Gov. Okorocha revokes contract of contractor who claimed to have given him N24 million bribe

by Stanley Azuakola

The Imo state government has now officially revoked the N1.3 billion contract awarded to Noutouch Global Ventures Limited for the construction of a seven-floor Modern State Judiciary Headquarters.

READ: Gov. Okorocha Collected N24 Million Bribe From My Company, Says Contractor

In a statement issued on Saturday, June 22, 2013,  in Owerri, capital of Imo State, the state government said it was forced to take the action because the commissioner for Lands, Survey, Housing and Urban Development, Uche Nwosu, was dissatisfied with the performance of the contractor who allegedly abandoned the job after collecting N224 million as mobilization.

Only last week, Gov. Okorocha visited the site and expressed displeasure that the building which was billed to be delivered in April 2013 was still at its foundation level even though the contractor had been mobilised. But in a swift reaction, the managing director of Noutouch Global Ventures, Dr. Osita Okereke, blamed the state government for the delay in the execution of the project, stating that the government had agreed to pay 40 percent upfront as stipulated in the contract agreement, but the governor did not comply with that, instead, he paid 15 percent totalling about N168 million. This is different from the N224 million figure which the government claims to have paid.

Furthermore, Okereke alleged that Gov. Okorocha had demanded and received a gratification of N24 million out of the N168 million which the government paid.

“After all this, it will be callous and inhuman for the governor to visit the site and threaten to revoke the contract even when he’s aware that the state government has not paid the company what is due to them.

“This is not the first time Governor Okorocha is playing such pranks on my company. At the moment, the state government owes my company the sum of N742 million as balance for some other projects we are handling for the government such as the new governor’s lodge, street solar electrification of Owerri-Orlu, architectural design and surveying of Imo-European University,” said the contractor.

Now, following the outburst by Okereke, the government has revoked the contract, emphasising that Okereke’s firm abandoned the site. The government statement also warned that it was considering sueing the company for alleged breach of contract.

Source: http://www.thescoopng.com/gov-okorocha-revokes-contract-of-contractor-who-claimed-to-have-given-him-n24-million-bribe/

Corruption thrives more in private sector -Don

The attention of Nigerian governments and the public have been drawn to the  corrupt practices going in the private sector in the country.
 This was made by a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, Dr David Enweremadu, in a lecture entitled: “Corruption and corporate governance in Nigeria,” delivered at the Conference Centre, University of Ibadan on Friday, to mark the 2011/2012 multi-disciplinary seminar series of the Department of Psychology, Faculty of  Social Science, University of Ibadan.
Dr Enweremadu said before now, focus has been on the high level of corruption going on in the public service, but now,    this practice also thrives in the private sector.
He said “the aim of the lecture is to turn our attention to corrupt practices going on in the private world. For many years, it has been assumed that the private sector is rationally corrupt free, efficient and effective as we teach our students. But we have had alarming cases of  corruption  in the private sector, especially, the banking sector, yet not much academic or schorlaly attention has been paid to this.”
Enweremadu noted that reasons for this might not be unconnected with lack of transparency in the operations of private companies.
The political scientist, however, suggested that both government and individuals needed to take action to reinforce transparency and accountability in the private sector.
He said the same fund with which the private companies operate which was considered as private money were capitals raised through public bidding-sale of shares, saying, these funds also belong to the public.
In her remarks, the Head of Department of Psychology, Professor Helen Osinowo, commended Dr Enweremadu for his brilliance and urge the concerned authorities to take action.

Source: http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/en/news/item/14944-corruption-thrives-more-in-private-sector-don.html

Corrupt politicians must pay for their sins – Rawlings

By Henry Umoru
…Fundamentalism, corruption threaten democracy — Shonekan
ABUJA — FORMER President of Ghana, Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings, Monday said if Nigeria and other parts of Africa must get it right and strengthen democracy, corrupt politicians must not be allowed to go scot-free.

This came as former Interim Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, declared that religious fundamentalism poses a serious threat to the  nation’s democracy, including other parts of Africa.
According to Rawlings, Nigeria must not continue to pay lip service to eradicating corruption, especially against the backdrop that poor, petty thieves get imprisoned for several years, while businessmen evade taxes in millions of dollars and politicians embezzle state funds and go unpunished.

