The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest has challenged the
Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola to speak up on the raging
controversies over his educational qualifications.
The party said it was appalled that academic credentials of the
governor are being questioned on the internet for over three weeks now
without formal response from either him or any of his aides, adding
that; “Aregbesola needs to speak out because the people of Osun State
deserve to know who their governor is.”
Zonal Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Kayode Babade said in a
release issued today that the governor should also explain his status
as an Engineer so as to lay to rest the controversy over his
qualification as an Engineer, saying; “The governor has nothing to
lose by being opened with his academic records because even when the
birth place of President Barrack Obama of the US became an issue, he
promptly released his Birth Certificate.”
Babade said “Without prejudice to the governor’s claims as per his
academic qualifications, it is necessary that he tell the public when
he actually qualified as Engineer because his supporters are claiming
that he obtained Council for the Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria
(COREN) membership on October 13, 1999, with Certificate Number 002829
and Membership Number R. 7822.This was 19 clear years after he claimed
to have obtained HND from Ibadan Polytechnic in 1980!
“If actually the governor obtained COREN certificate in 1999, when he
was already a Commissioner for Works in Lagos State and was addressed
as an Engineer before, when and after he was appointed commissioner,
Isn’t it clear then that Aregbesola impersonated as an Engineer until
October 13, 1999 that he actually became an Engineer?
“For instance, one Alagba Leye Ige claimed that Aregbesola got an NND
in 1980, while one Wale Adedayo Said the governor was Chief Engineer
at Airport Hotel in the early 80s. It was also claimed in Aregbesola’s
profile that he established his own engineering services company,
Aurora Nigeria Limited in 1986.
“From the above, the question to be asked is; how was Aregbesola
employed as a Chief Engineer in the early 1980s when he was not a
COREN registered engineer until 1999? Why was Aregbesola addressed as
an Engineer when he was appointed commissioner for works in Lagos
State prior to his qualification as a COREN registered engineer? And
lastly, could it have been that Aregbesola used his position as a
commissioner in Lagos State to influence his issuance of COREN
certificate?
“Aregbesola needs to answer the above questions so as to lay to rest
the controversies now being generated on the internet concerning his
academic qualifications and qualification as an engineer.”
The spectre of fraudulent activities in pension administration in Nigeria has been described as abuse of public trust. The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde made the observation in a paper he presented on Thursday May 24, 2012 at a workshop organized by the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria, CIPN in Abuja . In the paper entiled “Sustaining the Public Confidence in the Face of Financial Mismanagement and Corruption”,presented on his behalf by Mr. Wakili Mohammed, Director Internal Affairs, Lamorde bemoaned the mind-boggling scam in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation Pension office.
According to him, “it was not so much the mind-boggling amount of money that was stolen as the brazen way the looting was carried out and who was doing the stealing that shocked us at the EFCC.”
Lamenting the paradox between the country’s huge natural resource endowment and widespread poverty, the EFCC boss blamed the country’s woes on corruption. He said the only way confidence could be restored in the conduct of public affairs in Nigeria is through the restoration of family values and aggressive law enforcement.
“From the position of a law enforcement officer, the only answer is “Enforce the law!” That is the only way to restore and sustain public confidence in the face of daily, brutal trashing of public morality and trampling of social ethics,” he posited.
Speaking while declaring the workshop open, President of CPIN, Barrister Ose Ogunkorode described the training as crucial and timely in view of recent happenings in the pension industry. He said the programme was organized to awaken the consciousness of stakeholders to good corporate governance and best practices in the industry.
He challenged participants to be active change agents who would ensure that all deserving retirees benefit from their years of labour without being shortchanged.
In his contribution, Ivor M. Tankor, a director with Nigeria Pension Commission, PenCOM, said that if the government, the regulators and all stakeholders in the pension industry do their jobs in accordance with the law, there would be a great deal of accountability in pension matters in Nigeria. He identified corruption as the biggest challenges facing the industry and emphasized timely disclosure of information to enable law enforcement agencies do their work whenever the need arises.
(Keynote Address Presented by Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, at the Summit Organized By the Youth Empowerment Summit Group, In Collaboration With The Enugu State Government at Enugu on the 25th of May, 2012)
Protocols.
Nigeria – A Failed State? Nigeria is often rated in the bottom range of any global comparative chart for quality of life/economy of nations. In its 2011 Failed States Index, the United States-based Fund for Peace assigned Nigeria the 14th position out of 177 countries analyzed, only ahead of the world’s 13 most miserable and war ravaged nations. The American Bipartisan Centre on May 12, 2011, similarly, listed Nigeria among the world’s fragile states. The World Bank had also published reports in 2006 and 2007 ranking Nigeria among 15 “fragile states” in the world.
Whatever may be our opinion as individuals or we may feel as a nation, this is the way the world sees us and the indices are not arbitrary, they were derived empirically. For reality test, I will urge us to recount the major stories in most of our newspapers for any two weeks within the last 20 years or so. The stories are of violent power struggles, insecurity, injustice, election rigging, group agitation, looting, hate crimes, unemployment, school closure, infrastructure decay, dearth of manufacturing, capital flight, food scarcity, poverty, infant mortality and maternal deaths, disease, conflicts, bombing, arson, and repeated failures of strategic projects like census, national identity card and privatization.
Against a battery of indicators, we look like a nation at war with itself. The institutions we have in place are ineffective to steer the country back to good health either. The decay is deep. It is shortsighted to heap the blame on the present leadership. Changing executives or principal officers do not guarantee instant new life. We are not able to stop crime; that is the natural result of a police force that the powers that be have neglected for over fourty years. Joint military, state security forces and police are not able to contain Boko Haram and other forms of insurrection; true, because for fourty years they have derailed from best practices in training, organization and discipline. The Chief executives of the various military arms, state security and police are some of the best trained and disciplined officers in the system; and they are doing the best they can with the officers and resources they have. With 30 to 40 years of neglect, abuse and decay, there is no quick fix; it takes time to deconstruct and reconstruct. These institutions are human institutions; habits and attitudes take painstaking effort to defrost before new learning, retraining and retooling can take place.
