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Wednesday 15 May 2013

NUC Boss Denies Collecting N20,000 Bribe From Illegal Varsity


Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Julius Okojie, has denied receiving N20,000 bribe from the proprietor of an illegal university in Abuja to grant temporary approval to run the institution.
Drama played out at a Karu Chief Magistrate's Court on May 3, 2012 when Pius Nwachukwu, 47, the proprietor of Temple University Orozo told the court that Okojie granted his university temporary approval based on the "long existing relationship" they have.
Pius, who was arraigned by the NUC alongside his wife, Chika Nwachukwu, said he gave Okojie N20,000 "to fuel his car as a good friend" to secure a temporary license.
"In spite of the temporary approval given to me by Okojie, some group of armed policemen and staff of NUC invaded the school premises and arrested me and my wife, Chika, and took us to Karshi Police Station.
"We were detained at the station for four days and later charged to court, that we are operating an illegal university.
"I have a PhD certificate in Theology from Temple University International, my alma mater, and I am the representative of the school in Nigeria," he added.
Pius said he had so far enrolled 20 students for distance learning degree programmes and that he had just three members of staff.
The magistrate adjourned the case to June 13 for adoption of written addresses.
But the National Universities Commission (NUC) on Wednesday denied any link with the proprietor of the illegal university.
A statement released by the information unit of the executive secretary's office, signed by one Bukola Olatunji, described the whole event as "a sick joke". NUC's counsel had stated in court that the commission had recovered a fake temporary approval during a raid on the premises of the accused.
"Mr. and Mrs. Nwachukwu had used the fake temporary approval, which is now before the court to support the charge of forgery against them, and of deceiving unsuspecting victims of their operation. "To imagine that anyone would claim that all these were waived for N20,000 and such a story would receive the kind of attention it has been given is as regrettable as it is laughable," the statement said.

Corruption, Power Sector, Credible Elections, Hindrances To Nigeria's Greatness- US


By: Chibuzo Ukaibe on May 13, 2013 - 3:07pm
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence Patrick McCulley, has said Nigeria's great future would remain doubtful unless it tackles the problem of power sector, attack corruption and build better electoral process in 2015.
He nonetheless said he is optimistic Nigeria would not break-up.
Mr. McCulley, stated this over the weekend in Kaduna during a programme on Liberty FM Radio in Kaduna.
The US envoy, charged federal government to fight corruption and consolidate on the democratic institutions so as to create a better investment climate.
McCulley said “Nigeria is a very diverse nation and very proud of that diversity, it is important to continue creating enabling environment that will attract both national and foreign direct investment that will grow your economy and bring people out of poverty, create resources and jobs, satisfy regional aspiration of Nigerian people.
“This country has a great future if it tackles the problems of power sector, attack corruption and build better electoral process in 2015.
"These are the things that will really going to anchor your institutions and keep Nigeria as important figure not only in West Africa and Africa, but on the global stage.”
On predictions that Nigeria would split, the US ambassador noted that suggestions and predictions that Nigeria is too big to govern is not true.
He said despite the challenges which Nigeria had to grapple with including challenges in North, disparity of income between north and south, it was able to overcome colonialism, civil war, long period of military rule and so on.
“Nigeria has overcome many challenges and I am convinced in my discussions with Nigerians across the country, in Lagos, Kano, in Sokoto, in Yola a couple of weeks ago. I convinced that Nigerians are fundamentally optimistic about their future and I shared that optimism,” he said.
Responding to the issue of northern governors coming together to acquire regional fund to boost agriculture,
which is the mainstream of north, the US ambassador encouraged the governors to see the sector as a business platform adding that they can come together and create better investment climate so as to seek support from foreign bodies, e.g. the United States.
“I think if the northern governors, the southern governors or the eastern governors and create conditions where they will encourage foreign investors, it’ll will be obtainable.
"Nigeria has vast hectres of arable land that is uncultivated, so it is so much what we can do as a partner or as a donor country, but we can certainly help to introduce American company to boost the sector, but if the government creates conditions which are favourable,” he said.
He further charged Nigerian youths to explore the opportunities provided by democracy as a platform to voice their opinions positively.
He said “I believe the future of this country is in the hands of Nigerian youths. They need to inform themselves how they can contribute in the construction of democracy in this country. I will tell you one of the things that really impressed me in 2011 was the committed work of Nigerian youths, namely, the Youth Corp members who were staffing in every single polling unit in this country.
"They were all out helping people exercising their democratic rights that was inspiring and I think that is how Nigerians youths needs to get involved in political activities so that their voices can be heard because the future of their fatherland is in their hands.”
Commenting on the freedom of expression, the US envoy said that the United States believes that it is a fundamental human rights considering enshrined in the declaration of human rights acts in the United States constitution as well as part of Nigeria’s constitution saying that they believe it is an essential part of the construction of democracy that people will be allowed to feel associated and speaks freely.
Explaining further McCulley said the FOI bill allows individual citizen to petition government for the list of certain information is verified.
"In general the FOI bill helps the citizens understand the work of their government and the reasons behind government decisions, information on financial matters relating to government spending and also personal financial disclosure for persons appointment to higher offices."
Reacting to the clamp down of some media houses by government in recent times McCulley stated “I was troubled by what happened and circumstances you have just cited. I would say that journalists have an important responsibility in informing people so that they will be well informed in the act of constructing a better democracy.
"They have the right to submit accurate reports, well sourced articles and programmes, but I think fundamentally the right of free speech must be uninfringed and government needs to recognise that and that is very important in any democratic dispensation."