Speaking yesterday at a conference on Emerging Democracies in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, organized by the National Institute for Legislative Studies, Abuja, Rawlings said: ‘’We cannot continue to pay lip service to the strengthening, empowerment and independent management of our multiple anti-corruption institutions.
“We live in countries where poor, petty thieves get imprisoned for several years, while businessmen who evade taxes in millions of dollars or a politician who misappropriates millions of state funds escape punishment.
“These inequalities are recipes for the retrogression of our democracies and we cannot allow the negative tide to continue. A democracy that cannot provide socio-economic justice cannot be a healthy democracy and will remain vulnerable and fragile.”
He noted that the primary challenge for emerging democracies in Africa was the failure of Western democracy to acknowledge its inherent flaws and encourage a system of democracy that was dynamic, home grown and imbued with the socio-cultural backgrounds of individual African states.
Rawlings, who noted that a practicing democracy that could not create the climate to correct economic ills and corruption, could not and would not be a democracy, adding that a democracy that could protect the sanctity of its electoral process was engaging in a fraudulent electoral coup d’etat.
According to him, equally destructive is the unfortunate practice of using money to buy the conscience of the electorate.
“Democratic institutions across the continent are poorly equipped to offer the best support to governments. As a capacity building institution dedicated to provide professional research, advice, training and advocacy for members of the legislature, your organization is in a unique position to be a pacesetter in empowering our senators and parliamentarians to better serve the interests of their constituents,” Rawlings said.
Speaking at the event which took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, former Interim Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, stressed the need for Africa and Nigeria, in particular, to deepen democracy by ensuring that there was internal democracy in political parties.
He said:  “Religious fundamentalism is posing serious threat to democracy in parts of the continent, particularly in West Africa, North Africa and in the Horn of Africa. There is, therefore, an urgent need for  the countries concerned to constitutionally separate the state and religion and also enforce the provisions of the constitution in this regard.
“Another major challenge to democracy is corruption. Corruption debars progress and discourages foreign investors. It is encouraging that many African countries have established agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption.”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/corrupt-politicians-must-pay-for-their-sins-rawlings/

Judiciary Workers to Face Sanctions for Corruption

Tobi Soniyi

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar, has said that  the ongoing sanitisation process in the judiciary will not be limited to judges alone but would be extended to support staff in the sector.

Justice Mukhtar stated this  Monday in a keynote address at a workshop organised by the National Judicial Institute (NJI) for  librarians working in the judiciary.

The workshop has as its theme: "The challenges facing court librarians in information and communication technology age."

“Let me quickly add that the fight against corruption in the judiciary is not only targeted at  judicial officers but also against any member of staff of the judiciary who finds luxury or convenience in engaging in corrupt practices or engaged in any other unwholesome conduct.

"Therefore, if any of you compromises himself or herself or contravenes the code of conduct, he/she will face the full consequences of his or her action.

"Any judicial staff that works hard and conducts himself well will be rewarded, but deviant, fraudulent and indolent ones may become irrelevant in our drive for a virile judicial system," she added.

The CJN, represented by Justice Olu Ariwoola of the Supreme Court, reminded the participants that they were bound by the code of conduct for courts' employees.

She warned court support staff to desist from unethical and corrupt conduct even as she said anyone found wanting would be punished.

The CJN also regretted the impact of poor funding on the quality of services rendered by the nation's court system.

She called for enhanced funding and continuous human capacity development to enable  courts attain the level of competence and effectiveness experienced in developed climes.

She noted that it was necessary for state and Federal Government to adequately fund the courts to enable them acquire necessary materials for standard libraries.

"As a result of poor funding, both the quality and quantity of their acquisitions are not current. This ought not to be so, when courts of most other countries have gone steps further to e-libraries.

"Our courts must not be denied of the requisite excellent learning facilities in order to be able to discharge their duties diligently and expeditiously. Our court libraries must be stocked with current law reports and relevant reading materials like law journals and other periodicals," she said.
NJI's Administrator, Justice Umaru Eri, said the workshop was informed by the institute's commitment to improving the quality of court library staff.

He observed that in view of the growing complication and modernisation in library management, it was imperative for court libraries in the country to be manned by well-trained and competent hands

Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/judiciary-workers-to-face-sanctions-for-corruption/150726/

$15m Bribe: Court to Hear Delta Application July 10

Tobi Soniyi

A Federal High Court in Abuja will  on July 10 hear  an application by the Delta State Government on  the $15million bribe allegedly offered former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, by  a former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori,  to be paid to the state.

Justice Gabriel Kolawole fixed the date yesterday, following a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, striking out an application by a Lagos-based refrigerator repairer, Olalekan Bayode, seeking to halt further hearing in the suit pending the hearing of his appeal.

When the case was called Monday, parties were set to argue the application by Delta State, but the court said it was inconvenient in view of its tight schedule and directed them to agree on a new date.

The federal government had applied to the court for an order of forfeiture and to direct the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), where Ribadu had lodged the bribe money he refused, to release it to the government should no one showed up to claim it.

Delta State later intervened, claiming ownership of the money because Ibori, being its governor when the  money was offered, must have taken the money from the state's coffers.

