Socio–Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to probe how N116 million was spent to buy biros, letterhead and toners in 2015.
SERAP also tasked Sylva to disclose the amount spent on the same items between 2016 and 2020, and if there is evidence of misuse of public funds to refer the matter to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for prosecution.
Office of the auditor general for the federation had, last Thursday, before the Senate Public Accounts Committee revealed that officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources spent N116 million to buy biros, letterhead and toners in one year, and alleged “contravention of the Public Procurement Act 2017 by the permanent secretary.”
In the letter dated December 12, 2020 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The 1999 Constitution (as amended), the UN Convention against Corruption and African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption require the government to ensure Nigeria’s resources are used effectively and efficiently, and in a manner consistent with the public interest.
“An effective and efficient ministry ought to keep careful track of how it spends public money, and put in place a system to eliminate corruption, mismanagement, unnecessary, inefficient, or unreasonable expenditures.
“Transparency and openness in the spending by your ministry would ensure the public trust, efficient, effective and competent delivery of public goods and services. Openness in the spending by your ministry will also strengthen the country’s democracy and promote efficiency and integrity in government.
The letter copied to Abubakar Malami, read in part: “Any allegation of misuse of public funds may constitute serious misconduct that impairs the efficiency of your ministry, and undermines public confidence in the ability of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to provide essential public goods and services to Nigerians.
“SERAP is concerned that the allegations by the office of the auditor general raises serious violation of anti-corruption legislation, the Nigerian constitution and international anti-corruption standards.”
Prominent groups and Nigerians from different walks of life, on Sunday, took a swipe at the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over Friday’s abduction of students of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.
Most of those who reacted said Buhari had failed and said they were shocked that the President had not visited the school despite the fact that he is in Katsina State on a weeklong vacation.
Those, who commented on the abduction of the students and Buhari’s inaction, included the Coalition of Northern Groups; the Middle Belt Forum; the Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin; the Pan Niger Delta Forum; and the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Also, on Sunday, several Nigerians took to the social media to lambast the President for failing to visit the school.
However, the Presidency, through the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said its focus was how to quickly resolve the issue thrown up by the abduction of the students, and not politics.
Shehu said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, who sought to know from him when Buhari was planning to visit the school.
In responding, the presidential aide said, “As I speak to you, the Minister of Defence and the nation’s service chiefs just left the place.”
When told that Nigerians were already faulting the President for sending a delegation, while he is currently in the state, Shehu said, “Our focus is about resolving the issue. Leave us out of politics.”
Buhari criticised for failing to visit school
Several Nigerians took to the social media to criticise the President for failing to visit the school and wondered why he would ask the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, to travel to Katsina State from Abuja, when he (Buhari) was currently in the same state on vacation.
One @SodiqTade tweeted, “My problem right now is Buhari sending delegates to Katsina from Abuja while he is currently in the same state. It takes minutes to get to the school but no let’s waste resources.
“Those who asked Goodluck Jonathan to travel miles from Kano down to the incident site in Borno on same day are now making ‘long distance’ excuse for Buhari. Even though the incident site is Katsina and Buhari is in the same Katsina. They said 150 minutes road journey is much for him.”
@EhiOziegbe tweeted, “Buhari should resign if he is not well. How can he be in Katsina and a delegation is going there? There is something that is not adding up with all the nonsense happening in the North.”
Similarly, one @Boufdadi tweeted, “Where is Buhari? Why isn’t he showing his face? Why can’t he go and commiserate with the parents of the abducted children? There are things we are not being told. Time will tell us these things.”
Another tweep, @maojawo, described the visit by the delegation as a waste of public resources.
“Wastage seems to be the only thing this government know how to do. Buhari in Katsina cannot pay condolence to the people, he sent people from Abuja to do it for him. The time, energy, and resources for it are wasted,” he tweeted.
“Is the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria not in Katsina State? Only God knows how much fund will go down into this visit,” @aladeniyi_ asked.
In his contribution, @DanielBalogun wondered why Buhari could not cut short his vacation to visit the school and commiserate with families of the victims.
“This does not add up. Ordinarily, the sitting President will cut short his private visit to attend to issue in his state. He should be seen with Masari to find the 333/600 students remaining. Another lesser delegation? Really? Is Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo also incapacitated?” he tweeted.
Chief Dr Godson Ezenagu, Ochendo Mgbakwu, Awka North, has told the press that a member of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, who is a leader in APGA and founder, United Anambra Youth Assembly, U-AYA duped him of 43million naira in 2018.
