Corruption Destroying Our Economy – Okonjo-Iweala

Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala yesterday said corruption was destroying the nation’s economy and called on the nation’s private sector to support the federal government in its war against corruption and other areas of economy where  wastages occur.
The minister who made the appeal  during a Breakfast Dialogue with the Private sector organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lagos, said the problem of  corruption, theft and wastages has constituted an albatross to the country’s rapid development.
Okonjo -Iweala at a meeting that attracted business moguls and technocrats like  the richest man in Africa Alhaji Aliko Dangote, founder of  Visafone Communication Limited, Chief Jim Ovia, Chairman Stanbic IBTC  Mr. Atedo Peterside, the Managing Director of Bank of Industry Dr.  Evelyn Oputu, among others lamented that  government was not getting enough support from the private sector in terms of robust policy implementation
“Corruption is a serious issue for us because it is destroying our country, eating deep into the fabrics of the economy, we can’t have infrastructure and development with these level of corruption.”
“We are not helpless, but we need your help to grow the economy and it will begin with the private sector joining hands to help government fight corruption, mismanagement and waste in government.
“It begins with you to say I would not pay bribe, not only will I not pay, I will report to authorities, also by  supporting those trying to fight corruption, not castigating those trying to fight it, where we are not doing well point it out to us, anywhere you see wastage report to us,  we would do something about it,” she added.

The minister added that the fight was not for one individual or government noting that corruption was also rampart in the private sector.

“We need to have the courage to start the corruption fight, fighting corruption is not an easy thing, because you risk a lot of things but you must continue to fight it, she decleared”
Harping on the state of the nation’s economy the minister whose presentation dwelt on “ Nigeria : Macroeconomics Performance And Outlook For 2014 “ said Inflation was 7.8% at the end of October showing a continual downward trend for the 10th consecutive month, down from 12.3% in December 2012 .

LeadershipNGA

As Corruption Deepens, EFCC Chases Rat In Imo State, by Peter Claver Opara

Last week, Transparency International, the global anti-corruption watchdog released its ranking of world corruption index among countries. Nigeria was ranked the 25th most corrupt nation on earth. This was a drop from the 27th position it occupied at the last ranking. To most Nigerians who are living witnesses and victims to the pervasive culture of corruption which has, under the Jonathan regime, been elevated to directive principle of state policy, this was a conservative rating and a flattering of a system that now rests solely on corruption. It is trite saying that corruption has completely overwhelmed the country as no day passes without stories of mind boggling corruption reported in all the sectors of the country’s governance.

From the over N2 trillion fuel subsidy scandal to the looting of the pension fund, from the purloining of the police pension fund to the financial fraud going on in all federal ministries and parastatals, from the gargantuan oil theft scandal, which according to government officials, poses serious threat to the nation’s economy to the sordid details of the cleansing going on in the ant-infested oil industry, from the revelation that N500 billion had been stolen from the ludicrous SURE-P fund to the disclosure by the Customs Director General that the country lost a whopping N603 billion to abuse of import waivers between January and September this year, from the Aviation scandal otherwise known as Oduahgate to the now trending allegation of massive stealing of kerosene subsidy, from the looting of the excess crude account to the emptying of the foreign reserves, it is one long and endless story of bizarre stealing, looting and corruption, which has come to define the face of the Jonathan government.

The audacious plundering has retched up a new breed of novou riche Nigerians, most with no known means of livelihood and some with well known criminal history. These have moved in to buy private jets, acquire massive landed properties and veered off into the new fad, which is ownership of universities. Conversely, Nigerians pass through the worst form of deprivation in the history of the county as life hovers on the barest of levels. The level of want in Nigeria is best captured by a recent World Bank report, which states that about 130 million Nigerians live bellow two dollars a day! This is an incriminating report for a country that had been harvesting unflagging oil boom for the past fourteen years the PDP has been in power. Strange enough, President Goodluck Jonathan, assailed on all fronts by wide scale criticism of his tolerant attitude to corruption, told Nigerians that our greatest problem is not corruption but ethnicism. Even recently, an anti corruption group in Switzerland, Berne Declaration revealed that the NNPC and a group of Nigerian and international oil traders dupe the country in the sale of Nigerian oil. The group revealed that Nigeria was short changed of over $6.8 billion between 2009 and 2011!