Jonathan’s Transformation Programme. Quite often, Nigerian politicians come up with flowery manifestoes, captivating slogans, and campaign themes and agenda. But no sooner do they get elected than they abandon the promising statements and return to business as usual or worse; taking advantage of public office and the peoples trust to loot and squander their common wealth. This has been the direction and meaning of political power in Nigeria. However, this time, it has been different at least at the federal level, and few states. President Jonathan has been resolute on a National Transformation mission that would have government to be responsibly vision driven to take Nigeria to its rightful position as a world leader.
Nigeria’s Vision 20, 20, 20.
“By 2020 Nigeria will be one of the 20 largest economies in the world, able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena”.
The leadership vision is that Nigeria becomes one of the 20 leading nations of the world (a G20 nation) by the year 2020. The G20 nations consist of countries and regions of systemic significance for the international financial system. They include members of the more elite G8, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Britain, and USA; the industrialized nations of Australia, Mexico, Turkey, and South Korea; the developing nations of Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa; and the 27-member European Union. Actually, there are no formal criteria for G20 membership; however, all member countries are among the top 29 economies as measured by their Gross Domestic Products (GDP) and top 25 as ranked by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Economic power is key to being a G20 nation; achieving this status requires stable, vision driven political leadership, along with a culture that breeds effective and forward looking leaders across the entire spectrum of societal endeavor: government, business, academia, industry, science and culture.
Global investment experts Goldman Sachs in 2004 identified Nigeria as one of the countries that has the potential for attaining global competitiveness based on their economic and demographic settings. They are not alone; the reality is that Nigeria’s economic potential and strategic importance in Africa and the world is well recognized. Nigeria is the most populated African nation, the 7th most populated country in the world, with about 40 billion barrels proven crude oil reserve, 10th largest producer of oil and 26th largest producer of gas. Nigeria is richly endowed with tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, and zinc and vast arable land for agriculture and coastline for trade. Compare this with Japan which has virtually no natural or mineral resource and is the world’s largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of crude oil. Japan is a member of elite G8 and G20 nations, it has a population of 127,650,000 (10th in the world), and is the 3rd most prosperous country.
For a leader intent on lasting transformation, the non-negotiable condition are authenticity; respect for law and order; trust and patriotism; abiding framework of equity and justice; integrity in all dealings; transparency, and good communication. To the chagrin of many, President Jonathan has begun to deconstruct the institution of the presidency starting with himself. He demonstrates authentic characteristics of a leader who feels good in his skin genuinely struggling to make a difference without hubris, no superhero or Mr. Know-it-all persona. At the recent World Economic Forum in Addis Ababa, he was emphatic that CEOs of African nations should count themselves privileged to have been chosen to lead and should not regard themselves as above the state. He said he is not the most knowledgeable, nor the most educated or most physically endowed in Nigeria; no swagger, no sanctimony. While some Nigerians would like to cast him in a particular mould, he has resisted all the temptations. He has said that the Villa, the presidency, and the country belong to the people of Nigeria. He supported one of the nation’s eminent statesman and a charismatic leader to become the National Chairman of his political party. He did not look for a stooge, rather someone who could help sanitize the political process. He has opened-up the villa; for two years running he hosted Youth Corpers in its Banquet hall. He has appointed the presidential candidate of Action Congress of Nigeria one of those who contested against him, Dr. Nuhu Ribadu, to chair a very important commission of the nation’s apex industry. We wait to see how he engages General Buhari; certainly transformation requires all hands on deck.
In addition to leading with justice, equity and transparency, Mr. President must show greater courage. All the institutions need to be reconstructed, heads must roll, looters must be put where they deserve, and known roadblocks and bottlenecks should be dislodged to send clear signals that Jonathan means business. It behooves the leader to assure effective stakeholder consultation and buy-in into the agenda. Nigeria is naked without the states and local government areas; there cannot be a strong Nigeria until our different states become viable through the strength of the composite local government areas, communities, towns and villages.
Governors: As Chief Executive of the states, Governors should develop big picture thinking and make governance what it really is, leading with vision and integrity. Singapore remains a classical example of leading with purpose and discipline, and a model country for transformation studies. Under its transformational leader Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore soared; it now holds the records of the world most competitive country, world’s best business environment, and it’s among the best in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI). It receives over 12 million tourists yearly, and records income from tourism of approximately USD$20billion yearly. Singapore occupies approximately 750sqkm, has near zero of the world’s natural resources, however, its GDP (PPP) is USD$59,900, and it has robust foreign reserve of $284billion, combined Sovereign Wealth Fund of $400billion, and an annual budget of $40billion. A great country; you can say that again.
Ironically, the population of Singapore is about 5million while Enugu state has a population of 5.6million. In Enugu, one would appreciate the fine layouts of the city road networks, good signs for a state in transition. Enugu, certainly, is well endowed for agriculture and tourism. It could be to Nigeria what the state of Florida is to the US; a place where people from everywhere could come and build vacation or retirement homes, and experience and enjoy the wonders of nature signposted by the Milikin hills, the unending valleys and hilltops from Ninth Mile and the bye pass to Enugu city. With some creativity, the governor could convert this magical landscape to a global resort. I believe too that the governor could collaborate with the Monks at Awhum to build up the scenic area that I have christened The Trinity Spiritual and Retreat Centre, a scenic place where humanity interfaces with God, featuring the Passion Mountain, Heavenly Valley, and Spiritual Waterfall. With these areas developed, millions of non-Enugu and international visitors can come for enrichment of spirit, peace and rest. With UNN, and other tertiary institutions, the state could be a Research and Academic centre for Nigeria and Africa. Enugu like many states in Nigeria holds a unique promise; 7,500sqkm of arable farmland, deposits of coal, lime stone etc.