Witness: How N1.1bn Subsidy Scam was Detected


By Akinwale Akintunde
The trial of Abdullahi Alao, son of prominent Ibadan-based businessman, Alhaji Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, and four others for an alleged N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud continued Tuesday, as a prosecution witness, Mr Irene Moses, told an Ikeja High Court how the fraud was detected.
Moses told the court presided by Justice Lateefa Okunnu that the defendants did not discharge 15,000 metric tonnes of fuel as claimed.
Alao alongside two other oil marketers, Opeyemi Ajuyah and Olarenwaju Olalusi and their companies, Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited were being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraudulently obtaining N1.1 billion fuel subsidy payment from the federal government.
Moses, a Terminal Manager with Oando Oil and Gas Plc, who was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr. Francis Usani, said 4,700 metric tonnes of fuel as was discharged instead of 15,000 metric tonnes as claimed by Mojasope Investment Limited.
The witness said what normally happens was that it normally takes up to three to four days to discharge a 15,000 metric tonnes of fuel, but stated that it was discovered that the volume discharged by the company of the defendants was done within a day and some hours.
He explained that there was no way 15,000 metric tonnes of fuel could be discharged within one day and some hours as claimed by the defendant.
The witness said the supervisor later told him that 4,700 metric tonnes of fuel was discharge instead of 15,000 metric tonnes as agreed, by Mojasope Investment Limited.
According to him, Majope was to discharge the products at the Lister Jetty in Apapa that was being used as a tank farm by Oando before January 4, 2011.
“Oando appointed a surveyor, Q and Q Control Services Limited, to inspect the products when it was brought by Majope Investment.
Asked by the defence counsel whether the manager check the related documents before and after the discharge of the mother vessel.
The witness said the terminal manager only handles the transaction document between the two vessels.
Justice Okunnu adjourned the matter till May 21, 2013 for continuation of trial.

