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Civil servants more corrupt than politicians – Senate panel

Published

3 years ago

June 19, 2021

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The Senate Public Accounts Committee may have put to rest the question of who is more corrupt between politicians and civil servants, by declaring that its investigations so far revealed that civil servants are the more corrupt of the two.

The Chairman of SPAC, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, stated this while speaking with journalists in Abuja.

The Senate panel, which is the only standing committee of the red chamber recognised by the Nigerian constitution, is currently scrutinising the report of the Auditor General of the Federation from 2015 to 2018.

The AuGF report was based on the audit carried out on the accounts of federal ministries, departments and agencies.

Urhoghide lamented that findings by his panel so far revealed that the worst form of corruption, which he tagged, “institutional corruption,” was taking place in the civil service.

He said, “Let me say this, we are in a clime where accusations are quick to be made, where people are quick to to condemn, particularly against the political class.

“Everybody believes that any evil that happens in Nigeria is perpetrated by the politicians or the political class but we keep telling them that all the political parties put together, in terms of membership, are not up to 10 per cent of the Nigerian population. So, we do not form the greater majority of our population as a country.

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“Findings by our committee have revealed that the public wealth stolen from the system were not stolen by politicians.

“We have uncovered billions of naira stolen from the accounts of the MDAs. How many politicians have that kind of money?

“We have been summoning accounting officers, who are civil servants, to account for the stolen funds. We are not summoning ministers. There is no way a minister could misappropriate public funds without the active connivance of the accounting officers.

“The permanent secretaries, directors general and executive secretaries of the MDAs are the accounting officers

“We have uncovered billions of monies spent without due regard to extant Act and regulations. We are not at war with anybody but Nigerians too, must know that the greatest misuse of public funds are perpetrated by people from the civil service.

“That’s the truth and no one can controvert that. It is possible that today, in the presidency, the man who symbolises the office, the President would be blamed whereas those under him were the ones perpetrating fraud.”

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He expressed confidence that, “the President, who won his election on the mantra of anti-corruption, will approve the implementation of our report when it is passed on to him by the National Assembly.”

He said SPAC had been able to establish a clear case of “institutional corruption being perpetrated by the MDAs.”

He said the erring agencies refused to either pay required taxes to government or were engaged in misappropriation of funds approved for them by the National Assembly.

He said, “Those agencies, particularly those that has to do with non-payment of taxes are usually indicted by the Office of the Auditor General when they erred.

“They ought to have collected five per cent withholding tax and 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax In terms of consultancy, they are expected to collect 10 per cent withholding tax.

“Government is expecting revenue from capital expenditure in terms of withholding taxes and value added tax.

“On any Federal Government capital expenditure now, we are expecting that a minimum of 12.5 per cent will return to government coffers. It is a way of ensuring that government gets money back when it is spending.

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“Agencies that erred were told to go and reconcile their accounts with the Federal Inland Revenue Service or pay to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.”

The SPAC Chairman said the panel had come up with a new innovation which would ensure that civil servants who committed the infraction were made to refund money stolen.

He said, “We also have cases of misuse of public funds and we directed those involved to go and pay.

“We have decided to personalise the verdict against the individual head of an agency who stole public fund when he or she was in office and the Chief accounting officer

“Any public officer who stole public funds some 10 years ago, would be contacted and made to give account, they risked being jailed if they failed to refund the money they stole while in office. There must be consequences or repercussions for certain misdeeds.

“Somebody who stole N10m about years ago would have invested it and he would be richer and financially comfortable to pay now.”

News

Police dismiss inspector for ‘N29.8m theft’, demote three officers over ‘extortion’

Published

8 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says Adabo Mohammed, an inspector, has been dismissed over alleged involvement in robbery and kidnapping in the federal capital territory (FCT).

In a statement on Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, said Mohammed and five others were members of an armed robbery gang allegedly responsible for the stealing of N29.8 million from a victim during a robbery operation in the Gwagwalada area of Abuja.

He added that the dismissed officer was also part of a gang that kidnapped one Ikechukwu Emmanuel Okafor, in the Tunga Maje area of Abuja and collected N4.4 million in ransom.