Before the state's application could be heard, Bayode applied that he should be appointed as a manager to disburse the $15 million  bribe money to the indigents, especially widows and orphans through a charitable organisation.

He applied to be joined in the case and prayed that the money  be released to him.

In a ruling, Justice  Kolawole dismissed  Bayode's application for being frivolous and lacking in merit.

The judge held, among others, that Bayode failed to show sufficient ground and interest upon which the money should be released to him.

Justice Kolawole held that Bayode only claimed to be a Nigerian and refrigerator repairer based in Lagos.

The judge further held that the federal government, which instituted the case, did not ask for a manager to manage the fund, but applied that those with interest in the $15 million should indicate before an order of forfeiture was made in its favour.

Justice Kolawole described Bayode as a  busybody, meddlesome interloper and one, who was out to mock the judiciary and the serious issue at stake.

Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-15m-bribe-court-to-hear-delta-application-july-10/150724/

“Don’t pay money to roadside touts” – FG committee warns vehicle owners

National chairman of the National Committee Against Touting and Other Related Matters, Dr. Mike Anikwendu has charged mass transit agencies, transport owners and commercial drivers not to pay any money to highway touts who mount illegal roadblocks and pose as revenue collectors.
This was contained in a press release made available to journalists yesterday, after the 2013 first quarter briefing for all the stakeholders in the nation’s transport sector held at the secretariat of the National Committee Against Touting in Abuja.

Dr. Ike Anikwendu, who cited Decree No. 21 of 1998 and the Act prohibiting touting and other related matters, said that no person or group whatsoever was authorized to mount illegal roadblocks for any form of revenue collection on the nation’s highway.

He vehemently condemned the notorious activities of the touts, which he said posed safety as well as security risks to road users.

The Head Bridge, Onitsha, Okene-Lokoja Road, Kogi State, Okpella and Control Post in Imo State, Elele and Eleme junction in Rivers State, Kaduna – Zaria Road, Keffi – Lafia Road to Jos, Ikot Obas in Akwa Ibom State, Asaba to Benin Toll Gate bye-pass, Ore in Ondo State, Ogbere Forest in Ijebu-Ode and Shagamu to Lagos Toll Gate among others were identified as some of the places the illegality occurs.

Source: http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/06/16/dont-pay-money-to-roadside-touts-fg-committee-warns-vehicle-owners/

Purge police of corruption, Jonathan charges commission

[By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja]
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday directed the newly inaugurated Board of the Police Service Commission to cleanse the Nigerian Police of bad eggs who he described as “viruses” denting its image. He chided the police, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), other para-military service as well as the military for indulging in promotions not based on merit, competence, performance and qualifications of officers. The president also explained that this constitutes the reason there are “viruses and all kinds of characters in the police force,” leading to abysmal performance of some of them. Also yesterday, indications emerged that the Federal Government is considering the scraping of about 220 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) out of the current 541 Federal parastatals in a bid to enhance efficiency and reduce cost of administration. Going by the provisions of the Draft Bill on national fertilizer quality control, adulterators of fertilizer products risk seven years jail term apart from other punishments. These were disclosed yesterday at a briefing after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Jonathan with Vice President Namadi Sambo in attendance at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in company of the ministers of agriculture, water resources and mines, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Mrs Sara Ochekpe and Arch. Muhammad Sada, respectively briefed State House correspondents.

The president gave the charge to the police while inaugurating the Board of the Nigeria Police Service Commission headed by a former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, as Chairman at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, prior to the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting. Other members of the Board of the Police Service Commission include: Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed, Justice Lola Adekeye, Hajiya Aisha Lare Tukur, Dame Comfort Obi and Dr. Tongi  Anyi. According to President Jonathan, “One thing, and probably I will mention here today is the issue of Nigeria Police. You will agree with me that Nigerians don’t have so much confidence in the Nigeria Police, but Nigerian policemen are good. The Nigeria Police that work outside under United Nations are highly honoured, highly commended and Okiro will agree with me.

“But once we come back home that is not reflected in what we do. Even now that we have challenges, you will see that, especially when the Police Headquarters was bombed, some people came to me and said Mr. President, ‘sack all police officers working in that place from Assistant Commissioner of Police and above.’ “I did not sack any because of that incident, but that was the advice I got. That if you do that, the new people that would be posted there will sit up. How could the police allow their headquarters to be bombed by a very local group called Boko Haram?”  Jonathan charged the Okiro to further instill discipline within the police and ensure that those who deserve  promotion should be promoted, while those found wanting should be dismissed. He said, “But I believe there are two things: one is the issue of discipline. And so, one of the responsibilities of the Police Service Commission is to instill discipline. Another thing I believe is that people who do not merit certain ranks are being promoted to those ranks.