N107m scam: I am innocent, Ogbulafor tells court


A former Minister of Special Duties and National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, on Tuesday, told an Abuja High court that he was ignorant of all the allegations in the charge preferred against him.
Ogbulafor, who opened his defence alongside Emeka Ebilah and Jude Nwokorie, is standing trial on a 17- count charge of conspiracy and award of fictitious contracts to the tune of N107 million.
The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Ogbulafor, who was led in evidence by his counsel, J.K Gadzama, said he knew nothing about all the allegations raised against him.
Ogbulafor, however, admitted that he and Ebilah came from the state and town and that on his (Ogbulafor) appointment as a minister in 1999, Ebilah led a delegation to congratulate him.
He added that Ebilah later approached him, seeking an assistance to be nominated into the board of one of the federal parastatals.
Ogbulafor further stated that based on Ebilah’s request, he nominated him into the National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC) where he was made the secretary of the committee.
Asked how he resigned as a minister, Ogbulafor told the court that he wrote a letter of resignation and forwarded same to the then President Olusegun  Obasanjo, who acknowledged the resignation and thanked him for serving the nation dutifully.
He further added that his resignation was premised on the ground that he wanted to run for the post of the PDP National Secretary.
Asked whether he knew some of some of the companies mentioned in the alleged scam, Ogbulafor said “I don’t know.”
He, however, agreed that he collected N2 million from Ebilah after he had resigned from the office of the minister, adding that the money was a gift from Ebilah to run his campaign for the office of PDP National Secretary.
Ogbulafor also told the court that he had never at any time conspired with Ebilah to collect any amount in respect of any contract from the Federal Government, adding that he never knew how the NIEC was managed and that he was not in the capacity to receive report from the committee.
After the examination in chief, Prosecution in counsel prayed the court for an adjournment for him to take his cross examination.
He informed the court that he had another matter in another court.
Ogbulafor was supposed to open his defense on Monday but could not start due to the absence of the judge hence the need to shift it to Tuesday.
On this ground the, the trial judge, Justice  Ishaq Bello  adjourned the matter to June 6 for cross examination.

Tuesday 14 May 2013

157 LASTMA officials sacked for bribery, certificate forgery, others


For involving in gross misconduct bothering on corruption, and indiscipline, the Lagos State Government has sacked 157 officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Our correspondent learnt that the dismissed LASTMA officers were dragged to the Personnel Management Board, a disciplinary organ of government to prove their innocence but failed to convince the board hence they were sacked.
The PMB, satisfied that they were no-longer fit in the service, while the Civil Service Commission issued sacked letters to the affected officers. It was further gathered that the sacked officers also had cases of corruption, certificate forgery, bribery and dereliction of duty leveled against them.
According to a reliable source, the names of another batch of about 50 LASTMA officers had just been forwarded to the Personnel Management Board to look into cases of gross misconduct against them, as more LASTMA officers might be sacked in few weeks to come.
It will be recalled that over 250 LASTMA officers were dismissed last year by the government for gross misconduct, corruption, among others.
As sanitization exercise continues in LASTMA, the state government had before now said the authority would not tolerate indolence and indiscipline in any form, warning that officers whose conduct would tarnish the image of the state would be shown the way out. The government urged the public to report officers found misbehaving in the cause of performing their official duties to the government for appropriate sanction and discipline.
To instill discipline in the officers, the state government last year embarked on career evaluation training of LASTMA officers in batches where they were taught to be professionals and civilised in dealing with the public. They were also made to undergo community services, but such training had been a ruse for some of them who were bent on tarnishing the image of the government.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa said government would not condone any form of indiscipline among LASTMA officers. Opeifa said, “The LASTMA authority is strict in applying disciplinary measures as nobody that has done wrong will go unpunished.”

Monday 13 May 2013

Falana decries level of corruption, injustice in Nigeria Calls for economic emancipation of citizens

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has said Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the level of corruption and injustice in the country, just as he noted that there can’t be any justice in the face of colossal diversion of public funds by politicians and public officials. 

He also attributed the spate of insecurity and emergence of different militias dotting the nation’s landscape to lack of economic justice, explaining that the only justice available in the country was the one for the rich.

Mr Falana stated this at an international conference, entitled, “Nationalism and Economic Justice in Nigeria”, organised by the Department of Philosophy, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in honour of the former national president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Oladipo Fashina.

According to him, the figure released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that a lot of Nigerians live below the poverty line, saying despite this staggering revelation, some politicians are busied amassing wealth without considering how to improve the standards of living of their people.

“Though there is poverty in the land, the number of private jets in the country has increased from 25 to 137 in the last two years. Grand corruption has become a key component of President Jonathan’s transformation agenda. Yet, the president does not appreciate the enormity of the crises confronting the country.”