Dr Ezenagu is the 2019 candidate of SDP in Awka North and South federal constituency. He was formerly in APGA where he contested for the ticket of the party but was clearly duped by the founder of U-AYA.
Speaking to the press, Ochendo Awka alleged that he paid the 43 million naira through bank transfers, cheques & CASH{Naira & US Dollars} and presented to the press some documents to support his claim.
According to some documents he showed to the journalists present, about 32 million naira was paid in tranches. It was paid into a company’s account named TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE while 11million was paid in NAIRA and US DOLLARS. Investigation shows that this company was possibly registered and used to dupe unsuspecting party members from Anambra, Imo and Abia states.
From documents made available to newsmen at Awka, Chief Dr Godson Ezenagu paid the sum of 5 million naira to the TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE on September 27, 2018. This money was paid into the Zenith bank account of TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE with account number 1014672083.
On September 28, 2018 he made another payment of 8 million naira into the Zenith bank to TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE with same account number. And on same 28th September, 2018 he made a transfer payment of 9 million naira through his Diamond bank account to one Clement Obidigwe.
The last payment was on October 7, 2018 where he again transferred the sum of 10 million naira into the TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE Zenith bank with account number 1014672083.
This sums the total amount paid to Hon Chinedu Obidigwe by Chief Dr Godson Ezenagu to 43 million naira. Hon Obidigwe knowing that the deal was a scam used the accounts of his younger BROTHER, Clement Obidigwe and a fake company, TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE to dupe Hon Godson Ezenagu.
Investigation shows that Clement Obidigwe is the younger brother to Hon Chinedu Obidigwe. He is a LAW STUDENT at the ANAMBRA STATE UNIVERSITY. His personal bank account was used to scam Chief Ezeagu the sum of 9 million naira.
Further investigation shows that TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE was a fake company which Hon Obidigwe used to scam APGA aspirants in 2019 general elections. TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE was registered with CAC on April 28, 2016. A check at the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC revealed that TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE with RC No: 2411133 was registered by one ANTHONY CHIEJINA OBIEZE with address number; HOUSE 3, ZONE B APO RESSETLEMENT, Abuja.
Other individuals whose names appeared at CAC as proprietors of the TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE are Anthonia Chinyere Obieze and Chimsimdi Christabel Chimamanda of same HOUSE 3, ZONE B, APO RESSETLEMENT, Abuja.
The objective of the company as registered with CAC is for GENERAL MERCHANDISE.
It was discovered after the checks at CAC that Mr ANTHONY CHIEJINA OBIEZE hails from ONITSHA. He is Hon Chinedu Obidigwe ‘s PERSONAL ASSISTANT{PA} and equally doubles as an aide to gov Obiano. He is Special Assistant(SA) to the governor on Parks & Markets, attached to the Office of the Hon Commissioner for Transport, Anambra State.
The above were various findings on how Chinedu Obidigwe used his younger brother and a fake company called TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE to dupe Chief Dr Godson Ezenagu. The address, House 3, Zone B, Apo Resettlement which they used to register the fake company is under investigation to ascertain the true owner of the building.
From further enquires, the house is a 2 bedroom bungalow. It is doubtful if Mr Obieze or any of the proprietors of TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE lived in the said building. Our Abuja correspondent has sent enquires/made applications to the FCTDA and other agencies to ascertain the onwer and why the house address was used to register a company which is being used to scam unsuspecting Nigerians. We still await their reply.
Chief Dr Godson Ezenagu has vowed to use all legal and conventional means to recover his money. Hon Obidigwe is a serving House OF REPs Member representing ndi Anambra EAST & WEST FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY who ordinarily should understand that Chief Ezenagu will continue to demand for refund within the ambit of the law.
Both Clement OBIDIGWE and onwers of TUMMY FRND ENTERPRISE should do the needful now as the long arm of law will not spare them.
The Federal government said on Thursday that the price of data has been reduced by more than 50 percent following a directive that the Nigerian Communications commission, NCC, should put in place measures to that effect.
Accordingly, the price of data of 1GB has been reduced from 1000 naira to 487 naira beginning from last November.
The Minister of Communications and digital economy Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami who broke the news, said it was in line with the directive he gave to the regulatory agency (NCC) to put measures in place to reduce the average cost of data in the country.
“The average cost of 1GB of data has reduced from the January 2020 cost of N1,000 to N487.18 in November, 2020.
“This was based on a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) submitted to the Honourable Minister following the implementation of the directives,” Dr Pantami’s Technical Assistant, Mr Femi Adeluyi said in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
Adeluyi who is Technical Assistant, Information and Technology said: “The Honourable Minister had inaugurated a Committee that developed the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) on the 16th of December, 2019.