“One of your responsibilities is to handle promotion. I believe with you, only those who merit or deserve promotion should be promoted. Those who deserve to be disciplined or even dismissed must be disciplined.” Furthermore, the president indicated that a white paper on the reform of the Nigeria Police will soon be released, but enjoined the PSC  to make input into it so that it will be comprehensive enough to improve the operations of the Force.  “The Federal Executive Council, maybe in the next one or two weeks,  we are going to look at the report because we want to come up with a white paper on the police reform report. But since we have just appointed you, we give you privilege to look at the document before we come out with a white paper.  “So that if there is a suggestion that you will bring, bring it so that it will be part of the white paper since you are the one to manage the police. It is only proper that you and I will think alike and be on the same page, because we need to reform the Nigeria Police for a better service for us all,” he said.

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike Okiro, who fielded questions from State House correspondents shortly after the swearing-in, said his priority would ,among other things, center on boosting the morale of the policemen. He said, “We will look at the extant laws and see the areas that the Police Service Commission is supposed to act to reform the Nigeria Police and it is an issue that requires the handiwork and cooperation of everybody; the press, you people, Nigerians and the police officers themselves have to open up their minds for reform.” He explained that there are reasons why police officers perform better outside the country than while in Nigeria, citing enabling environment and equipment.

“The reasons are far reaching. One, you can find out that the environment is different, the people are different and also, the equipment and what to work with. The Nigerian police officers, while rendering service outside this country under the United Nations, give them the wherewithal to do the work.

“It is not an indictment on the system, neither is it on the Presidency or me. What we are talking about is that time changes, society is dynamic. What happened few years ago is not what is happening now. You know at that time there was no Boko Haram, but there is right now. “So, you have to work as the situation demands at the moment. So, what I am going to do now is to look at what is making the police not to perform optimally this time, at this period of our nation’s history. I will try and address those issues.  “Officers from ACP up are not feeling very happy. Many of them have no houses, the morale of the police is quite low, they need to be motivated; you have to look into what will make them perform optimally.

“If you give somebody something to work with, he works well for you. If you pay somebody very well, he works very well for you. If you give somebody pittance, you get pittance service from him. So, we have to look at  the welfare of the police first and foremost,” Okiro said. However, the scrapping of the 220 MDAs is based on consideration of the White Paper on the report of the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, otherwise known as the Oronsaye Committee.  Abati explained that the White Paper is already at the domain of the Federal Executive Council for consideration, revealing that out of the existing 541 parastatals, the White Paper Drafting Committee accepted 321. He, however, allayed fears that the scraping of the MDAs will result in laying off many workers and generate hardships in the country.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, “Council began a review of the report of the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Government Parastatals, Commissions and agencies what is popularly referred to as the Oronsaye committee. “The draft White Paper had already been prepared based on the report of that committee and what council took today was the draft white paper for discussion and review. “It is ongoing, that process will continue during the next meeting. I know that many people have expressed concerns on when the white paper will be released. This makes it very clear that works have been ongoing on the report of that committee.

“After the draft of that white paper was submitted, a review committee was set up by Mr. President, which also considered the report and now it is being considered at the level of the FEC and you can be sure that in due course, the white paper with regards to the restructuring and rationalisation of government’s parastatals, agencies and commissions will be released.

“There is no cause for any anxiety. The Oronsaye Committee considered suggestions, recommendations from different quarters and in total, that committee looked at 541 federal parastatals, commissions and agencies. The white paper drafting committee out of that, accepted 321, noted some recommendations, rejected some. “At the end of the day, the FEC will take final decision on this recommendation and when that is done, the white paper will be made public. I don’t think we should jump the gun, the thing to note is that all of this is being done to ensure efficiency, to reduce the cost of government, to avoid leakages and wastages and to make government far more effective in delivering quality service to Nigerians.

“This is not targeted at pushing anybody out of work. This is not an exercise in making life difficult for anybody.

This is just government restructuring for better efficiency. People should not be unduly anxious. “You can be assured that now that it is at the level of the FEC, work will be completed on it very quickly, the white paper will be released and it will be implemented accordingly.” On the National Fertilizer Control Draft Bill, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr.  Akinwunmi Adesina, explained that the Bill is targeted at making Nigeria the major hub of fertilizer in African region. According to him, “The draft bill is looking at the issue of quality control in the fertilizer sector. As you know that since we started the libralisation of the fertiliser sector, there’s been quite a lot of private sector engagement. We have noticed overtime that we had challenges in terms adulteration of fertilizer in the system.”

http://www.mydailynewswatchng.com/2013/06/13/purge-police-of-corruption-jonathan-charges-commission/