting corruption.

When we were handling corruption cases, one man, who is a member of the ruling political party, a minister in the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was accused of corruption. The minister was Obasanjo’s senior in school. Notwithstanding, we arrested him. The man was from Iree in Osun State.

There was also a permanent secretary that we arrested and we published his name. There were many other highly placed people that we arrested. But Obasanjo did not come to us to say, ‘why can’t you consider this or that?’ I knew at the time we arrested some of them, we chased them away, those who made attempts to influence us. What is the essence of setting up the ICPC if you are going to distinguish A from B? There is no point to distinguish between who to punish and who not to punish. The way things are now, I must confess that there are some things I do not understand.

Do you agree with those who said the list has cast doubt on the anti-corruption crusade of the Buhari administration?

Well, I do not know if people have facts, but the ruling party has said that if you know somebody in their party who has committed a crime, mention his name. What I know is that if indeed there are people in the APC who have committed crime, and they are not being prosecuted and punished, it will not give the impression of fairness and justice.

But government should have intelligence report and information about people who are corrupt. Why are they pushing the responsibility to ordinary Nigerians?

It is not the responsibility of the executive to arrest corrupt persons. It is the work of security agents. The law enforcement agents will have to carry out diligent investigation. Currently, government is giving out rewards to people who provide information about corrupt individuals. In essence, whistle-blowers are paid some money. In our own time, they were not paid any money. But if they get information and the government is not willing to come out, then they are at liberty to speak out. However, such whistle-blower must make sure that he or she has factual report or credible information that could lead to the arrest of anyone. If you do not have factual report and you arrest somebody, people will go with an idea that you are just on a witch-hunt and that you are not doing what is right. I have a feeling that those who are giving out information about corrupt people will have some form of verifiable information.

What is your response to Mr. Reno Omokri, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, who released names of some people not included in the FG looters’ lists?

The FG should respond to it and approach him for facts. FG should also investigate the allegations. Once somebody has been courageous enough to bring out a list, it should not be dismissed. They should look into it and examine it and if there is substance, prosecution should follow. It is easier for them to call people in their party who are included in the list to say: this is what has been said about you, can you defend yourself? They should give the list to the EFCC to investigate. The anti-graft agency should interview those whose names are on his (Omokri’s) list.

The Transparency International recently gave a damning report that corruption is worsening in Nigeria even with the Buhari government’s fight against corruption. What is your take on this?

As for TI, I know during our time, the group sometimes made statements which were not backed up with facts. But all the same, if they make such statement, the government is at liberty to get in touch with the group and ask them to provide concrete information and if they fail to give you, you then tell people that they are telling lies. They are seen to be responsible; Obasanjo was one of them. If government deliberately decides to shield some people, they will do a disservice to the nation and to the anti-corruption fight.

What, in your own opinion, is the best way to stem corruption in Nigeria?

I have written many books on how to address corruption. Some members of the National Theatre of Ghana came to my library, the Mustapha Akanbi Library, in Ilorin, recently. I gave them my books on anti-corruption because the woman, who led the delegation, has also accused the Ghana judiciary of dishonesty. I have written and spoken a lot about anti-graft. If Buhari is making corruption war a focal point of his political philosophy, then there is no reason why he should shield anybody because if he does that, he is applying double standards.

Do you think the nations’ institutions are adequately strengthened to fight corruption?

Corruption is a battle which all of us must fight. If we do not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria. Before Buhari came to power, I have said that several times, most people, including the Obas, the Obis and the Emirs, were collecting money from politicians. We delivered lectures and did other things on how to stem corruption but people resisted such strategies. When the anti-corruption law was passed, all the states were against it. They said the FG had no power to make law against corruption. We had to fight that for almost three years until the Supreme Court ruled that FG had powers to make anti-corruption laws. That time, the states engaged the services of Chief Rotimi Williams and Chief Ben Nwabueze. In fact, Rotimi Williams reported me to a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais. We were very close and he respected me because we were holding meetings in my office. For three years, I had to get Afe Babalola to do his best for me, to act as amicus curia (a friend of the court) because the Supreme Court appointed Rotimi Williams and Ben Nwabueze as amicus Curia. Uwais was my mate. I told him that those people were on the side of the suspected corrupt people. Why can’t you appoint Afe Babalola? And he did. Afe Babalola and I were working hand in glove. So, most of the states did not like FG’s fight and laws against corruption. It is not a question of the Senate, House of Representatives or House of Assembly. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Maccido, who died in a plane crash, was one Emir who supported us. It is the orientation of Nigerians. We have not worked hard to fight a common battle or to fight a common enemy. Everybody feels that when it comes to corruption, it should be a case of ‘if you cannot beat them, join them’.