One would have expected the overwhelming reports of wholesome looting of the country’s resources to overstretch an anti corruption agency like the EFCC. One would have expected the prison walls to be overstretched by the number of culprits held in respect of these criminal plundering. But not for the present EFCC. No one has been arrested, least of all prosecuted for these mind boggling acts of economic crime. No one is questioned, except when Nigerians rose up with heightened anger to protest the decision of the Jonathan government to pass the cost of the fuel subsidy scam on Nigerians through increased prices of petroleum prices. Jolted by the massive outpouring of Nigerians against such effort, the EFCC said it was going to take in and prosecute the fuel subsidy thieves. It moved in to pick one or two of them and these were quickly released and there the story ended. Of course Nigerians still pay for the prodigality of these thieves through high prices of petroleum products. They were merely rattled and left to continue plying their trade in a mock trial aimed to deceive the long suffering Nigerians. Of the other cases of monumental corruption listed above, the EFCC has not even betrayed any whimper of knowledge, talk not of arresting any person to answer for these infractions. And the sordid plundering continues in reckless and more audacious impunity.
Last week, Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha was to raise an alarm of what he called unrelenting EFCC harassment of the officials of his government. To those conversant with happenings and politics of Imo State, this alarm was long in coming as the EFCC seems to have relocated to Imo State for the sole purpose of harassing, intimidating and distracting the purposeful government in Imo State so as to make the state pliant for the return of the rapacious PDP whose 12 years tenure in Imo governance left the state despoiled, traumatized and prostrate. It is this disheveled story that the Rochas government has boldly been addressing since 2011 when he wrestled the entire armada of the PDP to get to power. Since then, neither the PDP hierarchy, the Jonathan government nor the dislodged mandarins who ate down the state in twelve years have rested in trying to re-launch the good old days of wanton free loading. The PDP, which has been pining and ruing the loss of the feel good days is being commissioned by the presidency, eager to boost its sagging flanks, to launch a warfare in Imo State and the EFCC is the arrowhead of the war. That was the message Okorocha was sending when he raised the alarm and discernible Imo citizens know this fact. They know that EFCC has made it a duty to make ceaseless rounds in Imo State, arresting officials at will based on the many specious and outlandish petitions the moths and rodents that people the state PDP generate against the state government.

Imo State for the nearly three years Okorocha has been in power, has been one of the laudable stories of recovery from the waste laying between 1999 and 2011. All sectors have been targeted in a massive effort to recover the years eaten away by the locusts and the state has picked up its pieces from where Mbakwe left it. 305 brand new model schools are being built all over the state, state pupils in primary, secondary and state owned tertiary institutions are enjoying a historical free education replete with other accompanying accoutrements, all the decayed roads, streets in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe have been recovered, rebuilt and remodeled while fifteen kilometers of rural roads have been constructed in each of the 27local councils in the state. Twenty seven modern hospitals are being built in the 27 local councils in the state while all the colonial relics and kitchen lines that formed the face of government buildings for the period the PDP renters wrecked the state, have all given way to modern edifices and structures that compliment a modern civil service. Employment and jobs are being created and filled in through the community councils that targets even and effective distribution of resources to all the communities in the state. These are few of the land breaking features of governance which never existed in Imo for the twelve years the PDP, through such amorphous groups like apex leaders, stakeholders, god fathers, etc despoiled the state ate down the state.