“The ex-officer has been charged to court accordingly,” Adejobi said.

Adejobi said Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), also approved the demotion of three inspectors to the rank of sergeant over alleged extortion.

He identified the demoted officers as Osagie Efford, Semiu Agbekin, and Francis Ahuen, who were attached to the special tactical squad (STS) in the FCT.

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The police spokesperson said the officers intercepted an unregistered Mercedes Benz at the Gwarinpa area of the territory and “forced the occupants to part with the total sum of N29.4m.

“While the monies have been returned to the complainants, the officers were subjected to orderly room trial in line with extant laws, and have been demoted,” he said

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FULL LIST: NJC appoints Wike’s wife, CJN’s daughter-in-law, 84 others as new judges

Published

10 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the appointment of 22 judges to the appeal court.

In a statement on Friday, Soji Oye, NJC’s director of information, announced that 86 judicial officers were recommended as judges for federal and state courts.

Oye said the recommended judicial officers will be sworn in after approvals from President Bola Tinubu and their respective state governors.

Among the judges recommended for elevation to the court of appeal is Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette, a judge at Rivers high court.

Suzzette is the wife of Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

Also, Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), was among those recommended as judges of the FCT high court.

FULL LIST

JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL

1. Hon. Justice Kwahar Polycarp Terna

2. Hon. Justice Ruqayat Oremei Ayoola

3. Hon. Justice Eleojo Eneche

4. Hon. Justice Asma’u Akanbi-Yusuf

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5. Hon. Justice Abdullahi Muhammad Liman

6. Hon. Justice Abdu Dogo

7. Hon. Justice Fadawu Umaru

8. Hon. Justice Ishaq Mohammed Sani

9. Hon. Justice Zainab Bage Abubakar

10. Hon. Justice Abdulazeez M. Anka

11. Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba

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12. Hon. Justice Nwoye Victoria Tochukwu

13. Hon. Justice Nwabunkeonye Onwosi

14. Hon. Justice Okorowo Donatus Uwaezuoke

15. Hon. Justice Ngozika Uwazurunonye Okaisabor

16. Hon. Justice Ntong Festus Ntong

17. Hon. Justice Nehizena Idemudia Afolabi

18. Hon. Justice Nyesom-Wike Eberechi Suzzette

19. Hon. Justice Lateef Babajide Lawal-Akapo

20. Hon. Justice Akinyemi Abiodun Azeem

21. Hon. Justice Oyewumi Oyejoju Oyebiola

22. Hon. Justice Olukayode Adegbola Adeniyi

JUDGES OF HIGH COURT, FCT ABUJA

1. Ademuyiwa Olakunle Oyeyipo

2. Bamodu Odunayo Olutomi

3. Anumaenwe Godwin Iheabunike

4. Odo Celestine Obinna

5. Hauwa Lawal Gummi

6. Abdurahman Usman

7. Buetnaan Mandy Bassi

8. Sarah Benjamin Inesu Avoh

9. Maryan Iye Yusuf

10. Ariwoola Oluwakemi Victoria

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11. Lesley Nkesi Belema Wike