“The Plan was unveiled and launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the 19th of March, 2020.
“One of the goals of the Plan is to reduce the average cost of 1GB of data to a maximum of N390 by 2025.
“With the January 2020 baseline of N1,000 per GB, the maximum projected steady decrease for the end of each year was as follows: 2020 (N925), 2021 (N850), 2022 (N775), 2023 (N700), 2024 (N545) and 2025 (N390).
“In line with Dr Pantami’s commitment to under promise and over deliver, the measures have caused the current cost of data to reduce significantly beyond the December 2020 projection of N925.
“Based on the Report by NCC, the average cost of data as at November 2020 was N487.18, which amounts to 47.33% lower than the projected value.
” The Report also indicates that the cost of data in November 2020 was less than 50% of the cost of data in January 2020.
“The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, through the NCC, will continue to ensure that consumers enjoy a price regime that supports fairness and is friendly to consumers.
“Policies are in place to ensure that operators adopt competitive pricing that eschews unjustifiable margins. The general public may also wish to note that complaints about rapid data depletion are also being investigated.
“For more enquiries, the Honourable Minister has directed NCC to respond to all issues raised by our citizens and customers.
“All hands will remain on deck to achieve the goals of the Broadband Plan as the Ministry supervises its implementation in line with our National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria.”
The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, has frowned at the incendiary, unsubstantiated and provocative statement credited to the leader of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, alleging that most violent acts against the northerners are perpetrated by the Igbo.
Reacting to this dangerous gaff by a man who by learning, experience and exposure should know better, Chief Nwodo said that the unprovoked outburst by Prof Abdullahi was capable of setting the country ablaze.
The President General in a release by his Media Adviser, Chief Emeka Attamah, wondered where and when the Igbo could have killed their northern brothers when there has never been any case of mayhem and killings against the north in any Igbo-speaking state.
He challenged Prof Abdullahi to make public facts to substantiate his wild and malicious claim, unless it was intended to set up the Igbo for another round of killings in the north, adding that with the statement, the Igbo in the north are not safe.
The President General reminded Prof Abdullahi that on the contrary, the Igbo have borne the brunt and have been victims of age-long and misguided attacks and bloody orgies by their northern “brothers” at the slightest upheavals in the country, sometimes even as a result of an event outside the country, and no restitution has ever been made for such losses.
Chief Nwodo regretted that the Igbo, apart from innumerable dead ones, have lost property valued at trillions of naira during such senseless attacks in the north, yet they are the catalysts of development and the unifying cord that holds Nigeria together.
The President General told the Northern Elders Forum to exhibit greater caution and wisdom in addressing sensitive national issues like this, rather than stoke further the fire of ethnic violence by making such unguarded, unsubstantiated, garrulous and vitriolic claims capable of igniting fire and breakdown of law and order that could consume the country.
He reminded them that knowing that Nigeria is now a tinderbox, especially with the heightened frayed nerves arising from the unfortunate mismanagement of the fabric of the nation, caution should be the watchword.
Chief Nwodo further reminded Prof Abdullahi that at the twilight of his life, he should espouse salutary views that should bind and heal the wounds of the country so that he will leave behind a better and united Nigeria.
The President General called on the Federal Government to call NEF to order and make them rescind their inflammatory statement to avoid the possible mayhem and confusion it could cause in the country.
Chief Emeka Attamah
Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to President General.
TRIBUTE IN HONOUR OF THE GREAT FREEDOM FIGHTER DR ARTHUR AGWUNCHA NWANKWO FROM MOBIN AND THE CUSTOMARY GOVERNMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF BIAFRA ON HIS SEND-OFF PARTY TO ETERNAL GLORY THIS 8TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2020
Our Mentor and Political Adviser, the Patron of the Movement of Biafrans in Nigerian (MOBIN) and the Customary Government of Indigenous People of Biafra, Dr Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, Ikeogu Ndigbo, the indefatigable freedom fighter who demonstrated the power of the pen and brain in freedom fighting, it is with great joy that we have gathered here today for your send-off to Eternal Glory. You fought a good fight for humanity and deserve a good rest in the bosom of the Almighty God.
You sowed the seed of freedom fighting in Biafra by intellectual power in your first book in 1969, THE MAKING OF A NATION: BIAFRA. You worked in Biafra and excelled in the Media Department. Even after the war, you remained resolute in defending us. Your pen remained sharper than razor blade, and you could not tolerate the corrupt politicians who had become tyrants and local colonial masters over us.