What is your advice to Nigerians on the forthcoming 2019 elections, especially when some people, who are perceived to be corrupt, are struggling to contest one position or the other?

Nigerians should not vote for them. If we say we are fighting corruption and there are allegations of corruption against them, why should Nigerians vote for such people? When allegations have been made, they should be investigated. Nigerians should not vote for corrupt people. We know that corruption is evil. I know how I feel now. I was lucky because they increased my pension through the effort of the former Executive Secretary to the National Judicial Council, Mr. Danladi Haliru.  He fought hard and confronted the Salary and Wages Commission. He told the agency that the amount they were paying me was very meager. I even believe that they did not give me my due gratuity. I could not believe that I would work for 25 years and they will give me a paltry sum. But Haliru did very well for me before he left. If somebody has embezzled our money, and he wants to contest an election, we should not vote for such person. I would not vote for the person. If your name appears on the list of corrupt persons, believe me, I cannot, because of you, leave my bed here to go and vote. I advise every Nigerian not to vote for corrupt people. Corruption has done and is doing great evil and havoc to this nation. Corruption is terrible. I still say it with pride: nobody had ever influenced me in my job as a judge or as an anti-corruption czar. The first day one woman tried to influence my late wife, I was very angry. From that day, she knew that I could not be influenced. Corruption is bad. I would have gone with the feeling that we took a gift from the woman. I went back to the office and wrote that her husband should be prosecuted.

Punch 

Since it was reported earlier in the week that veteran Fuji singer, K1 de Ultimate, had travelled to Canada for medical reasons, fans have been worried about his health.  

However, in a chat with Sunday Scoop, K1 de Ultimate’s manager, Azeez Kareem, stated that there was no need to panic as the Fuji singer only took a rest. He said, “He (K1) only travelled to Canada to rest. You know he has been playing since last year. He wanted to go late last year but his daughter’s death changed everything. He had to stay back, picked himself up and did some jobs that came his way.”

Kareem rubbished insinuations that the trip was facilitated so that K1 could see doctors concerning a corrective surgery he underwent on his lungs some years ago. He said, “It is just a two-week break and nothing more. Usually, he routinely goes for check-ups but this trip has nothing to do with any health issue.

“For now, we don’t have any shows booked. Our next event is on April 15 and K1 would return on April 14.  If he is seriously ill, he wouldn’t have performed non-stop shortly before he left the country. I don’t know what gave certain people the impression that he is sick.”

Punch 

It came as a rude shock to many when it was reported that Nigerian rapper, William Iroha, aka 2shotz, had become a photographer and filmmaker in the United States of America. After that, the last time 2Shotz made headlines was in 2015 for allegedly battering his estranged wife in the US.

When Sunday Scoop sought to know why he left Nigeria, the rapper spoke with so much bitterness. He said, “My contributions to the Nigerian music industry were never publicly acknowledged; so, what is the point of talking about music in Nigeria. Real people don’t go far in Nigeria. I really don’t care about what is going on in that industry anymore. The problem is the individuals.”

Reacting to reports that he has dumped music for photography, he said, “I am now a photographer and filmmaker. This is as much as you can get. I am not interested in attaining stardom again and I don’t care about it.”

Two final-year Mass Communication students at the Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State, identified only as Dorcas and Deborah, on Saturday, abandoned their wedding receptions to take their final exams.

The final paper is codenamed, Com 402: Media Law and Ethics. The newly-weds left their husbands behind with their bridal trains and came into the examination hall in their wedding gowns.

The course lecturer, Dr. Benjamin Ogbu, told our correspondent on the telephone that the two brides entered the examination hall amidst jubilation and excitement.

Ogbu stated that he could not ascertain the surnames of the two ladies because there were other students with similar names.

He said, “The timetable for the exam was earlier fixed before their weddings were fixed and interestingly, both were on April 7, 2018. Since the exam couldn’t be shifted, the two brides left their various reception venues for the examination hall to sit for the exams in their wedding gowns.

“I was with the deputy vice-chancellor (academic) when both women stormed the examination hall. It was a moment of joy for all of us as students and lecturers. We were happy that our students got married and they (students) were happy too that they got married and also took their last exams same day. It was a double joy for them.”

Ogbu said as a member of the varsity’s Examination Monitoring team, he was elated to see the two female students in their weddings gowns with utmost desire to graduate.

Punch 

The Buhari administration has not spent N500 billion annually on social investment programmes for Nigerians as it has led the public to believe, as that claim has not been cash-backed, the government has confirmed.

