Former South African president Jacob Zuma may challenge a prosecutor’s decision to reinstate corruption charges over a $2.5 billion arms deal, news broadcaster eNCA said on Saturday.

Zuma, who was forced to resign by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) last month, was at the centre of a 1990s deal to buy European military kit that has cast a shadow over politics in South Africa for years.

Chief state prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told a media conference on Friday that Zuma’s attempts to head off the charges hanging over him for more than a decade had failed.

He said the 75-year-old Zuma denies all the allegations against him.

Zuma’s lawyer Michael Hulley said the reason behind Abrahams’ decision was not clear from the “one-page and somewhat terse response” received from him “advising that the representations made on behalf of Zuma were unsuccessful,” eNCA said on its news website.

“In the circumstances, the likely course of action would be to take the decision of the NDPP (National Director of Public Prosecutions) on review. The decision will however only be made after careful consideration and consultation with Mr Zuma,” Hulley was quoted as saying in a screengrabbed text.

Zuma will face 16 charges relating to 783 instances of alleged wrongdoing, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said on Friday.

Twelve are of fraud, one of racketeering, two of corruption and one of money laundering.

Reuters

The Zimbabwean government on Monday published a list of state funds stashed in foreign accounts. The government called such funds “Externalized Foreign Currency and Assets.”

According to a release signed by the president Emmerson Mnangagwa, there was an estimated amount of $827 million yet to be recovered.

It said companies and individuals had returned $591 million in such funds after a 90-day amnesty to bring back the money was issued by the president late last year.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is ready to process transactions where the concerned parties can show proof of declaration and/or repatriation of funds without prejudice given that the burden of proof lies with the concerned parties, the statement read.

The three broad categories of defaulters were:

• Funds externalised through non repatriation of export proceeds
• Funds externalised through payment of goods not received in Zimbabwe
• Funds externalised to foreign banks in cash or under spurious transactions.

In total, the government had expected over 1.4 trillion dollars to be surrendered. Category one per the record had over $526 million to be retrieved but a little over $289 million was received. Category two with $177 million produced $52 million whiles Category three which had $714,204,171 produced $250 dollars.

The state-run Herald newspaper in December 2017 posted a video in which the president is heard saying, “Under the new administration, we have given three months for those who had taken money out of this country to bring it back. I did not say that without knowledge, I have a list of who took money out.

“So in March (2018) when the period expires, those who would have not heeded my moratorium, I’ll name them,” he added. He also called for party and national unity and the unconditional removal of political and economic sanctions imposed by the west on his government.

Mnangagwa, 75, became leader of the southern African nation last month after the military and ruling ZANU-PF turned against Robert Mugabe. “Going forward we call for the unconditional lifting of the political and economic sanctions which have crippled our national development.

“We realise that isolation is not splendid or viable, as there is more to gain through solidarity and mutually beneficial partnerships which will help us realize our unique national interests. Government will thus pursue a robust re-engagement process to fully affirm our belonging to the family of nations,” he added.

While the European Union removed sanctions on ZANU-PF officials, members of the military and some government-owned firms in 2014, the United States has kept a travel and economic embargo on several ruling party elites.

Africanews

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has said that corruption has not been completely dealt with in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration as the cankerworm has become systematic in the country.

The Vice President who stated this  at the 7th Presidential Quarterly Business Forum for private sector stakeholders at the Conference Centre, Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, noted that with President Buhari on the saddle, there were fears in many quarters that anyone caught indulging in corrupt practices would be dealt with.

He said that the type of leadership would determine the type of followership, adding that, “If the president is corrupt, the entire financial system is compromised and that is what we have seen with the figures we have just seen. That is an absolutely important that we must take into account.”

He further stated that when the government was committed in fighting corruption, because of the systematic problem, corruption always fight back.

According to him, “I am not saying that corruption under this administration has been completely dealt with, no certainly not. Where corruption has become systematic such as we have in our country today, you cannot deal with it in one full fell swoop, it is not possible. In any event you still have a lot of corruption fighting back. The system fights back and its both an internal and external fight back and you have to be steadfast and strategic to win the battle.

“There is no way that you have a system such as ours that has consistently thrived on corruption and proceeds of corruption and public financing in particular, that will give up and say guys, the problem has been solved. No.

“It is a system that feeds on corruption and it affects all aspects of governance, so trying to deal with it is certainly not a walk in the park.

“But I want to say that that task has already begun and that task is being done consistently and I believe that going forward in the next few years, no matter how we are criticized, if w stick to policy especially controlling excesses and corruption in public finance, this country will make the kind of progress that it deserves to make with all the resources at our disposal.