In 1982, you changed the Nigerian Criminal Law of Sedition when you published the book, “How Jim Nwobodo Rules Anambra State” for which you were convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for 12 months. You rejected the judgment and appealed to the Court of Appeal. Your bravery and challenge to tyranny delivered us from the Law of Sedition made by the Colonial Masters to intimidate us and silence our opposition and freedom of speech.
You were vindicated when the Honourable Justice Olatawara, JCA, (as he then was) made the judicial pronouncement in the case now cited as Arthur Nwankwo v The State (1985) 6 NCLR 228 in the following words:
“It is my view that the law of Sedition which has derogated from the freedom of speech guaranteed under this Constitution is inconsistent with the 1979 Constitution, more so when this cannot lead to a public disorder as envisaged under Section 41(a) of the 1979 Constitution. We are no longer the illiterates or the mob society our colonial masters had in mind when the law was promulgated. The safeguard provided under Section 50(2) is inadequate more so where the truth of what is published is no defence. To retain Section 51 of the Criminal Code in its present form, that is even if not inconsistent with the freedom of expression guaranteed by our Constitution, will be a deadly weapon and to be used at will by a corrupt government or tyrant……The decision of the founding fathers of this present Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech must include freedom to criticize and should be praised and any attempt to derogate from it except as provided by the Constitution must be resisted. Those in public office should not be intolerant of criticism.”
Our Mentor in Freedom Fighting, you purchased the right to freedom of expression for us in this country. By that case, the Court of Appeal declared Sections 50 and 51 of the Criminal Code null and void. That was the end of the Law of Sedition in Nigeria. Sedition is no longer part of the Nigerian Criminal Law because of the case of Arthur Nwankwo. But alas, the agents of the devil are working surreptitiously again in the National Assembly to reintroduce the Law of Sedition with a new label described as the Law of Hate Speech.
You were fearless and resisted all tyrannical governments including the military junta with your pen and brainpower. On the annulment of the Nigerian Election on June 12, 1993, you were in the vanguard of NADECO fighting to restore democracy in the country. General Sani Abacha felt that you were a threat to his government and threw you into detention in 1998 but God killed him miraculously within four weeks and released you so that you could continue the fight for our freedom. You did not relent but continued the fight unto the end.
In 2018, you invited us to a meeting in your house and told us that Nigeria had become irredeemable and that you had mourned for Nigeria just like David wept over Saul who was rejected by God and slain for his stubbornness.
You gave us your last book titled, “NIGERIA AND HER PATH TO DOOM” where you wrote in the Prologue as follows: “I do not want to die a shameful death. I do not want future generations of Nigerians to point to my grave and say, ‘there lies the remains of a man who could not speak the truth’…I weep for Nigeria, a country richly blessed of God but whose destiny has been frittered away on the altar of expediency. I weep for Nigeria, a country with the awesome potential for the renaissance of Africa but wasted in a heap of corruption. I weep for Nigeria, a country with the capacity to drive the fourth dimension of global economic resurgimento but scuttled on the evil temple of religious bigotry and ethnic jingoism. My heart bleeds for this country. Professor Chinua Achebe must have had today’s Nigeria in mind when he chose ‘Things Fall Apart’ as the title for his epic novel. For indeed things have fallen apart in Nigeria and the centre can no longer hold. Like David wept over Saul and Jonathan, I weep over Nigeria. In typical Davidic fashion, my cry is that the beauty of Nigeria has been slain upon the evil altars in Aso Rock”.
Yes, we heard you as you referred to the evil altars in Aso Rock upon which the beauty of Nigeria was slain. Nevertheless, on Page 164 of your book, you still proffered the best solution and gave a warning in the following words: “I am not unmindful of the fact that Nigeria has become a very treacherous environment where truth is stifled and where commitment to speak the truth could easily be misconceived and mischievously interpreted as felonious. But the truth about or situation is that we cannot avoid talking about a restructured Nigeria if there must be a tomorrow for us. There is no alternative route to this. Nigeria must be restructured urgently or it will die”.
Although you have departed from the earth, your words will bear witness that you warned Nigeria but she refused to listen. We have joined you to weep over Nigeria as a failed state. The smokes of her institutionalised corruption and injustice against the Igbo Nation have reached heaven.