The government announced the initiative in 2015 as it came into office, and in last week’s response to American billionaire, Bill Gate’s criticism of the government’s low spending on human capital, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the yearly N500 billion social investment package was the biggest in sub-saharan Africa, and unprecedented in Nigeria.

“…We also decided to put in place an audacious Social Investment Programme to the tune of N500 billion, the largest pro-poor programme in our nation’s history, and the largest social safety net, at least in Sub-Saharan Africa,” Mr Osinbajo said at the Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos March 29.

The initiative aims to provide easy-to-access jobs for the unemployed, feeding for school children and a N5,000 monthly handouts to some of the nation’s poorest people.

The government claims more than 7.4 million primary school pupils in 22 states have been fed, while almost 300,000 poor Nigerians are also receiving N5000 monthly cash transfer. It said almost 300,000 Nigerians benefited from micro-credit loans of between N10, 000 to N100,000.

The figures have not been independently verified. If implemented as it repeatedly claims, at least N1 trillion would have been expended between 2016 and 2017 when the government fully administered the national budget. The amount would be more if a part of 2015, when the SIP started, is considered. In announcing this purported achievement, administration officials often cite the government’s ability to do so despite low oil receipts and generally dwindling revenues.

But the administration has been economical with the truth, and failed to clarify that only a comparatively small chunk of the amount was released.

As at February 3, the administration said it had spent N109 billion of total budget release of N110 billion for the programme.

By this week, the government spent only N175 billion in three years as against N1.5 trillion many Nigerians are led to believe.

That confirmation came Friday after the Senate Appropriations Committee questioned the programme, with lawmakers from the ruling All Progressives Congress expressing doubts about its value.

At a session on Thursday with the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment, Maryam Uwais, members of the Senate committee picked holes in the implementation of the initiative, and challenged Mrs. Uwais to provide names of the beneficiaries of the social intervention programme from their various states.

“You have N500 billion every year, which is unprecedented, totalling N1.5 trillion in three years. I am from Gombe State, and I’m yet to see one single boy or girl that has benefited from the programme. I have been active and politicking for 40 years. As far as a I am concerned, I don’t know of anybody who has benefited from your programme and this is N13 billion every month,” chairman of the committee, Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe) said.

Mr Goje’s comments infuriated Mr Osinbajo, and his spokesperson issued a statement condemning the remark as “irresponsible.”

But the Senate’s query served another value: it triggered a disclosure of the the actual amount spent on the programme over three years.

“To restate the facts, while indeed we have budgeted a total of N500B for the 2016 & 2017 Budgets each, including the N100B for the Family Housing Fund in the 2017 Budget, only a total of N175B has so far been released since the commencement of the historic Buhari Social Investment Programme.

Odilim Enwagbara, an economist, told PREMIUM TIMES the administration’s admission that only N175 billion had gone into the policy was typical.

“This is similar to what they did with the fuel subsidy matter. They lied that fuel subsidy had been abolished, but when its expenses became too much and they could no longer cover it up, they opened up to Nigerians that the subsidy is still in place,” Mr. Enwagbara said. “There’s absolutely no accountability or transparency in this government.”

The analyst called on the National Assembly to immediately conduct a public hearing on the matter in order to unravel potential sharp practices that might have characterised the scheme.

“The government has been giving Nigerians the impression that N500 billion was being spent annually on their welfare, but clearly that turned out to be false and I appeal to the House of Representatives and the Senate committees on social policies to conduct a public hearing without delay,” he said.

Laolu Akande, a spokesperson for Mr Osinbajo, dismissed allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the administration, saying the fact that money was not released was not sufficient to jump into conclusion.

“What I know is that this is the amount that the government could afford at this time,” Mr Akande told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone Saturday afternoon.

He said the government would continue to budget N500 billion as projected annual expenditure for the programme, even though it couldn’t implement half of it in the last two budget cycles and without assurances that much would change within the next fiscal year.

“You don’t know what is going to happen in future,” Mr Akande said. “It is the intention of the Buhari administration to spend a significant part of our resources in investing in our people. This is our own plan. This is our own projection and we will continue to push.

“The fact that we were unable to get the money in the past does not mean we would lower our ambition and aspiration for the Nigerian people. It is important that the resources of this country is spent on the generality of the Nigerian people,” he added.

But Mr Enwagbara slammed the government’s resolve as indicative of its alleged criminality and incompetence.

“The Appropriation Act is a a law, so how could the government continue to put amounts into it indiscriminately without proper projection all in a bid to swindle the citizens?” Mr Enwagbara said. “This government is the most fraudulent and incompetent I have seen since 1999.”