The Imo state chapter of the PDP and its national hierarch are not pleased with the good fortunes of Imo people and that is why they have sworn to ensure that Governor Okorocha does not nick a re-election. It does not matter if they have nothing, just nothing, to advertise as their achievement in power for twelve years while Okorocha has a bountiful harvest to show for his brief tenure at Douglas House. They now live in forging frivolous petitions against the regime and trusting the EFCC which has become the political hatchet dog of the PDP to launch an unending war against the Imo government. They freely boast of this even when they have pending questions of what they did with the twelve years allocation of Imo State still shoveled under EFCC’s bulging carpet. They believe that by 2014, when Governor Okorocha would be standing for re-election, they would have mutilated his achievements and soften the ground for their comeback but they are gravely mistaken for Okorocha is etching his achievements in indelible imprimatur and in the minds of the ordinary Imo man and this will defy the erasing capacity of the minions in PDP. It is instructive that the funding for these nefarious operations in Imo State is from the well heads of corruption that has been opened in the present government, as reported above and which should form the primary business of an EFCC concerned about the culture of corruption that is ravaging the country at present.

I am not against directing the klieglight on those in power and this should be made clear. I however believe that such klieglight should be on real and provable cases of economic crimes-the type being perpetrated under the nose of the EFCC by the federal government, which is threatening to bury Nigeria at present. Since the EFCC started its self-deceitful fancy ride round Imo, it is yet to publish any worthwhile report that indicts any Imo government official and it has not brought any official to prosecution yet it won’t stop and attend to the overwhelming evidences of corruption that mire the PDP federal government because it is a mere hatchet in the hands of PDP. Running rings in Imo where evidence of prudent management of state resources is even obvious in the sheer volume and impact of projects that have been undertaken these past two and half years, is like searching for needle in a haystack. Nigeria is being ran aground by corruption and the EFCC knows this. It is rather preoccupied with chasing rats all round Owerri in deference to the consuming narrow interests of the present PDP government while Nigeria crumbles. We wish them luck but they should remember that whenever the history of the sordid present is compiled, they should expect to be rightly captured on what they did to encourage the rot of the present.

.Oparah writes from Ikeja, Lagos.