“If we stick to the policy of ensuring that as far as public finance is concern, there is no impunity and that we hold people to account, I am absolutely confident that this country has what it really takes to make the kind of progress we deserve to make as a nation.”

Asking rhetorically what was wrong with the Nigerian economy and what should be done to correct the flaws, he said, “There are several issues many of which have already been articulated but I want to talk about what I think is the biggest problem which for some reason we hardly talk about when discussing our national economy.

“This is grand corruption in the public finance space. Sometimes the way we talk about the Nigerian economy it does appear as if it is the economy of say Norway or somewhere where all things are equal. Even when we refer to what has taken place in our economy we almost sound as if this is in every sense a very normal business environment, a very normal public finance environment but that is not the case.

“I do not think that any consideration about our economy development can be properly and honestly done without fully analyzing corruption, especially grand corruption in the public finance space.

“You see that despite record high levels of oil prices, very little was invested in infrastructure and a record level of leakages were recorded in the past few years.

“This is the fundamental issue in our economy. Corruption affects everything. It affects even judgment as to what sort of infrastructure to put in place or whether infrastructure will ever be complete. It is so fundamental that can’t even think of our economy without thinking of what to do about it.

“Sometimes when we talk about our economy we talk about the fact that we have relied of single commodity and that is one of the reasons why we are where we are. Yes, that’s quite through but the fact is that, proceeds from that single commodity were regularly hijacked consistently by a few. That is really the problem. If we had spent the proceeds from that single commodity the way we ought to, we won’t be where we are today. Most of the proceeds went to rent seekers in the industry and production.

“For example, I am sure many of us are familiar with the so called Strategic Alliance Contract with the NNPC and NDDC. The promoters of the companies made away with close to $3 billion, almost a tenth of our reserves. There is no way if someone made away with a tenth of your reserves that you will not have a major economic shock. And if we don’t deal with it, if we don’t talk about it, how will we be able to discuss our economy in a real honest way with a view to ensuring that these things do not happen again.

“In one single transaction a few weeks to the elections 2015, sums of a $100,289 million were just fretted away by a few. When you consider that in 2014 as the minister of finance has said that oil price was an average of $110 a barrel and only N99 billion was spent on power, works and housing and when we talk about the economy we talk as if these are normal by every standard.

“Nobody should talk about the economy when you have this kind of huge leakages and huge corruption. Corruption that completely makes even what you are allocating to capital projects are made nonsense of.

“We saw from the presentation of minister of finance N14 billion was spent on agriculture in 2014, transportation N15 billion, so the total spent on infrastructure in those three years were N153 billion and in two weeks before the elections N150 billion was essentially shared.

“So if your total infrastructure spending is N150 billion and you can share N153 billion that is completely incredible. That sort of thing doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world. And when we are talking about the economy, we must simply understand that that is the problem.

“Today, with less revenue, we have increased capital funding by 400% as the minister has said, in power, works and housing, in defence, transportation, agriculture. If we want to do analysis in Nigeria, it is either fraudulent or ignorant if we do not bring money that belongs to corruption into the mass.

“This is what distinguishes in my own respectful view, this administration from the other. I can say that with what I have seen, if you have a president who is not corrupt, 50 percent of your financial problems are over. This is what I have seen; I can demonstrate it with facts and figures.”

Speaking at the meeting, the organized private sector called on the Federal Government to rehabilitate ports in the eastern flank of the country like the Warri, Port Harcourt, Onitsha and Calabar ports in order to boost the economy, adding that most of the importers were from the area where the ports had been abandoned and made to be dormant. They said that if the eastern seaports were opened, it would be easier for them to clear their goods.

Vanguard

The Land Use Charge Law 2018, LUC, recently enacted by the Lagos State House of Assembly to replace the LUC of 2001, has understandably kicked off a firestorm of protests across the state because of what many see as its shylock provisions that if implemented, will be very oppressive on property owners, tenants and long-term property users in the state.

The LUC is a consolidation of all property and land-based rates and charges payable under the Land Rates Neighbourhood Improvement Charge and Tenement Rates Laws of Lagos State. It is perhaps a major effort at raising the $50 billion which the Lagos State Government says it needs within the next five years to transform the infrastructural landscape of the nation’s melting pot and former capital.