The former chairman of the West African Bar Association (WABA) disclosed that many Nigerians had found it difficult to become nationalists due to the level of injustice in the country, adding that politicians had also compounded the problem by promoting ethnicity over nationalism.

“How nationalist can Nigerians be? Can they be nationalists when there is no economic justice? Rather than nationalism, what we have are ethnicity and the exclusion of the poor, especially young people from the wealth of the nation. They now pick up arms against the state, and the state gradually drifts to the era of the unknown.”

Mr Falana, while criticising the neglect of the Section 2 of the Constitution by the ruling class, said this was deliberate, because they knew it safeguarded the socio-economic rights of Nigerians.

“There are many provisions safeguarding the rights of Nigerians in the constitution; UBE Act makes education compulsory for Nigerians from primary school to junior secondary school, there is Human Rights Act, and many others, but they deliberately make it impossible for Nigerians to ask for their rights,” he revealed.

source: http://www.tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/news/item/11682-falana-decries-level-of-corruption-injustice-in-nigeria-calls-for-economic-emancipation-of-citizens

FIRS: Corruption, Enemy of Tax Administration


By Jude Okwe
Collecting taxes without remitting same into government coffers and evading tax are all corrupt practices which are hampering tax administration in the country, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said in Calabar.
At a workshop on the ‘Role of Women in Enhancing Revenue Generation and Tax Administration in Nigeria’, the acting chairman of FIRS, Mr. Kabiru Marshi, said so many Nigerians were evading tax; a development which was not helping government in its revenue drive.
He said women have critical roles to play in revenue generation and tax administration in Nigeria; hence women need to join in the crusade to fight tax corruption in Nigeria.
The acting chairman advised women to come out and vote during elections in order to elect those who will determine what becomes the tax law and who utilises the revenue so generated.
“Women also need to step up and go for elective posts while those in positions of authority need to join in the crusade of stamping out corruption which is the first enemy of progress in ensuring that the populace gets value for the taxes they have laboured to pay.
“They also need to ensure that taxation as a culture is impressed on our children and also encourage their husbands to live within the provisions of the law,” he said.
The chairman also advised the women to take the issue of taxation down to the grassroots, adding that the FIRS is currently working on a presumptive tax regime for the informal sector.
“As SWIT members, you have the moral responsibility to join in the campaign for voluntary compliance, such as religious organisations, professional bodies, associations and markets group,” he said.
In her speech, Wife of Governor of Cross River, Mrs. Obioma Imoke said, it was remarkable to witness the quantitative and qualitative strength of women in taxation, normally viewed as a male-dominated industry.
Imoke described SWIT members as living proof of the magnitude and impact of women on the economic growth of the nation, adding ‘Gender in Nigeria Report 2012’ shows that Nigeria currently ranks 118 of 134 countries in the Gender Equality Index.
According to her, the research further show that women make up only 21 per cent of non-agricultural paid labour force, and Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of female entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.
She said majority of Nigerian women were concentrated in casual, low-skilled, low paid informal sector employment and only 7.2 per cent of women own the land they farm.
“This limits their access to credit and constraints entrepreneurship and business activity. We must all work collectively to remove all the factors that hinder their optimal participation in and contribution to economic activity. By creating an enabling environment that will enhance female productivity in both the formal and informal sectors of our economy,” she said.
Imoke called for a fairer, more inclusive and progressive tax structure in the country and that governments at all level and the respective agencies must work to create a more effective, efficient and economical system for tax collection and revenue generation.
Earlier, the National Chairperson of SWIT, Mrs. Justina Okoror, said the event was part of effort to ensure that policies on taxation and national development impact positively on women,  children and the less privileged.
“The idea is to ensure that tax revenue are collected very efficiently, fairly and justly and also ensure that tax revenues are used for the upliftment of the quality of life of our people,” she said.
Okoror said SWIT was working to ensure that women issues and women rights were being reflected in government tax policies in across the states of the federation.
“We are working hard to establish SWIT branches in every state of the federation. So, that through the activities of these branches, the ordinary market woman and the woman by the street clearly understands her tax rights,” she said.