Source

Jonathan encourages corruption in Nigeria, Speaker Tambuwal says

The speaker presented a paper at the NBA conference.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has stated that President Goodluck Jonathan is encouraging corruption in Nigeria by his handling of corruption cases.
“The President’s body language’ seems to be encouraging corrupt practices in the country,” the speaker said.
Mr. Tambuwal said the executive arm, headed by Mr. Jonathan, has failed to act on corruption cases revealed by the National Assembly.
He spoke while responding to questions on Monday after he presented a paper titled the ‘role of the legislature in the fight against corruption in Nigeria’ at a one day roundtable to mark the international anti-corruption day organised by the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, in Abuja.
“Take the subsidy probe, the pension, the SEC probe and recently the bullet proof car cases. After the House of Representatives did a diligent job by probing and exposing the cases, you now see something else when it comes to prosecution.
“In some cases, you have the government setting up new committees to duplicate the job already done by the parliament. Take the bullet proof cars case, the NSA, with all the security challenges confronting the country, should not be burdened with a job that can best be handled by the anti-corruption agencies,” he said.
He also said the government has no business setting up any administrative committee in a corruption case that is clear to all Nigerians, in apparent reference to the committee set up by Mr. Jonathan to probe the N255 million car scandal involving the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah. The three-man presidential committee had since submitted its report to Mr. Jonathan, with the president taking no action.
“What the President should have done was to explicitly direct the EFCC to probe the matter. With such directives coming from the President, I am sure we still have good people in EFCC who can do a good job,” Mr. Tambuwal said.
“By the action of setting up different committees for straightforward cases, the president’s body language doesn’t tend to support the fight against corruption.”
While lamenting what he described as the selective nature of prosecution of cases by the anti-corruption agencies, Mr. Tambuwal pledged the support of the national Assembly in the fight against corruption.
Below is the excerpt of the speech he earlier read at the event.
THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATURE AS THE VANGUARD FOR ANTI CORRUPTION CRUSADE IN NIGERIA: BEING TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY RT HON AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL CFR, SPEAKER HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AS GUEST SPEAKER AT THE 2013 INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY ORGANIZED BY THE NIGERIA BAR ASSOCIATION (NBA) ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMITTEE – 9TH DECEMBER 2013, SHERATON HOTEL & TOWERS, ABUJA
PROTOCOL:
1. I should like to start by expressing my sincere appreciation to the Anti-corruption committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for assigning me the role of Guest Speaker at this auspicious occasion of the 2013 International Anti-corruption day observance.
2. The subject matter, corruption, is so vast that to attempt to address it generally will take ages. Accordingly, therefore, I have decided to restrict my discussion today to “the role of the legislature as the vanguard for anti corruption crusade in Nigeria”
3. As a phenomenon, corruption is so notorious that it does not require introduction at an occasion or definition in a discussion such as this. The mere fact that corruption has been able to secure a whole day globally set aside for the observance of the prosecution of war against it confirms it’s notoriety beyond doubt. It also establishes the fact that corruption is a global citizen.
4. Nonetheless, for purposes of refreshing our memories, corruption refers to dishonest or illegal behaviour or conduct especially by powerful people. It is the impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle and a departure from what is pure and correct.
5. Even though the tendency has been to talk of corruption more with reference to persons in position of governmental or managerial authorities, in reality corruption permeates all segments of society and indeed all societies since government and authorities are products of societies. It must be admitted though, that the level of prevalence differs from society to society.
6. For us in Nigeria, the reality that no greater challenge than corruption confronts us as a people is not in controversy. Indeed if the roots of the overwhelming majority of our woes were traced, they are sure to terminate at the doorsteps of corruption. This is a commonplace fact known to all Nigerians and requiring no corroboration. Yet for the avoidance of doubt, it is important to state that in its 2012 Global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by the global corruption watchdog, Transparency International ranks Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country globally! Nigeria placed 139th of the 176 countries assessed scoring 27% in contrast with the least corrupt countries; Denmark, Finland and New Zealand which scored 90%.
7. A survey of the social media showed that 98% of Nigerians who commented not only agreed with the country’s corruption ranking but in fact felt Transparency International was too generous to Nigeria. A few of the comments read: “We don’t need a report to tell us what we already know” another “Wow, I taught (sic) we were No.1, I wonder what country (SIC) are before us. We all need prayers and serious fasting for our nation”. The other “to be fair, I always thought Nigeria is the most corrupt country in the world” yet another “Me too… 35th is actually being nice”.
8. A list of manifestation of corruption especially in the public sector of Nigeria is legion ranging from direct diversion of public funds to private pockets, contract over-pricing, bribery, impunity, nepotism, general financial recklessness, fraudulent borrowing and debt management, public assets striping, electoral fraud, shielding of corrupt public officers among others.
9. It is a well established fact that corruption thrives well in any environment or society where there is community indifference or lack of enforcement policies. Societies with a culture of ritualized gift giving where the line between acceptable and non-acceptable gifts is often hard to draw. Societies in which values have been overthrown by materialism, societies in which laws are observed more in the breach.
10. It would appear that these environmental preconditions are all prevalent in the Nigerian society and no wonder therefore that corruption has found fertile soil to blossom.
11. As noted earlier, corruption is Nigeria’s greatest problem and a cancerous impediment to any development effort planned or envisaged. It follows then that if Nigeria is to witness true development, then corruption must be dealt with decisively and comprehensively. It is a duty requiring will, zeal and passion on the part of the three arms of government and indeed the entire citizenry.
The Role Of The Legislature.