The huge potential of the third tier of government is yet to be fully explored. The grassroot is the foundation on which the entire structure of the state and nation rest; it is the pillar for development and industrialization. State governors may unwittingly be stifling the growth and development of their states by not empowering the LGAs and rooting development there. Our states and nation are artificial/constitutional constructs, the fulcrum are the clans, villages, communities, and towns. Council Areas are strategic to Transformation, and must be driven to develop to full potentials. Deliberate effort must be made to grow the LGAs and assure visionary leadership at this critical level.
The Legislature has a duty to drive transformation through oversight functions. This will help control corruption and make the executives and their agencies function more effectively. Understandably, we have many structural problems; the legislature in Nigeria is at infancy and should not be in a hurry to overhaul the entire constitution over night. It is important to promptly sponsor critical bills to address major structural imbalances which impede trust amongst the federating units, as harmony is needed to enable the country power along with the full force of 167million persons. The legislature should remove all hindrances to transformation and motivate the executive arm to better performance. Party or tribal politics will slow or derail the process. Nigeria is far behind and we have a lot of catching up to do. We win when the national GDP and PPP are comparable to those of the G8 and G20 nations, when electric power is in all our localities, and Nigeria youths are availed high quality education, when all our constituents are employable and employed. The legislature needs to knock down and reconstruct the stereotypical and constraining aspects of our constitution, and lead transformation through enabling and qualitative legislation and excellent oversight.
The Judiciary and Our Judges. The idea here is not to criticize. But our court found Governor Ibori without stain; he pleaded guilty in the UK, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison in a foreign land. The Oceanic Bank Chief Executive Mrs. Cecilia Ibru has been in jail for almost two years, while the courts entertain Nigerians with orchestrated delays and manipulation of its processes and deliberately shielding the other bank Chief Executives from the course of justice. It is common knowledge that “elected” political leaders pledge state, local government, or constituency allocations for favourable judgment; fraudsters pledge bounties, corrupt public officials their loots. The role of Magistrates, Registrars, and Judges in leading national transformation is well cut out; Save Nigeria, shun corruption; wield the gavel with courage and justice.
The Media: Transformation is about people. Until habits and attitudes change, nothing changes. Expose and report corruption in a way that discourages potential perpetrators. X-ray the image, conduct and poise of the leaders of other industrialized nations and emerging economies; USA, UK, Japan, and China, Indonesia, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, India and South Korea; and promote them as examples for our leaders. Continuously beam the legislators, executives, judiciary, public servants, business men and factory workers of the G8 and G20 countries at work; create opportunities to interview and interact with them, and use your different media to project what makes them excel for Nigerians to see, and emulate. People change when they are confronted with nobler and better ways that could enrich their lives.
Elder Statesmen and Former Heads of State: They have played their roles and are a living testimony that the old ways are not the best for Nigeria. If during their years Nigeria had advanced to become a G8/G20 nation or a permanent member of the Security Council, their generation would have been our heroes. They are in the vantage position to speak out and shed light on the booby traps to nation building, so that past mistakes are avoided. By 2030 Nigeria’s population will be almost doubled. Haste is required to create jobs, empower our people, grow our economy, and enrich our perspectives. Extreme tribalism, religious fanaticism, and god-fatherism deprive our different people the strength in our diversity. As leaders you owe it to yourselves and the country to advocate and play the lead role. You can make the transformation run better in as many ways as you may choose.
Scholars and Academics Change is difficult; people change only when their perceptions and mental paradigms shift. You can lead transformation by using your skills, classrooms and pens to project facts, new realities, alternative and better ways of doing things for students, industry, business, government leaders to see. We may lack the resources at the moment to fund groundbreaking scientific researches, but the internet has made it easier to do great literary reviews that could be impactful in our circumstance. Transformation requires that you rise above the hardship and continue to seek and transfer relevant knowledge and enhance learning.
Nigerians in the Diaspora Transformation is a clarion call, no matter where you may be. The Asian tigers pulled together to roar; the Nigerian Eagle will only soar when your great intellect and sophisticated world view find a place in the transformation process. Malaysians, Indonesians, Saudi Arabians and Iranians have done it; Indians in the Diaspora championed a lot of changes at home, and today India is a health Mecca. Copy, or create templates; your abilities are not in doubt; you can teach the people at home how to collaborate, how to plan long term, create niches, and pull resources together. National Transformation creates a viable platform for every one of you to make a lasting imprint at “home”.
Traditional and Religious leaders have their roles well defined as every one of the 167million Nigerians is from a community and each of them worships somewhere. These leaders shape culture and tradition, and mould the spirit. Culture is powerful and the spirit is a super force. They could lead transformation by enriching the cultural and spiritual vitality of all of us. Our native values, storytelling, rituals and artifacts make meanings; excavating the relics of historical and heroic exploits, framing and reframing of these have been found to energize a people to great action and accomplishment. Transformation is not simply about copying what works in Japan, rather we mesh those with our originality.
Careerpublic officials, men and women of different professions and trade, and parents you are called to act with diligence, and lead by example; be the mirror. Public trust requires accountability; excellence requires commitment, great society requires quality parenting. We are all called to take a lead role for Nigeria to make the transformational leap. Colin Powell says that in the end, what matters is not what the leader says but what he/she does; true leadership is do as I do and not as I say. Whether you are a teacher, businessman, artisan, office worker or farmer, transformation means no more business as usual, no “deals”, lawlessness, or apathy. Transformation says own what you do, and own your country and stop its abuse. Support the government in its good causes, bark when they derail. Like Caesar’s wife be beyond reproach.