12. Munirat Ibrahim Tanko

JUDGES OF IMO STATE HIGH COURT

1. Akowundu Cletus Ndubuisi

2. Uchenna Mary Njoku

3. Chibuogwu Ojiugo Chukwumaeze

4. Ononogbo Chidi Linus

5. Adaego Peace Nosiri

6. Emeka Ozoma Orafu

7. Mathew Chinedu Ijezie

JUDGES OF BAUCH STATE HIGH COURT

1. Amin Umar Ilelah

2. Aliyu Bin Idris

3. Ahmed Shuaibu Ningi

4. Shafa’u Ladan Yusuf

5. Abdussalam Idris Waziri

6. Kawu A. Yerima

JUDGES OF TARABA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Hamidu Audu

2. Bibonga Jeniffer Nauma

3. Joel Daniel Ubandoma

JUDGES OF LAGOS STATE HIGH COURT

1. Sunmonu Tunde Bashiru

2. Azeez Fimisola Augusta

3. Alebiosu Olawale Lawal

4. Adewale Russel Musiliu

5. Popoola Oluwatosin Ajose

6. Anjorin-Ajose Tanimola Abdulwaheed

7. Muyideen Abdul-Raheem Tejumade

8. George Alfred Akingbola

9. Balogun Adegboyega Ganiu

10. Shonubi Adenike Kudirat

11. Badejo-Okusanya Yewande Jokotola

12. Layinka Oyeladun Amope

13. Ojuromi Nalirat Olayinka Oluwatosin

JUDGES OF KOGI STATE HIGH COURT

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1. Ajesola Joseph Sunday

2. Ojoma Rachael Haruna

3. Kadiri Badama

4. Ezema Beatrice Ada

JUDGES OF JIGAWA STATE HIGH COURT

1. Mohammad El-Usman

2. Nilfa Abdullahi Gambo

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, BAUCHI STATE

1. Ishaku Magaji

2. Abdurrahman Hassan Sabo

3. Bello Mohammed Sambowal

4. Muhyiddeen Mohammed

5. Mahmoud Idris Shehu Tiyin

KADIS OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Muhammad Muhammad Bello

2. Okino Isah Saidu

3. Yakubu Adavenge Abbas

4. Shaibu Ridwan Aliyu

5. Idris Alhaji Abdullahi

KADI OF SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, JIGAWA STATE

1. Mukhtar Shuaibu Adam

JUDGES OF IMO STATE CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL

1. Everyman Ezenna Eleanya

2. Ofoha Sylvesta Uchenna

3. Ibeh Rosemond Oluchi

JUDGES OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, TARABA STATE

1. Esther Tata

2. Benjamin Samuila Bawage

JUDGE OF CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, KOGI STATE

1. Maryann Oziohu Otaru

News

AfDB to support Nigeria’s power sector reforms with $1bn loan

Published

15 hours ago

May 17, 2024

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) says it plans to support Nigeria’s power sector with a $1 billion policy-based operation (PBO) fund to boost electricity.

Policy-based lending provides countries with flexible, liquid funding to support policy reforms in a particular sector.

Kevin Kariuki, AfDB vice-president, power, energy, climate change and green growth complex, revealed the plans on May 16 at the Eight Africa Energy MarketPlace (AEMP) Forum in Abuja.

The theme of the forum is titled ‘Towards Nigeria’s Sustainable Energy Future: Policy, Regulation, and Investment – A Policy Dialogue for the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan (NIEP-SIP)’.

“We will be shortly seeking board approval for a $1 billion policy-based operation (PBO) with a significant energy component,” he said.

“This is aimed at supporting the ongoing power sector reforms triggered by the new Electricity Act.

“The timing of the AEMP and the proposed policy-based lending focused on the energy sector is, therefore, not coincidental.”

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Kariuki said AfDB will fund the policy recommendations to actualise the expected outcomes from the NIEP-SIP.

He said effective policies attract long-term investments and that an enabling environment maximises the value of existing investments, such as the $256.2 million Nigeria transmission expansion project (NTEP).

According to Kariuki, the project will include the construction of 500 kilometres (KM) of transmission lines and four substations with a capacity of over 1000 megavolt-amperes (MVA).

“And the $200 million Nigeria electrification project, which will build 150 mini-grids,” he said.

“Moreover, we are financing a study for the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to explore the deployment of battery energy storage systems to enhance grid stability and facilitate greater uptake of renewable energy generation.

“Nigeria is part of our flagship $20 billion Desert to Power Initiative, which aims to generate 10,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power across 11 countries in the Sahel region to provide power to 250 million Africans.”

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According to Kariuki, this bodes well for increasing the proportion of renewable energy in Nigeria’s energy mix.

He said the multifaceted approach of supporting policy development, financing critical power sector infrastructure, and providing technical assistance and capacity building would be successful.

Kariuki expressed confidence that AfDB’s partnership with the federal government would create a viable and sustainable power sector that yields the desired result.