12. The legislature plays three basic functions in a democracy, to wit Legislation, Representation and Oversight. It is within this scope of authority that the legislature can and indeed does impact on governance and can thus participate in the prosecution of the war against corruption in Nigeria .
13. Under the legislative function, Section 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 provides to the effect that the National Assembly shall have the power to make laws for peace, order and good government of the country. More specifically, under Section 15 (5) of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, it provides, “The state shall abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of office”. Again in Section 2 (2) (b) and (c)’ government is enjoined to harness the resources of the nation for the common good and to prevent the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or of a group.
14. The responsibility of fashioning the legal framework for the fight against corruption and corrupt practices is thereby vested in the legislature.
15. In the exercise of this mandate, the National Assembly has enacted, the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2002 and The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission Act 2000′ for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting Public Officers and other persons suspected of involvement in corrupt practices. In both legislation, the Commissions are given extensive powers of investigation and prosecution to deal with all cases of corrupt practices and abuse of office that may arise.
16. With respect to the specific objective of injecting transparency and accountability in the management of the resources of the nation, the National Assembly enacted the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 and the Public Procurement Act 2007. Both legislations make copious provisions aimed at engendering transparency and accountability in the public space.
17. I make bold to say that if the provisions of these legislation and indeed others were diligently enforced, significant milestones would have been accomplished in the fight against corruption and corrupt practices in Nigeria. Sadly however these Legislations are observed more in the breach by the majority including government and government agencies.
18. I am pleased to report that the House of Representatives is currently working on some proposals for the reform of these laws with a view to reinforcing the independence of the agencies administering these laws including their mode of constitution and disbandment. I wish therefore to call on members of the NBA and indeed all Nigerians to prepare to buy into these reforms by making their inputs now or when the time comes for Public Hearings.
19. One other area which has been of great concern is the culture of undue secrecy that surrounded the operation of government. Whereas our Constitution enjoins in its Section 14 (2) (c) that ” the participation of the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution” government business tended to be run like secret societies to the exclusion of the citizenry. It was clear that this tended and was indeed intended to aid the concealment of corruption such that even in times of suspicion, members of the public including gentlemen of the fourth realm could not access public information.
20. The National Assembly has passed the Freedom of Information Act 2011 to enhance the right of access to public records and information about public institutions. This is one Legislation that attracted massive public interest and it is my expectation that Nigerians will make maximum use of the right created under this legislation in order to defeat the culture of undue secrecy in the running of government business.
21. The other function of the legislature is oversight of the other arms of government. Section 88 mandates the National Assembly to investigate the conduct of affairs of any person, authority, ministry or government department charged or intended to be charged with the duty of or responsibility for
i) Executing or administering laws enacted by the National Assembly or
ii) Disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to be appropriated by the National Assembly
The main object of investigation according to sub section 2 (a) and (b) of Section 88 is for law reform and to expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws or administration or disbursement of public funds. Similar provision is made in Section 128 of the constitution for legislatures at the sub-national levels.
22. Another critical role of the Legislature is the provision of adequate funding for Anti Corruption Agencies through appropriation. Unfortunately efforts to exercise this function by the legislature is often misconstrued by the executive arm and even some members of the public. Yet without adequate funding the anti corruption agencies cannot execute their functions satisfactorily. I wish to call on the other arms of government and indeed the general public to corroborate with us in the exercise of this mandate .
23.It is in exercise of this mandate that the House of Representatives and indeed the National Assembly has been carrying out oversight of government agencies and series of investigations or probes over allegations of corruption and corrupt practices. As you are all aware, the legislature has over the years exposed several cases of corruption.
24. It is important for me to stress once again at this stage that the mandate of the legislature is to expose corruption. It does not have further mandate to prosecute. That mandate of prosecution lies with the Executive and Judiciary. I have heard public comments to the effect that the public is tired of investigation by the legislature since the people indicted in their findings are never prosecuted and sanctioned.
25. Let me reiterate that the Legislature will not abdicate its responsibilities on the account of inaction or negligence of another arm of government. If nothing else we will at least continue to name and shame. As noted earlier, the war against corruption is the responsibility of all and I call on the citizens of this great nation to rise in the exercise of their constitutional power to insist on the prosecution and sanctioning of persons indicted by the Legislature or by any agency whether public or private concerned in the fight against corruption.
26. In the exercise of the mandate of oversight the legislature is able to audit both pre and post expenditure of agencies of government and to give appropriate direction on the administration and disbursement of funds and execution of programs and projects under the Appropriation Act. Indeed the Public Accounts Committee of both the House and Senate has the specific mandate to review the disbursement and administration of public funds by ministries, Departments and Agencies.
27. As representatives of the people, Legislators will continue to be for all Nigerians their eyes to see, ears to hear and mouth to speak out against corruption anywhere and at anytime it rears its ugly head.
28. The task may appear daunting but I wish to assure that wit will, zeal, passion and determination we shall eventually overcome this hydra headed dragon. Only let us be single minded that it’s a task that must be done in order to preserve the country for posterity.
Thank you all for your attention and God bless Nigeria.