PT

The move to recall Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) from the upper chamber of the National Assembly has gathered fresh momentum with the recent timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the exercise.

Over 188,000 constituents across the Kogi West senatorial district had reportedly signed signatures sometimes in June 2017, indicating their readiness to recall Melaye on account of his poor representation and performance.

INEC commenced the recall process but stopped along the line, following legal actions instituted by Senator Melaye against the exercise.

On March 24, 2018, the INEC released the timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the senator.

The electoral umpire said it had proceeded with the move pursuant to a judgment by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, delivered on March 16 , 2018 which gave the Commission leave to continue with the recall process.

A statement released by INEC, which was signed by its Secretary, Mrs Augusta Ogakwu, contained the timetable and schedule of activities for the recall process.

The schedule of activities is expected to commence with the posting of the notice of verification at the commission’s office in Lokoja, Kogi State and end with the declaration of the outcome of the verification on April 29, 2018.

The statement said, “Pursuant to the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division , delivered on March 16, 2018, the Independent National Electoral Commission hereby issues this timetable and schedule of activities for the recall of the senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State.

“The process will begin on March 27 , 2018, with the posting of the notice of verification at the commission’s local government area office in Lokoja, Kogi State and end with the declaration of the outcome of the verification on April 29 , 2018.”

The commission stressed that it was exercising its powers as conferred on it by “Sections 69 and 110 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ( as amended); Section 116 of the Electoral Act 2010 ( as amended) and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf. ”

Also, according to the statement, April 4 was set as the last day for submission of application by interested observers, while April 20 is set as the last day for the submission of the names of verification agents for the member sought to be recalled and the petitioners.

Furthermore, there is a stakeholders’ meeting on April 25 at INEC’s state office; conduct of verification on April 28 in all polling units in the constituency and declaration of the outcome of verification on April 29 at the commission’s local government area office in Lokoja.

Meanwhile, there are discordant tunes from some Kogi West constituents as the electoral umpire braces up to bring the recall exercise to its climax.

While some of the constituents have expressed delight with the recall exercise, others have misgivings, saying the process was being prosecuted by “external forces” and not Kogi West constituents.

A constituent from Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, Segun Modeyin, said the recall exercise was not in the best interest of the people of Kogi West.

Modeyin described Senator Melaye as someone who is loved by the people and that any attempt to recall him would fail.

“To me, it will be an exercise in futility because Dino Melaye is someone who is well accepted amongst people in his senatorial district. He has been representing us well.

“In recent times, he has done a lot in impacting lives in his senatorial district through the execution of various constituency projects.

“In fact, he has touched virtually every community within his senatorial district.

“Our rural people have enjoyed electricity, water and road construction projects from the same Dino.

“Our people have resolved that whichever party that Dino Melaye chooses to contest for a second term, they would vote for him because of their confidence in him.

“I believe the recall exercise is purely a political vendatta from the Kogi State government. I believe the APC as a party needs to wade into the face-off between the senator and the governor.

“The Senator is performing and I don’t believe any recall would work against him.

According to him, if the INEC should go ahead with the recall exercise, they would make sure that each of the signature they have collected are duly authenticated.

“I doubt if they (INEC) can authenticate those signatures. We are surprised that INEC which is supposed to be an unbiased umpire is the one pushing for the recall of our senator.

“It is unfortunate that those who are supposed to protect the rule of law are the ones doing otherwise. Our call on INEC is to ensure that each of the signature gathered is confirmed to be truly those of the constituents, if not, we will make issue out of it”, he said.

One of the constituents from Lokoja, who has been in the forefront of Dino’s recall, Mr Suleiman Abdulmalik, however, expressed confidence that the exercise will be successful.

“We are going to succeed. Dino can only run but he cannot run forever; the law must surely catch up with him. We are getting close.

“He is using the judiciary to frustrate the process but we will surely get there. Even within the judiciary, we are winning. He has gone to the Supreme Court. And once we defeat him there, the recall would be a done deal,” Abdulmalik also said. 

He expressed the optimism that constituents across the senatorial district who appended their signatures for the recall would turn out during the verification exercise to authenticate them.

“We are sure we will secure the over 50% signatures required for the recall. It would be verifiable and at the end of the day, we will succeed.

“The recall is our project. We cannot continue to support a senator that will be deriding his own party, the president and governor of his own state. His acts are always un-parliamentary and the recall is to enable us correct that,” he said.

Abdulmalik, who said that the recall exercise was on course, added that “there will be no going back on it.”

According to him, the people would not welcome any political solution at this point.

Meanwhile, Senator Melaye has urged the Supreme Court to declare the petitions submitted to the INEC, seeking his recall as illegal.

