‘Corruption Became Official Under Buhari’- Atiku

The  media team of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organisation has averred that corruption  become official since the Buhari administration took over.

In a statement signed by Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesman, the team raised 10 questions for President Buhari.

The statement read that the People’s Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was taken aback last week when Mr. Babachir Lawal, Buhari’s former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, turned up at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, December 13, 2018, where he was received with pomp and pageantry.

“Mr. Babachir Lawal attended the launch of the Together Nigeria organized by the Buhari Support Organization (BSO).

It is a very sad day for Nigeria, when the President honours a man proven beyond all reasonable doubt to have soiled his hands with money meant for starving refugees.

These are the actions which feed the perceptions that has made Nigeria turn in its worst ever Corruption Perception Index rating by Transparency International where we went back 12 steps in 2018’s rankings, moving from 136 under President Jonathan to 148 today.

According to Transparency International, Nigeria is more corrupt today and we ask the government to answer a few questions including:

· Who reinstated and double promoted Maina?

· Who owns the Ikoyi Apartment $42 million?

· What has happened to Aisha Buhari’s ADC who looted ₦2.5 billion?

· Why was the $25 billion NNPC contracts awarded without due process investigated?

· Why haven’t those beyond Buhari’s padded budget scandals been sacked or charged to court?

· When will Babachir Lawal be charged?

· How come fuel subsidy has doubled even when petrol price has doubled?

· Why did President Buhari lift the suspension of the corrupt NHIS boss, Usman Yusuf, before public pressure forced him to suspend him? Why has he not been charged?

· In May, Transparency International warned that Buhari had increased Security Vote by 600%, yet our soldiers have no weapons and are killed by terrorists. Where is the money going?

· In February Buhari withdrew $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to ostensibly fund the war on terror, yet the Chief of Army Staff said after Metele that they have no weapons. Where did that money go?

Answers to these and other questions are urgently required from President Buhari by Nigerians and failure to answer them only proves that under Buhari, the All Progressive Congress Government is not just Corrupt, but corruption is its policy.

NBC DG, others under ICPC probe over N2.5bn fraud

The Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Dr Moddibo Kawu, and other officials of the agency are being investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged fraud involving N2.5 billion.

This was disclosed in a statement by the ICPC's spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, on Thursday, November 15, 2018.

The anti-graft agency disclosed that the fund under probe was from a N10 billion grant released to the agency by the Federal Government in 2016 for a digital switch-over programme.

The agency accused Kawu of engaging in corrupt practices through the process of awarding contracts for the handling of the programme.

The statement reads, "The Presidency in 2016, released N10 billion to the Ministry of Information and Culture for the digital switch-over programme which entails migration of telephone lines from analogue to digital platforms and a White Paper was issued directing that the process be specifically handled by government-affiliated companies.

"Based on the guidelines provided by the White Paper, two companies were nominated to handle the process, one of which was ITS, an affiliate of the Nigerian Television Authority. N1.7bn was released to it as seed grant for the commencement of the switch-over. However,  the ICPC through investigation discovered that the process was fraught with alleged corrupt practices.

"The money was paid into the Zenith Bank account of Pinnacle Communications Limited in May/June 2017 for the programme. The NBC DG during interactions with the commission could not justify why the government White Paper was flouted leading to the release of money to an unqualified company. The Managing Director of PCL, Dipo Onifade, during interrogation confirmed the release of the fund to the company but could not justify that the money was used for the purpose of digital switch-over.

"The commission through investigation discovered several suspicious transfers of a large sum of money from the account of the company into the bank accounts of several organisations and individuals. It found out that N100m was paid into the personal bank account of Onifade in Zenith Bank,  which he claimed was for legal services."

The ICPC also disclosed that another N450 million was transferred into the account of Sabdat Investment Limited, a Bureau de Change, which then converted the money into dollars and handed it over to Lucky Omoluwa, the Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited, a private company that Kawu allegedly fraudulently recommended to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.

Omoluwa had initially refused to honour the agency's invitations for questioining and filed an application before the Federal High Court, Abuja, to stop the investigation as well as unfreeze the Zenith Bank account of the company that was frozen by the ICPC.

However, the court ordered him to appear before the ICPC for interrogation before the next adjourned date of December 3 before his case would be heard.

"In compliance with the court order, Mr. Omoluwa has appeared before the Commission where he made useful statements to investigators," the statement added.

EFCC Drags Akwa Ibom Gov Emmanuel Udom, NBA President To Court Over 1.4b Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed fraud charges against the Akwa Ibom governor, Emmanuel Udom, and several members of his cabinet.

Udom was charged in a case involving the president of the Nigeria Bar Association, Paul Usoro.

The governor is however covered by constitutional immunity.

Mr Usoro pleaded not guilty in a Federal High Court Lagos to charges bordering on N1.4 billion fraud, the News Agency of Nigeria reported.

The EFCC preferred a 10-count charge against Mr Usoro, in a case before Justice Muslim Hassan.

Also named in the charge is the incumbent governor of Akwa Ibom, Mr Udom, who is described in the charge as being “currently constitutionally immune from prosecution”.

Others charged are: The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, Nsikan Nkan; Accountant-General of the state, Mfon Udomah; state Attorney-General, Uwemedimo Nwoko, and Margaret Ukpe.

The cabinet members are said to be at large.

In the charge marked FHC/418c/18, the antigraft agency alleged that Mr Usoro committed the offence on May 14, 2016.

It alleged that Mr Usoro conspired with others to criminally convert a N1.4 billion property of Akwa Ibom government.

The prosecution said that the unlawful activity include criminal breach of trust which contravenes the provisions of section 15 (2), 15(3), and 18 (A) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

On Tuesday, Rotimi Oyedepo, appeared for the EFCC, while Wole Olanipekun appeared with six other senior advocates for Mr Usoro.

Mr Oyedepo told the court that the anti graft agency had successfully served the criminal charge on the accused on Dec. 10, and sought leave of court for the plea of accused to be taken.

In response, Mr Olanipekun confirmed service of the charge on the NBA President, but hinted the court that after it had directed that the accused be served with the charge at the last adjourned date, the accused was asked to report to the commission’s office for service.

He said that there, at the commission, Mr Usoro was kept for two hours before the charge was handed to him, while he acknowledged same, adding that he was kept at the EFCC for another two hours.

He told the court that the EFCC had earlier informed the accused that he will be detained, but eventually let him go.

Mr Olanipekun then informed the court that the team of defence counsel has been informed that there is already a letter written to the chief judge of the court, seeking a transfer of the case to Uyo, Abuja or any other jurisdiction of the court, apart from Justice Hassan’s jurisdiction.

Based on parity of reasoning and citing diverse judicial and statutory authorities, Mr Olanipekun urged the court to await the decision of the chief justice rather than proceeding with arraignment.

In response, the prosecutor argued that the matter was adjourned until Tuesday for arraignment of the accused, adding that there is nothing before the court that can be construed as setting aside that purpose.

Referring to provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act Mr Oyedepo said that objections can only be raised after the plea of the accused had been taken.

However, the court admitted Mr Usoro to bail in the sum of N250 million, with one surety in like sum.

The court added that the surety must be the owner of a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, or a civil servant not lower than the rank of a Director in the Federal or State civil service.

The court ordered that the accused’s international passport also be deposited with the court’s registry which will be verified if genuine.

The court then ordered that Mr Usoro be handed over to a counsel of the inner bar, E.B Effiong (SAN), pending perfection of his bail terms.

He adjourned the case until February 5, March 5, and March 6, 2019 for trial.

-NAN