My friends the Youth Empowerment Summit Group, I have taken steps to throw light on some of what is required from the various stakeholders as you requested in your brief; it is not exhaustive. My interactions with the national coordinator Hon Anselm Chinedu Nebeife, a wise and true patriot and a quintessential man of action, and with the members of the executive committee have shown you to be a group that is committed to noble causes. I have faith in your mission, that the entire executives and members of the YESgroup will go door to door across the nation to mobilize Nigerians into the transformation-craft. You are the youth of Nigeria, the Transformation is for you. If you support and drive it, it will work, if you do not, it will fail. You are extremely important in the equation; if Transformation succeeds the youths of Nigeria are the biggest beneficiaries, you will walk tall in all parts of the world. Nigeria will become a strong country with its strength deriving from strong village, town, and LGA/city economies. The world will come to find you in your “city-villages” in no distant time.
At the moment, unemployment is dealing a deadly blow on our young people. You have the potential to compete with your contemporaries in China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, USA, UK and Australia, but the present system denies you the wings to fly and excel. Quality education will give the same skillsets and toolkits to the youth as the young people in Japan; transformation will guarantee those. Do not be dismayed; bring your creativity, tremendous energy and passion to life to lead this transformation. I am aware we have had our hopes raised before, there are numerous failed promises, and we have been taken advantage of in the past. Do not tire, be firm; do not expect me or anyone including the governors or President Jonathan to motivate you to action. Take the lead. Put on your thinking cap. If you ignite a spark you will motivate the entire stakeholders to action. And you can.
Before I close, I will tell you how my son spurred me to learn how to drive myself to a greater action. I went bicycle riding with Elochukwu, my 7 year old son recently. He has newly learnt to ride a bicycle. This day I tried to get him to apply some energy and ride up a hilly path. I stayed at the other end and asked him to ride to where I was. As I watched him coming closer I clapped and tried to encourage him to get to the finish line. He pedaled with difficulty towards the end as he completed the race. Tired, he came with me to sit on grass besides a tree that provided some shade. As I congratulated him and tried to talk, he interrupted me and said “Daddy, I want to tell you something”. He was exasperating and excited at the same time. He said that as he rode and got exhausted, he thought to himself of a song that could motivate him to complete the race. Then he started to sing to himself “Pedal, pedal to the limit. Pedal, pedal to the limit” and he sang on till he got to the finish line. He said “Daddy, really when I started the song, the tiredness, the struggle and the pain evaporated; and I was not going to give up until I got to the end”
My young boy taught me a significant lesson with his song; “Pedal, pedal to the limit”. While the content of the song makes meaning, the import in my son’s lesson are twofolds; that when creativity takes over the soul in every human person, no task is impossible, there is nothing that can stop the spirit; and that there is always a way to motivate oneself under any condition to achieve a noble goal. I believe and I am convinced that Transformation-YESgroup will be the ones more than any other to assure that the Transformation is pedaled to the limit until Nigeria takes that seat, nay, those seats. Today also, The Transformation-YESgroup, gives me a new impetus to say to Mr President, Transformation-Yes; no going back; Going back will be surrendering this country to catastrophic revolution and anarchy. Irrespective of the pull to retrogression and the various forces of dissention, Mr. President should push on and get more creative, engage the great force amongst the young people whose future you have determined to make better, empower them and create a whole new and overwhelming ecosystem that will not only pull Nigeria out of the failed state doldrum but put it where it belongs, G20, G8 and permanent seat in Security Council of the United Nation.
My last word. At times people assume that the World Bank, IMF and other institutions’ templates for sustainable development are a magic wand. That is not quite correct. The idea of one suit fits all is untenable. Nations have their peculiarities. A Nation can borrow or steal development ideas from IMF, World bank, other notable institutions and nations, but must fortify such with their own original and breakthrough strategic creations. Notwithstanding what anyone thinks, our country will leap to unparalleled greatness if we are able to mobilize and empower the grassroots to lead transformation. If the federal government can collaborate with the other tiers of government to systematically get N5billion worth of investment and industrialization fund into each and every Senatorial district in our land, the creativity, entrepreneurship and sense of industry of our different people will be challenged and powered, and Nigeria will not be the same again. This is radical, you may say. Yes, it is courageous, groundbreaking and uncommon actions that cause real progressive change to happen. How do we find the money? That’s what the financial experts in and outside the government are for.
Transformation-YES, it’s for me and you; it is for every one of us to make it happen.
God bless you all. God bless Nigeria.
—
Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu.
Ikolo Dike Orabueze Awka. National Chairman, African Democratic Congress.
FROM LEFT: GOC 3RD DIVISION JOS, MAJ.-GEN. ADAMU MARWA, BAUCHI STATE GOV. ISA YUGUDA, AND NEW COMMANDANT OF NIGERIAN ARMY AMOURED CORPS BAUCHI, MAJ.-GEN.JACK NWAOGBO DURING THEIR COURTESY VISIT TO THE GOVERNOR IN BAUCHI
The 2011 presidential campaign exercise saw executive shame descend on the State of Bauchi and her administrators as an airplane carrying the vice presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN], Mr. Fola Adeolu, landed on the runway of the Bauchi State airstrip to crash into folk of sheep that had made their way onto the airstrip – causing the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA] to shut the airstrip for safety concerns. The airstrip reopened a year later following renovations valued at N290million. And, as learnt, the mishap gave birth to a multi-billion Naira siphoning and laundering exercise for the Governor and his men.
Information available to 247ureports.com through sources from top officials within the government house in Bauchi State indicate that the renovation of the airstrip and the subsequent upgrade to an international airport has served an excellent platform for the governor’s men to siphon and launder the Bauchi State treasury with “due process”.