When it comes into operation, property owners will find themselves saddled with charges that could rise to over 400 per cent of what they are currently liable to pay. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode explained that the increase is justified by the steady improvement in the infrastructure of the state in the past 20 years. He also pointed to the fact that since 2001, no rate increases have been imposed contrary to the requirement of the law which recommends an increase every five years.

Several organisations – including the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Lagos Branch and some groups in the Organised Private Sector – have protested and threatened to drag the state government to court. Some landlords associations are also considering class action suits to get the law repealed.

There is no arguing the fact that government has the right under the law to seek ways of shoring up its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, to continue to provide services to the people. The Lagos State Government has been a pacesetter and a source of inspiration not just to other states but also the Federal Government in the aggressive pursuit of IGR.

We are pleased and relieved that the LASG is already responding positively to the call for another look at the LUC. Also, Governor Ambode has offered to reduce some of the charges between 15 per cent and 50 per cent. This is highly commendable and expected of a responsive, democratically-elected government.

We call on the LASG to take this law back to the drawing board and consult  more widely before re-enacting it into law. LASG should also be mindful of the crushing economic situation the people are passing through because it is the common man that will ultimately bear the brunt of the increase in charges.

Let this law properly reflect Governor Ambode’s mantra that Lagos is for all.

Vanguard

Following what he referred to as the effects of the current security challenges in the country, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers attached to political office holders, VIPs and prominent individuals in the country.

To this effect, a memo will be forwarded to the President for approval which will serve as a guidelines or template for deployment of police officers to VIP, Political office holders and public office holders in the country.

IGP Idris said the need for streamlining the deployment of police personnel attached to VIPs, Political and Public office holders, is aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing of the country.

“A Task Force has been constituted at the Force headquarters under the Command of ACP Mohammed Adamu Dan Kwara to ensure compliance to this directive while the Command CPs are to replicate same at their various commands”, he said.

Continuing the IGP said, “However, business entreprenuers, multi-national organizations, corporate individuals and entities that require such services and are found to be worthy will be considered from the Special Protection Unit of the Nigerian Police Force on application for re-validation through states commissioners of police where they are resident or domiciled”.

“The Commissioners of Police are to profile and recommend, if such applicants merit the services for approval. By so doing, I am charging the Commissioners of Police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment and thereby holding them accountable.

On the proliferation of Police Spy Plate Numbers and its abuse as well as illegal use of siren, the IGP said, “I have equally observed the excessive abuse of Spy Plate Numbers, covering of plate Numbers and illegal use of siren.

“The police spy plate numbers exclusively approved for use by banks, security companies and multi-national companies is greatly abused. A situation where criminals now take advantage of this to perpetrate heinous crimes”. “Some individuals have formed the habit of covering their vehicle plate numbers and also illegally use siren. This practice should stop forthwith”.

“I have therefore directed that holders of all police spy number plates are to return them to the Force Transport Officer (FTO) at Force headquarters, where they are expected to apply for re-validation”.

“The Task Force under ACP Dan Kwara will ensure compliance to this directive and arrest violators. “A similar Task Force is to be formed at all the command levels by states commissioners of police to ensure compliance with this directives and the list of the task force team be forwarded to the DIG operations latest 31st March 2018.”

Speaking on the recently approved bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly for the establishment of Neighbourhood watch or vigilante group which has been signed into law by Governor Nyesom Wike, the IGP directed the Rivers State Police Commissioner to get a copy of the new law, study it and ensure that it did not run contrary to Section 214 of the constitution.

“I am directing you to write to the Governor to seek for a copy of the bill so that it does not deviate from section 214”. Regarding the public outrage that has greeted his directive that prohibited arms and ammunition be return to the police within 21 days, occasioned by relentless herdsmen killings across the country, the IGP said the directive is only for prohibited arms.

“As you know, some cadre of arms are not authorized by law to be acquired by individuals or groups in the country other than security agencies. That is why we have directed such arms should be returned”.

The IGP also used the occsion to promote newly elevated AIGs including AIG Danjuma Mohammed Ibrahim, AIG Istifanus Shettima and AIG Jimoh Omezia Ozi-Obeh.

Vanguard

Caution is required as alcohol and tobacco taxes go up in new revenue drive

TAX authorities seem to be firing on all cylinders around here recently. Various revenues collecting regimes and schemes are being churned out by the day. It is, of course, a response to the shrinking revenue base of the government as well as the urgent need for more infrastructure funds.

It is also symptomatic of the enhanced paradigms that have been brought about in revenue collection which are not unconnected with the fresh minds managing the process. Ebullient Mr. Tunde Fowler, for instance, who leads the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), must be mentioned for showing his mettle already.