Source

N458m Bribery Scandal: Apologize to Agbaso now, PDP tells Okorocha, Imo Assembly

Following the clean bill given to the impeached Deputy Governor of Imo state, Sir Jude Agbaso by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) exonerating him of charges of corruption, the Legal Adviser of the People Democratic Party(PDP) Imo State Chapter, Chief C.O.C Akaolisa yesterday told the Imo state government and the State House of Assembly to apologize to the impeached Deputy Governor of the state without further delay.
Akaolisa in a press statement in Owerri, made available to newsmen advised particularly, the seven–man Panel of the State House of Assembly headed by Hon. Simeon Iwunze that investigated the N458 million bribery allegation against the impeached Deputy Governor to resign from office and bury their heads in shame, adding that the EFCC have convincingly proved that Iwunze and the members of his panel were specially hired to execute the dirty job.
It would be recalled that the former deputy governor of state was impeached by members of the State Legislature on March 28th, 2013 for allegedly receiving the sum of N458 million bribe from the Managing Director of JPROS Nigeria limited, Mr. Joseph Dina.
Akaolisa also advised Governor Rochas Okorocha to emulate his Edo State counterpart, Governor Adams Oshiomhole who apologized to the widow he hurt by his action and extend same to Agbaso, whom he alleged falsely accused and maliciously removed from office.
Hear Akaolisa: “The Agbaso issue will remain the albatross of the Okorocha administration and all those who aided and abetted this wicked contrivance against Agbaso will surely have their own day of judgment. I call on the members of the Iwunze led-House of Assembly panel to apologize to Sir Jude Agbaso or resign from the House of Assembly as they have been exposed as hired agents who willfully executed the hatchet job of politically ‘hacking down’ an innocent man from his office.”
The lawyer further warned Okorocha, advising him to take stock and cut his excess as his name has become a byword for everything repugnant in Imo state.
“It is rather most unfortunate that reckless impunity has become a style of governance in Imo state of today and most people can no longer wait for 2015 to tell Okorocha how he has plundered the state and subjugated Imo people.”
Source

Road block dismantling slashes police corruption, says IG

The Inspector General of Nigerian Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, said the dismantling of roadblocks has reduced corruption in the police by 80 per cent. He did not say how he arrived at the figure, but justified it by the sacking of ‘thousand of policemen’ for corruption offences.
Abubakar, spoke when he presented the Nigerian Police Force Scorecard in Asaba on Saturday.
In his view, corruption thrives in the country because the people want to cut corners and are desperate.
He said obeying the law helps to reduce bribery and corruption, adding that the force was making efforts to transforming the Nigerian Police for the better.
The inspector general of police called for partnership with other agencies and the general public, while condemning those who applaud criminals for committing crime.