A top government official reveals, the renovation of the airstrip pegged at N290million was ‘callously and heartlessly overpriced’ – particularly knowing the work performed at the airstrip comprised of mere fencing of the 2.5kilometer airstrip, runway repairs and towers repairs. As customary with the Yuguda administration, a 70% mobilization fee was paid as the contract was signed equivalent to the sum of N203miilion – allowing for the personalities involved in facilitating the contract to collect their share upfront. The Secretary to the State Government [SSG], Barrister Ibrahim Ahmed Dandija, in tandem with the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Buppa Azare, were said to have collected the lion-share of the mobilization fee. As the contractor was serving as a front for the two gentlemen. The contract belonged to the SSG and the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Buppa Azare.
As the NCAA Director General [DG], Dr. Harold Demuren reopened the airstrip following the completion of the renovation exercise, the governor of Bauchi State; Malam Yuguda announced to the DG NCAA that his administration will undertake a new exercise to upgrade the airstrip to an international airport – notwithstanding the airstrip operates at less than two flights a day – and sits 117kilometers from the underutilized Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos the capital of Plateau State.
The Governor’s announcement indicated that the upgrade exercise will be accelerated to enable completion within eighteen [18] months. “The pilgrims for the 2013 Hajj will be airlifted from the new international airport” stated the governor who revealed that the contract development process was underway.
On October 25, 2011, the contract was signed for the upgrade of the already renovated airstrip to an international airport for the sum of N8billion [N7,998,595,433.13] awarded to Triacta Nigeria Limited [Managing Director, Eli Abu Fahat] over fourteen [14] other companies in a ‘competitive bidding’. According to the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Buppa Azare who signed the contract on behalf of the governor – who also doubles as the chairman of the project, 70% mobilization fee was released to the contractor – an amount equivalent to N5.6billion. Alhaji Azare explained the N5.6billion was paid to enable the contractor complete the work in eighteen [18] months. He went to add that the money for the contract has been secured and “it is available”.
The response to Yuguda’s N8billion airstrip upgrade announcement was quick. A top official within the Yuguda administration who ‘feel left out’ of the deal state that the amount pegged for the airstrip upgrade to be “ridiculously criminal” as he pointed to an equivalent international airport being proposed by Governor Al Makura in Nasarawa State as costing N1billion. “They are just sharing the money” who went on to add that even the affected communities who will have to relocate to other places have yet to be compensated. But “the Yuguda men went on the radio to say all compensation has been paid. And it obvious it has not been paid”.
On October 27, 2011, the spokesman to the affected communities, Musa Ibrahim, confirmed that none of their communities had received compensation. In his words, “We have over 1,000 people living in that place and we have been there for over 50 years because my grandfather was born in that place. The place is surrounded by the communities of Bakin Pa’ah, Jamai, Wuro Depe, Shattah and Jam pitril. As far as we are concerned nobody saw any compensation”.
Independent investigation by 247ureports.com reveals a transparent financial dishonesty within what appears a cabal within the Yuguda administration – between the SSG and some cronies in the governor’s cabinet.
On the first level, the Yuguda administration, following its public assurance of the availability of the N8billion to complete the airstrip upgrade, has turned to go behind the scenes to tap on each of the twenty [20] Local Government Area [LGA] to contribute N5million each on a monthly basis – a sum equivalent to N100million monthly. The money, according to the Yuguda administration, is for funding the airstrip upgrade. Available information indicates the Commissioner for Special Duties, Alhaji Azare to be the one coordinating the N100million monthly levy on the LGAs – in his capacity as the project chairman. Keen observers of the Bauchi polity question what the additional N100million per month is being collected for.
Yuguda’s bold face award of an N8billion airstrip upgrade contract only months apart from the award of another bold face contract for conversion of a polytechnic to a teaching hospital for the sum of N2.6billion [N2,594,913,135.99] to Current Mechanical Engineering Limited depicts what appears a culture of financial dishonesty. In-depth inquiry into the actual contract values indicate the governor’s certainty over priced the contract by over 750%.
The governor’s insatiable appetite for the Bauchi treasury stretches beyond contract overpricing. In 2010 and the early part of [January to May] 2011, the Governor and his SSG spent N1.683billion on travel and entertainment alone. For the period in question, Gov Yuguda spent N400million on foreign and local trips while his SSG spent N587million. In 2010 alone, the governor spent N160million on ‘hospitality’ while his SSG spent N275.4million. For cleaning of the government house in 2010, the sum of N140million was spent.
Recent activity of Governor Isa Yuguda’s private salary account – i.e. the account where his salary is paid into – confirms the far reaching extend of the governor’s insatiable appetite. The account which is domiciled at Diamond bank located along Bank road near the government house – shows a steady monthly deposit of the governor’s salary at N1.2million. Information obtained from a source inside the bank indicates the governor recently took a loan on his salary account for the amount of N180million – with stipulated agreement to repay the loan by making deposits of N30million monthly into the account. But, interestingly, the governor has not been able to make consistent monthly payment as agreed. His last monthly payment was N60million owing to his inability to pay the stipulated N30million every month.
Under the guise of security concerns for the State and the threat of Boko Haram, the State governor earmarked over N17billion for security votes. And the security votes which normally is domiciled under the governor’s care, as in order states of the federation, is domiciled under the SSG office in Bauchi State. It is an anomaly which has experts in the State questioning why the governor and the SSG have chosen to switch roles. Other keen observers who point to the N17billion as duplicating the monies [N1trillion] already made available by the federal government, allege that the state government and the security outfits stationed in the State – to be “having their way with the money”.
A close ally of the governor who spoke to 247ureports.com on phone blamed the governor’s insatiable appetite to his 2015 presidential aspirations and the SSG’s 2015 gubernatorial aspirations.
One reason judges are called “Lords” is because they represent God on earth. Apart from God, who is the ultimate judge, judges are the ones whose pronouncements are laws. They have the power to give and take life. For these reasons, ability of a judge to dispense justice with honesty, sincerity and fear of God must never be in doubt. Once this happens, the temple of justice is in trouble, and the society risks anarchy!