However, tax which is almost as old as man lugs a lacuna all of its own. All through its long history, mankind has detested both the tax collector and his trade. Unless it is in exchange for valued goods and services, ever seen a man part with his money with a smile?

Fowler had illustrated this point when he decried the fact that only 943 individuals out of the entire taxable adults in Nigeria pay up to N10 million as tax yearly. Of this figure, 941 are in Lagos and two in Ogun State.

Fowler notes: “That tells us that in all other states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, there is no billionaire or multi-millionaire.

“But, when you look at the assets and the vehicles that are on our roads, then you will know that something is wrong. If you look at the average house in Ikoyi or the average house in the high net worth neighbourhoods in Kaduna, Rivers, Onitsha and other cities, you find houses that are worth over N500 million. So if an individual has a house worth over N500 million and he did not pay N10 million in tax, where did he get his money from?”

No thanks to years of oil boom, tax collection and payment have been abysmal. Various governments, awash with petro-dollars have been lax in collecting and the citizen didn’t see the need to hand government officials more cash. But oil revenues have dwindled drastically while infrastructure gaps keep widening.

This explains why measures have been put in place in the last two years to capture more tax payers. For instance, the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) has reportedly yielded N20 billion already in just a few months and with little hassles.

These are just a few of the activities going on in the FIRS and the 36 states’ revenues services under a more collaborative Joint Tax Board, JTB.

Amidst all this, the Federal Government apparently succumbed to a long-sustained pressure from the World Bank to hike excise duty on alcoholic drinks and tobacco.

According to the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, “the upward review of the excise duty rates for alcoholic beverages and tobacco will achieve the dual benefits of raising government’s revenues as well as reducing the health hazards associated with tobacco-related diseases and alcoholic abuse.”

Though it is said that the increase followed all-inclusive stakeholders’ engagements, apart from the fact that the increment would be graduated over a period of three years;  we call for caution. The largely downtrodden consumers could resort to illicit smoke and drinks, thereby jeopardising the beverage and tobacco sectors of the economy, and even their health.

The economy is yet to completely come out of recession, inflation remains in the double digits and income has not risen in nearly seven years. There has been also a rash of jacked up levies, charges and tolls from different states. Government must therefore be wary of excessive taxation.

In fact it must create a fine balance between the quest for more revenues and the right of the citizenry to individual wealth and happiness.

The Nation

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has accused former Chief Judge in Enugu State, Innocent Umezulike of stealing and doctoring his Will.

Ekweremadu alleged that the former Chief Judge in 2016, connived with some politicians and broke into the Probate Registry of the state and took away his Will.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu said after doctoring it, his “perpetrators,” together with the assistance of Okoi Obono-Obla, a presidential aide, started running a smear campaign against him.

The statement reads, “There has been a sustained smear campaign against my person by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla.

“I would have continued to ignore them, but for the concern of my well-wishers. Therefore, the public may wish to know as follows:

“About July 2016, former chief judge of Enugu state, Hon. Justice Innocent Umezulike, in his capacity as the chief judge of Enugu state at the time, together with his lawyer, and Barrister Tagbo Ike, in connivance with some politicians, broke into the Probate Registry, Enugu, took away my Will and left behind a photocopy.

“They copied the properties listed in the Will and added many imaginary properties and started churning out baseless petitions to government agencies and officials. In their petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, for instance, they claimed, in a demonstration of gross ignorance, that I was given money by the federal government to develop the south-east geopolitical zone but that I used it to purchase 32 properties.

“They sent similar petitions to Mr President, the vice-president, senate president, attorney-general of the federation, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, director-general of the Department of State Security, inspector-general of Police, commissioner of police (Enugu), among others.

“For now, let me state that Justice Innocent Umezulike has since been dismissed from service by the National Judicial Council and is facing trial in different courts. God is also on top of the matter in several other ways in the life of Justice Umezulike.

“It suffices to add that with what is unfolding now, the current smear campaign championed by Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, is helping to expose those, who acted with Justice Umezulike, to steal my Will. They have been peddling this so-called ‘discovery’ since July 2016.

“Umezulike has also, in several other petitions, attacked me and my family. He also, at some point, accused me of killing several people, which the office of the inspector-general of police investigated; and probably, he will soon face appropriate charges bordering on false information.

“Let me, therefore, call on all those, who are concerned about this smear campaign, not to worry. This too shall pass. History will vindicate the just and the wicked will never go unpunished.”