Abubakar, left, with his men

“The essence of roadblocks is for a temporary arrest of crime and as soon as this is done it is dismantled, this is the situation in other countries of the world. Removing roadblocks in Nigeria has reduced corruption in the police by 80 per cent. The police is a member of our society, therefore, we need the people’s support for the police to succeed in the task of crime fighting,’’ he said.
The IGP said the police was partnering with sister agencies to achieve the organisational goal of providing security for Nigerians.
He said the police had purchased no fewer than 2000 vehicles and some helicopters for crime fighting.
He also said arrangement was on to procuring at least two helicopters for each of the six geopolitical zones to help police fight crimes.
Abubakar said the partnership was yielding result, adding that despite the challenges of Boko Haram in the North, kidnapping, armed robbery and other related-crime had reduced.
He commended the officers and men for providing adequate security during elections in Delta, Edo and Anambra.
He also spoke on housing programme for policemen.
He said the police would complete 2,250 housing units for officers and men by the end of December.
“We believe that the officers and men of the Police Force should have their own houses. By the end of this year, we will have completed a total of 2,250 housing units in Abuja for the officer and men of the force.’’
Abubakar said the force had secured a mandate to pull out of the general pension fund administration as it could now administer and operate its own pension funds.
The inspector general of police also said the force has secured the sum of five billion naira to operate its own mortgage bank.
“We also ensure that our officers and men are insured because of the challenging job they do. When we assumed office, 100,000 were not promoted to next levels, but as we speak, 75,000 of them have been promoted.
We are currently working toward promoting the remaining 35,000 to their new ranks,’’ he said.
He urged the officers and men to be obedient, respect the right of the people and the law.
Abubakar said the challenge of unemployment, poverty and the widening gap between the rich and the poor were some the factors contributing to the rising crime wave in the country.
“These factors make it difficult for people to see what the Nigerian Police is doing to check crimes in the country,’’ he said.

PM  News

2014 budget: Reps rebuff bribery allegations for fixing oil benchmark

The House of Representatives yesterday debunked allegations that each legislator received $100,000 to peg the benchmark of the 2014 budget at $76.5 per barrel of crude oil.

Speaking with reporters after the closed door-session, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Victor Ogene, said members did not fight over the issue at the closed door session as alleged by some people.

“Seriously speaking, you all saw us when we came out, smiling. The issues I told you clearly were between those who insisted that the benchmark remains at $79 and those, who feel that it was okay at $76.5,” he said.

He said neither did they receive any bribe from the Presidency over the benchmark.

The benchmark has been a source of contention between the Presidency and the Lower House with the latter insisting on $79 per barrel as against the Senate’s adoption of $76.5 per barrel.

The bribery allegation followed a meeting the lawmakers had with President Jonathan on the issue

Source

Ibori’s UK lawyer questioned over alleged police bribery

One of the counsels to Chief James Ibori, the jailed former governor of Delta State, has been arrested in London for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice in the money-laundering case that got the politician sent to prison.

Ian Timlin, a former litigation partner at City Law Firm Speechly Bircham, was held by Met anti-corruption detectives investigating the alleged bribery of police officers. The senior lawyer was arrested at his home in Kent on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt a police officer, perverting the course of justice and money-laundering offences concerning Ibori.

The former governor was jailed last year for embezzlement after admitting stealing almost £50m, although the true amount may have been many times greater.

The Independent of London reported that during a long-running Scotland Yard investigation into his business affairs, Mr Ibori hired the law firm, Speechly Bircham, which specialises in tax advice for non-domiciled people living in the UK. Mr Timlin, who until 2010 was a partner at Speechly Bircham, then hired RISC Management, a controversial private detective agency embroiled in the scandal that erupted after the murder of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko.

Leaked documents, according to the newspaper, suggest RISC, run by former Met Police officers, gained inside information into the ongoing investigation of Ibori and that the agency paid serving detectives £20,000 for intelligence that helped the convict’s defence lawyers. One £5,000 payment was allegedly made to a source for information relating to “forthcoming interviewing strategy to be deployed by police”.

Mr Timlin was arrested in April and it is understood police have retrieved internal documents from the law firm. Keith Hunter, the boss of RISC Management, has also been arrested as part of the investigation, which was triggered in May 2012 when newspapers revealed the Met had done nothing since a whistleblower passed police leaked documents revealing the alleged payments to officers many months before.

Like all current investigations into damaging allegations of police corruption, the long-running inquiry has inched its way tortuously forward, which prevents the media from reporting the full details. Both Mr Hunter and Mr Timlin deny the allegations and are on bail.

Mr Timlin qualified as a solicitor in 1991 and was a partner for 15 years in a number of London law firms before he left Speechly Bircham in 2010. He is now legal director of the Long Port Group, a property development company in the tax haven of Guernsey, and has been involved in the construction of a sports resort in Brazil.

Sourcee