In Nigeria today, the temple of justice is in trouble. The temple is in trouble because there is a liar in it. Bad enough, the liar is not just a judge, but one that is also saddled with the responsibility of running the affairs of judges and assigning cases to them. Good enough however, the liar was detected by his employer, the National Judicial Council (NJC), with the number one judge in the land as the prime witness, whose evidence exposed the lies of this judge.
Bad enough however, nine months after he was asked to vacate the temple, those whose interests he served while in the temple have succeeded in getting the NJC, which once called him a liar, wrote him a letter of caution and asked President Goodluck Jonathan to retire him to recommend his return to the temple of justice!
Justice Isa Ayo Salami is that judge who has put the judiciary in Nigeria on the spot!
On February 7, 2011, Justice Salami sued the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Hon. Justice Alloysius Iyorger Katsina-Alu vide an Originating Summons on the ground that the latter had orchestrated plans through the Federal Judicial Service Commission to forcefully promote him to the Supreme Court. He (Salami) deposed to an affidavit, claiming that Justice Katsina-Alu asked him to disband the panel that he had set up for the purpose on the ground that the panel would allow the Appeal and begin a chain reaction that would lead to the removal of the highly revered Sultan of Sokoto.
Justice Salami also maintained in his Affidavit that he refused to disband the said panel, following which the Supreme Court arrested the Judgment of the Court of Appeal panel and brought same under the Supreme Court following which the Appeal was dismissed.
At the sitting of the Justice Umaru Abdullahi-led NJC Probe panel, Justice Salami again deposed to another affidavit on March 31, 2011, where he stated that’ “the Honourable Chief Justice of Nigeria actually instructed me to direct the panel of justices hearing the Sokoto state gubernatorial Appeal Panel to dismiss the Appeal which I told him I could not do.”
However, when Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher, the current CJN, appeared before the NJC panel, he stated that while he was in the office of Justice Katsina Alu on the said day, he never asked Justice Salami to compromise the Sokoto Gubernatorial Appeal Panel.
After its hearing, the NJC released the Probe Panel report of the panel and stated that the Justice Salami was not telling the truth when he accused Justice Katsina Alu of wanting to influence the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
The panel in the said report stated its finding on page 96 as follows; “From all the circumstances there is available evidence that the CJN did not give instructions to the PCA to direct the panel to dismiss the appeal’’…. ‘’ the Panel finds that the allegation that the CJN had taken over the running of the Court of Appeal in an unprecedented manner as unfounded’.
The NJC conclusions stated; “At the end of deliberations, the Council decided as follows: – That the allegation made by the Hon. President, Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Isa Ayo Salami, that the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, instructed him to direct the Sokoto Gubernatorial Appeal to dismiss the appeal by the Democratic Peoples Party of Nigeria is NOT TRUE” (Emphasis mine).
In elementary law, this is perjury!
Sections 156, 157 and 158 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, anyone who gives evidence that is found to be untrue at any stage in a legal proceeding is said to have committed the offence of giving false evidence and is liable to be imprisoned for fourteen years.
This notwithstanding, the NJC decided to give Justice Salami a slap on the wrist by merely ordering him to apologise to Justice Katsina Alu and the NJC for his actions within seven days. A judge, who by the evidence of the CJN committed perjury, a criminal offence that attracts 14 years imprisonment was merely asked to apologise, go and sin no more.
That obviously was how the NJC shot itself in the leg, and the injury sustained from the shot has refused to heal since August 17, 2011 that the NJC summoned the courage to recommend Justice Salami’s suspension and retirement.
Nine months after the suspension, the mess created by the inability of the NJC to act decisively on a matter bordering on the integrity of the judiciary has continued to stink. It is stinking so heavily that the offensive odour is making all lovers of rule of law in Nigeria uncomfortable.
To add shit to the offensive odour, NJC that told Nigerians that Justice Salami lied on oath has recommended his reinstatement!
Simply put, the NJC is telling Nigerians and indeed the entire world that it does not matter if a judge is a liar, in as much as 11 out of 20 members of the Council are in his support, such a judge can remain in the temple of justice as member of the bench!
It does not matter to supporters of Justice Salami in and outside the NJC that the integrity of a judge must be 100 percent, not 55 percent that he (Salami) got at the NJC meeting with 11 out of 20 votes.
And if by the NJC latest recommendation, Justice Salami did not lie on oath against Justice Katsina Alu as attested to before the NJC Probe Panel by Justice Musdapher, it will mean that it was Justice Musdapher that lied against Justice Salami at the NJC Panel. Meaning either Salami or Musdapher is a liar, and whichever way, the temple of justice in Nigeria is harbouring a liar.
Where then lies the integrity of a judiciary where a liar adjudicate over cases? Where lies the hope of Nigerians in a judiciary where a man that is supposed to be serving 14 years of imprisonment is the number two or number one judge in the country is a liar? If an ordinary Nigerian deposes to false affidavit tomorrow, how is the judiciary going to react to it? Will such a person be sent to jail or rewarded with gifts for committing perjury?
Comrade Ubeku is the Coordinator, Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN), Abuja
Before delving into the categories of poverty in such a naturally well-endowed nation, Nigeria – a pride that should have intoxicated Nigerians to render self sacrifices to salvage their country – I may pose this questionable question, “Is there a poor man in Nigeria?”
An unwell thought out answer would create confusion in the Nigerian context. This is because it is as much harder for a Nigerian to accept that he is rich than to accept that he is poor. Many rich Nigerians do not believe that they are rich. One of the famous Nigerian leaders once claimed that all he knew about himself was that he was comfortable, meaning that he does not accept being fixed into the two edges of wealth and penury.