DailyPost 

A former governor of Adamawa State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Murtala Nyako, has criticised the decision of the party to extend the tenure of its executive committees at the national and other levels as potentially suicidal for the party.

Speaking in Yola on Saturday while addressing a group of APC supporters at his residence shortly after he condoled with the family of a former governor of the state, Saleh Michika, who died last week, Mr. Nyako warned that the party may die unless its leaders take urgent actions to address alleged illegalities and impunity going on in the party

The former governor said APC has lost the moral ground to speak on due process, rule of law, enforcement of democratic norms and culture.

He contended that the only way out of the controversies surrounding the tenure elongation of the executive committee is for the party to hold a national convention, saying anything outside this would not work.

According to him, the actions of some party leaders will not make APC move forward.

“Even if a mechanic takes APC to court today over the unconstitutional and undemocratic tenure extension of party officials, it is very clear that the court can lock the national secretariat of the party. If there is no convention in APC before the general elections, the party may become a spectator instead of a participant,” he warned.

Stressing that only fairness, legality, justice and rule of law can sustain the APC ahead of the 2019 general elections, Mr. Nyako urged the party to learn from what led to the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the 2015 general elections and retrace its steps before it is too late.

The former governor, a former Chief of Naval Staff, also took a swipe at some political leaders in Nigeria for their utterances.

He said “the quality of remarks made on some important national issues does not reflect reasonable sense.

“Some of our political leaders seem to take ‘Ogogoro’ before taking action or making public statements on important issues, because some of their statements do not reflect or contain any reasonable sense,” he said.

PT

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, on Monday ordered an immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to some political office holders and very important personalities, VIPs, in the country, citing the security challenges facing Nigeria as reason.

The IGP had stated that the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, has perfected plans to withdraw its mobile personnel attached to important personalities in the country back to the barracks. During an interactive session with a group of civil society organisations under the auspices of, “The Situation Room’’ in Abuja last June, Idris had stated that the measure was intended to bring the police closer to Nigerians.

The police boss, who announced the latest development during a conference with senior officers in Abuja, stated that the directive also affected private businessmen, multi-national companies and other corporate organizations who are enjoying special police protection.

He explained that a task force has consequently been constituted at the Force headquarters under the command of ACP Mohammed Dankwara to ensure compliance to the directive while state commissioners of police are to replicate same at their commands.

Announcing his plans to withdraw the policemen on private guard duty, the IGP said, “In view of the current security challenges in the country, it has become expedient for the Nigeria Police Force to streamline the deployment of its personnel attached to political and public office holders, aimed at enhancing effective and efficient policing of the country.

“To this effect, a memo will be forwarded to the President for approval which will serve as a guideline or template for deployment to VIPs, political and public office holders in the country. Accordingly, a directive for withdrawal of all police officers deployed to VIPs, political and public office holders with immediate effect, is hereby given.”

The police boss however explained that businessmen, corporate organisations and individuals who required special police protection and “are found worthy,” would be considered by the Special Protection Unit of the force on application for re-validation through the state Commissioners of Police where they are resident.

“By so doing, I am charging the Commissioners of Police with the responsibility of supervising such official deployment and thereby holding them accountable,” the police chief informed his audience consisting of senior police officers.

Idris bemoaned the abuse of police Supernumerary number plates and the illegal use of siren and covering of vehicle number plates by motorists and warned the culprits to desist.

He directed the holders of the police SPY number plates to return them to the Force Transport Officer and apply for re-validation.

The IGP also asked the Commissioners of Police in the states to enforce the directive and arrest violators, adding that the list of task force teams that would ensure compliance to the order should be sent to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Operations, by March 31, 2018

DailyPost 

The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could easily rig the 2019 election if it wanted.

APGA said this while condemning ruling political parties in various states for interfering local government elections.

 

APGA stated that rigging were carried out by various electoral commissions constituted by the state governments.

Leader of the party in Delta State, Dr Uvie Uwanogho in a statement yesterday, described the act as “civilian coup”

He said political parties should be encouraged to be actively involved in the supervision of elections to strengthen the nation’s democracy.

APGA Uwanogho said: “There cannot be free and fair elections in Nigeria without the active participation of the political parties in the management and supervision of elections.

“The various state electoral commissions and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC will always do the bidding of their paymasters.

“That is why in local elections, usually, the ruling party in the state “wins” all the seats. Checkout Lagos, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Delta and Edo LGA elections.

“If APC at the national level wants to rig the coming elections, it is my belief that nothing can stop them because we have left the planning and supervision of the electoral process to appointees of government.”

DailyPost