The Senator, in an appeal he filed against the March 16 , 2018 judgment of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, also urged the apex court to declare the recall process as illegal.

The suit filed at the Supreme Court by Melaye’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) is contending that the three Justices of the Court of Appeal who delivered the unanimous judgment dismissing his suit erred in law.

In the meantime, the INEC office in Kogi has already posted the notice verification for the recall exercise.

Our correspondent observed that the notices were posted at INEC’s state headquarters office and that of Lokoja local government office.

Head of Voters Education and Publicity of INEC in the state, Mr Biambo Bagudu, told Daily Trust that the commission would follow the timetable released for the recall exercise.

Bagudu said NYSC members, staff of federal tertiary institutions and the commission’s staff were expected to be used for the exercise.

He assured that the commission as an umpire would ensure transparency and credibility of the entire recall exercise.

On the suit filed by Melaye at the Supreme, he said the Commission is law abiding and would be ready to halt the process once there is court judgement to that effect

DailyTrust 

Aides of senators, Reps under the aegis of  the Conference of National Assembly Legislative Aides (CONASSLA), have asked President Muhmmadu Buhari and the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to make their running cost public.

The request followed controversy trailing the statement by Senator Shehu Sani that senators receive N13.5 million as monthly running cost.  

CONASSLA, a forum of current and former aides to members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, appealed to the Presidency, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, and all other Ministers to disclose to the Nigerian people how much the President, Vice-President, ministers and heads of agencies and parastatals of the federal government receive as running costs.

The statement was signed by Abdullahi Almustapha and Funmi Oyekan, CONASSLA’s chairman and secretary, respectively.

“In the interest of full disclosure, and in-line with the transparency agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari government, we call on the executive branch to publish the running costs of all the offices and individuals within its purview within seven days.

“Failure to do this will be an infringement on the trust of the Nigerian people who elected this government into office to curb excessive spending and official largesse by public office holders,” part of the statement read. 

DailyTrust 

Riyadh and Tel Aviv have many areas where they could potentially cooperate, including the issue of counteracting Iran as a common enemy, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Friday.

Salman also said diplomatic relations cannot be established until the Palestinian issue is resolved,

“Well, it seems that [Saudi Arabia and Israel] have a common enemy, and it seems that we have a lot  of potential areas to have economic cooperation.

“And we cannot have a relation with Israel before solving the peace issue, the Palestinians, because both of them they have the right to live and coexist,” the crown prince told Time magazine.

The crown prince added that Saudi Arabia would try to support a solution for peace, and when the Palestinian issue was resolved, Riyadh and Tel Aviv would establish diplomatic relations the “next day.”

Israel and Palestine are locked in a decades-long dispute over borders and sovereignty.

In 1948, after the UK’s mandate over Palestine ended, the Israelis announced the creation of their state on the disputed territories.

As a result of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, initiated by neighboring Arab states, Israel managed to seize territories initially intended for the Palestinians in accordance with a UN General Assembly resolution.

Saudi Arabia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, but the two countries are reportedly involved in regular unofficial contacts on the political, military and economic levels.

(Sputnik/NAN)

The General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, has revealed that the greatest conflict Nigerians are facing at the moment is war against satanic witchcraft.

He stated this at the church’s monthly “Power Must Change Hands” conference held at the Prayer City, Ogun State, on Saturday.

According to him, “Anywhere you see any bloodshed or massive death of people it is not terrorism but the work of satanic witchcraft. An evil force is the one behind all those bloodshed.
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“Do you expect a sane human being to just slaughter another human being who is still alive when he will even think twice when killing a hen or cow?

“Nigerians need to wake up from their slumber as there is a massive resurgence of witchcraft all over the world. Nigeria is in the era of the great wrath where so many mysterious things have occurred; I mean unexplainable sexual perversion, unavoidable terrorism, emergence of kidnappers who are hungry for blood and terrible accidents.

“I urge all Nigerians to watch and pray and be vigilant as we are in the end time. So many things are happening.”

DailyPost 

Manchester City would have to wait for a week or two to be crowned Premier League champions, after they were beaten 3-2 by second-placed Manchester United on Saturday at The Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola’s men needed an outright win and began the match in fine fashion.

Vincent Kompany headed City in front, before Ilkay Gundogan rounded off a fine team move to make it 2-0.

However, United fought back in the second half, with Paul Pogba scoring a two-minute brace to level the match.

Chris Smalling then side-footed Alexis Sanchez’s free-kick past Ederson to claim all three points for Jose Mourinho’s men.

With the victory, the Red Devils have now cut City’s lead at the top to 13 points, with six matches left.

DP