Another past Nigerian leader severally, even while abroad, asserted that Nigerians are the happiest people on the mother earth. If such caricature statement is critically analyzed, it means that Nigerians – nay the greatest number of them – are happy. And judging from a philosophical aspect of happiness, it is a relaxed mind that attracts such abstraction. Where does happiness lie amongst Nigerians? This is another questionable question.
It is he who is contented that is he who is happy. How many Nigerians are truly contented – not pretentiously contented? Every Nigerian is a potential wealth expectant because there is wealth everywhere within the shores of the country. It is only when the possibilities are closed that their hope falls just as the grape is declared sour when it is beyond reach.
However, three levels of poverty are adduced from Nigerians. One, there are those who are poor but do not believe that they are so. For this group, they struggle – sometimes by all means possible – to find ways of keeping their bodies and souls together. They are not limited to:
– those begging on the streets
– those unable to feed thrice a day with good meals
– those unable to cater for their own children in terms of education, health and shelter
– those languishing in the prisons for trivial offences
Two, they are those who are not poor but they believe that they are equal to the poor. This group is made up of the insatiable minds who will refuse to pay a labourer his paltry reward upon the abundance they swim in. They compete to be the greatest in wealth amassment which arithmetically translates to impoverishing more Nigerians. One of such may be gathering the fortunes of a quarter of the entire population of Nigeria. They are not limited to:
– some politicians, including political prostitutes and sycophants
– some businessmen and women
– hardened criminals involving in bank robbery, pen robbery, 419, arms smuggling, kidnapping and bunkering
And three, there are those who are neither rich nor poor and they believe in what they are. This category constitutes an insignificant number of the Nigerian population.
Poverty is really a big challenge in Nigeria because there can be no hiding the fact that a hungry man is an angry man. The masses and the youth, statistics have shown, are poor. Poverty is the cause of many of our problems. It has led many Nigerians to attach no value and regard to life itself.
According to the former Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to a former President on Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Magnus Kpakol, in a paper titled, “NAPEP Programmes As Enabler For Rapid Economic Development In the South-South Region”, presented at the South-South Economic Summit in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital, 74 million Nigerians are poor. The figure, which was so as at December 2008, dropped by one million from 75 million in 2007. He said the population of the nation’s poor people was 80 million in 1999, i.e., when Nigeria returned to democracy.
According to him, the poverty rate was higher in the northern part of the country. His analysis showed the following percentage of the poor in all the six geopolitical zones of the country.
North West – 72.2% of its population
North East – 71.2% ‘’ ‘’
North Central – 67% ‘’ ‘’
South East – 26.7% ‘’ ‘’
South-South – 35.1% ‘’ ‘’
South West – 43.1% ‘’ ‘’
With the fact so nakedly stated, it means that a lot has to be done by governments at all levels to improve on the life of the people and enrich more of the people. The level of development of a people is measured by the number of the citizens who are well-off. Nigerians have not erred in any way not be well-off in the sea of wealth and bounties.
Jobs should therefore be created to engage the teeming population. It is only when this is done that majority will earn their livelihood from legitimate sources while corruption and anti-development factors would be reduced to barest minimum, if not completely arrested.
Daily Trust of Thursday, January 27, 2011 reported Nigeria’s high poverty level as gathered by governmental and non-governmental organizations in Nigeria. The report quoted that over 12 million youths as poor because they have no means of livelihood. It is dangerous to development.
The Punch of February 14, 2012 reported the National Bureau of Statistics to have said that 112.519 million Nigerians live in relative poverty conditions. This figure which was contained in the 2010 poverty profile report of the agency represented 69 per cent of the country’s total population.
Fears hovered that the figure might increase to 71.5 per cent in 2011as the 2010 figure showed data collected from 20 million households having an average of between four to six family members.
According to the report, the North-West and North-East recorded the highest poverty rates in the country in 2010with 77.7 per cent and 76.3 per cent respectively. The South-West geo-political zone recorded the lowest at 59.1 per cent. Among the 36 states of the federation, the report stated that Sokoto had the highest poverty rate (86.4 per cent), while Niger had the lowest at (43.6, per cent). As at 2004, Jigawa State had the highest poverty rate (95 per cent), while Anambra, with a poverty rate of 22 per cent, was the least poverty-stricken state.
In 2004, Nigeria’s relative poverty measurement stood at 54.4 per cent but increased to 69 per cent or 112.518 million Nigerians in 2010. Therefore, using the absolute poverty measure, 54.7 per cent of Nigerians were living in poverty in 2004 but this increased to 60.9 per cent or 99.284 million Nigerians in 2010.
Also, Leadership Newspaper of 3rdMay, 2012 reported a federal minister of youth development, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, as declaring about 67million young Nigerians to be jobless, a figure out of which 80 per cent don’t possess a university degree. Bolaji, who addressed hundreds of youths at TY Danjuma Foundation’s ‘Career Day 2012: Developing capacity of youths to build successful careers and businesses’ in Benin City, Edo State capital attributed the high unemployment rate to years of failure at different levels, but explained that “lack of job is a consequence of lack of skills”.
At the Annual Microfinance Conference and Entrepreneurship Awards held in January 2011 in Abuja, the Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, stated that 70 percent (105 million out of which were over 12 million unemployed youths, mostly educated and potentially productive) of Nigerians were living below the poverty line, up from 54 percent a year or two ago. Sanusi said such high incidence of poverty threatened national economic growth and development.
When will poverty be reduced to the barest amidst the vast natural wealth for Nigerians? Programmes upon programmes are mapped out to tackle this colossal setback to peace, unity and development of Nigeria. When will the correct programme take effect?
Muhammad Ajah is a writer, author, advocate of humanity and good governance based in Abuja. E-mail mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk
Libya's former intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi, left, with his late brother-in-law Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi‘s former intelligence chief, who is wanted by France, the international criminal court and Libya, has been charged by Mauritania‘s public prosecutor in a secret court hearing, his first public appearance since fleeing Libya’s crumbling regime to the desert country.
Abdullah Senussi, a confidante and brother-in-law to Gaddafi, will face trial for entering Mauritania illegally with a falsified Malian passport, a crime that carries a maximum three-year jail term, a judicial source said.
Senussi, who had been held in a villa in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott since March, is alleged to be behind a massacre in Tripoli’s notorious Abu Salim prison, which left around 1,200 inmates dead, and triggered Libya’s revolt when lawyers sought to reopen the case last year.
A Mauritanian security official said an entourage of elite presidential guards had whisked Senussi overnight into the multi-domed courthouse. “He looked well, and seemed in good spirits under the circumstances,” the official said.
“Normally he would now be held in the main prison, but our understanding is he is staying in a special location guarded by troops,” the official said.
A judicial source said a trial was unlikely to begin soon. “A [trial start] date doesn’t have to be set for up to three years, so that will buy the authorities time,” he said.
France wants to try Senussi in connection with the 1989 bombing of an airliner over Niger in which 170 died. An ICC warrant is seeking Senussi for crimes against humanity in Libya.
British officials have also indicated they could seek access to him in relation to the Lockerbie bombing, in which Senussi is suspected of playing of a role.
Diplomats said there had been no clear indication what Mauritanian authorities planned to do with the high-profile prisoner. “More than anything else, the Senussi issue has been about smoke and mirrors,” a diplomat said.
Secret agents in the presidency are presently conducting a clandestine investigation of the Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s anti-graft police, the EFCC over an allegation that he collected N80 million bribe from multi-billionaire businessman, Wale Babalakin who is being investigated for money laundering by the agency, ireports-ng.com can authoritatively report.
The probe leaked to ireports-ng.com today by a top source in the presidency is coming barely 24 hours after it was revealed in London that three Metropolitan police detectives were arrested in the UK for taking bribes from agents of the jailed former Delta state governor, James Ibori.
In Nigeria, lawyer turned businessman, Wale Babalakin has been arrested and detained twice by the anti-graft agency for interrogation for allegedly using his company’s bank accounts to launder over N1.6 billion for Ibori. He is the chairman of Bi-Courtney Group, which is into infrastructural development and aviation among others.
According to information made available to ireports-ng.com by sources in EFCC about two weeks ago, Mr Lamorde had complained that the National Security Adviser, NSA, Gen.Andrew Owoeye Azazi was meddling in the investigation of the case against Babalakin. As a result, he ordered that the re-arrest of Babalakin on Wednesday May 9 during which his travel documents were seized and his photograph was taken for forensic purposes. Based on the information then, ireports-ng.com had reported on May 16 the preparedness of EFCC to charge Babalakin to court for money laundering charges.
It was however gathered today that the report had since triggered a chain reaction, with agents loyal to the NSA within EFCC writing a secret report on Lamorde to the NSA over a scheme to extort money from Babalakin. According to a top presidency source today, a secret investigation of the report was launched. Findings made available to ireports-ng.com today showed that “one Alhaji Ajiboye who is a very close friend and reliable front for Mr Lamorde had collected N80 million from Mr Babalakin but delivered N60 million to the EFCC chairman.”
The secret report further revealed that “Alhaji Ajiboye has been acting in similar capacity for Mr Lamorde in some cases presently being investigated by the EFCC. Our findings also disclosed that after Mr Babalakin complained of the treatment meted out to him during his interrogation on May 9, 2012 in the EFCC head office in Abuja, Alhaji Ajiboye promptly set up a secret meeting between Mr Babalakin and Mr Lamorde the following day, May 10,2012 at a secret location agreed to by all parties in the evening of that Thursday May 10, 2012.”
It went further to report that”at the meeting, Mr Babalakin had complained to Mr Lamorde that he was being maltreated and humiliated by EFCC operatives after he had parted with a whooping N80 million with a promise to give him a clearance letter due to concerns expressed by his foreign business partners while the EFCC chairman also complained that Mr Babalakin was talking to and sending so many people to him on the case. He specifically complained that he was not too comfortable with the involvement of the NSA in the matter. At the end of the meeting, a consensus was reached to keep sealed lips on all that has transpired especially the funds passed through Alhaji Ajiboye.”
The report also stated that”it was after Mr Lamorde was reassured that the NSA and indeed, no other person knows about the issue of money exchanging hands that Mr Lamorde and of course the EFCC developed cold feet on the case.”
The source however would not disclose what will happen at the end of the investigation of the alleged bribery case against the EFCC boss but assured that “i have instruction to keep you abreast with further developments.”
An Iranian soldier stands guard on a military speed boat during exercises in the Strait of Hormuz
TEHRAN — Iran’s navy said Thursday it saved an American-flagged cargo ship that was being attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Oman.
An Iranian warship responded to a distress signal from the US-flagged Maersk Texas, a cargo ship of 150 metres (500 feet) and 14,000 tonnes, which was besieged by “several pirate boats,” the navy said in a statement reported by the official IRNA news agency.
The cargo vessel “was saved by the navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran” on Wednesday, IRNA added.
The pirates “fled the scene as soon as they spotted the presence” of the warship. Maersk Texas “thanked the Iranian navy and sailed towards its destination safely,” it added.
It was the first time the Iranian navy protected a US ship from pirates.
Maersk had sailed from the UAE port of Fujairah, south of the Strait Hormuz at the entrance of the Gulf, and was headed for the United States.
Iran’s navy keeps a presence in Gulf of Oman to protect cargo ships and transiting oil tankers and also defend the country against potential threats.
According to Iranian commanders, Iran’s navy have carried out hundreds of anti-piracy operations, engaging in hundreds of armed clashes with pirates in the past three years.
The US navy patrolling the area have on a number of occasions rescued Iranian ships. The latest incident was in January when a US warship secured the release of 13 Iranian fishermen near the entrance to the Gulf who had been held captive by pirates for 45 days