The inhabitants of heaven and earth, visible and invisible witnesses of the wickedness of men, have heard that Nigeria took a loan of $22.7billion for infrastructural development of the country but did not allocate a single kobo for the development of the South East. Yet, it is a national debt placed upon the head of every Nigerian citizen. It is very clear that the wickedness of Nigeria against the Igbo people and its inability or reluctance to protect our lives and properties can no longer be remedied.
For this reason, we are insisting that Nigeria must be renegotiated and restructured to guarantee autonomy and self-governance to the 6 geopolitical regions that make up the country so that every region would be free to govern itself and develop at its own pace. There is no alternative to restructuring Nigeria into Regional Governments otherwise Nigeria will surely die.
You inculcated in us the discipline and resoluteness required for Freedom Fighting by intellectual prowess and political strategies. We have resolved to continue the fight from where you stopped. We acknowledge that the journey is far and tedious but we assure you that we shall never give up. We shall fight from generation to generation until our freedom is achieved.
We are grateful to you for all the lectures, advice, books and resources you placed in our hands to continue the battle of wits and intelligence after your departure. We assure you that we shall never disappoint you.
Rest in Peace, our great Patron and Mentor, Dr Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo, the Defender of the Igbo Nation.
Signed:
Emeka Emekesiri, Esq. (Chairman)
For and on behalf of all Biafran activists under the Supreme Council of Elders of Indigenous People of Biafra who believe in the Legal Methodology of Self-determination consisting of the judicial, political and diplomatic processes
1. Appreciation and depreciation of currency is not related to race or color or who is the president be it Hausa Igbo or Yoruba. It is basically about production of goods and services and the demand of your products in the world market. A confused country that produces almost nothing will never meet up, policies only control your currency not the value of another countries currency against yours.
2. A country where over 500 industries died within 30 years must be stupid to complain of depreciation of her currency. We keep killing local industries and expect policies to make it up, it’s a joke sir. Don’t use China as an example if depreciating currencies and strong economy, China produces and may attract more export with that strategy unlike Nigeria that produces nothing.
3. A country where someone carried $2+billion simply to be shared is already a doomed one in terms of monetary policy and value. A country that produces Dizeani and Bafarawa who spent billion to appease demons. Those money without economic value is an economic poison injected into the system.
4. A country that favours importation over local production is doomed because it creates employment for another country while sacking her own citizens. Some people are working in Michelin and Dunlop somewhere, yet we use the tyre here. Don’t tell me principle of comparative advantage here, it’s not applicable.
5. A country that exports all raw materials without adding value is shameless to talk of depreciation of currency, to later re-import finished products of that materials is the peak of daftness. A bag of cocoa will go for like N1 million naira but when it is processed it will worth around N7million. Even farmers who produced raw cocoa can’t buy chocolate.
6. A country that deliberately operate banking system that gives loans to importers at the expense of local industries is doomed and should say nothing about depreciation. Most of the loans are given to senators and representatives not industrialists.
7. A country that give loans in billions to agric sector without monitoring & evaluation of such loan on how it gets to the real farmers is a sham. A guy collected over N2 billion agric loan, he bought a jeep, built a nice house and use the rest to import processed pork. Meanwhile, local pork farmers are dying here. Is that not a double tragedy, stressing forex at the same time killing local industries.
8. A country that spend more on few privileged politicians at the cost of the populace who are unemployed should not talk about money depreciation. A country that keeps paying NNPC staff N10 billion as salaries every month when a single drop of petrol was not processed shout shut up about depreciation of currency. Crime is rising as value added to the initial failure.
9. A country where it is difficult for investors to register businesses because of the governent officials demanding for bribe. Right from airport, to hotel, to minister to governors investors will bribe, all these are part of cost of investment. A friend brought investor on estate development just for the state commissioner in charge to demand 30% of the investment. To see the governor in a state will cost you N2 million as bribe before you can be scheduled. This is a state as poor as anything.
10. A country where the cost of travelling for treatment abroad by officials will build world class hospitals should not talk about naira against dollar parity. Money taken to that trip is part of stress on forex. Same as forex spend on pilgrimage, let religion fanatics keep off me here. Without going to Mecca or Jerusalem you can still make heaven. You waste forex on pilgrimage to later be talking rubbish about forex.
11. A country where few people have access to federal reserve and those few can get loans are not because of what they can produce but the connection they have, is that country not gone already?
12. A country where we import what we produce because it’s cheaper over there is gone.
13. A country that has arable land, teaming idle youths and still complain of hunger should not talk about currency depreciation. It’s annoying.
14. A country where free money flows can never control inflow and outflow of forex. Imagine someone who wants to hide his loot went to Aboki to buy dollars worth $50 million just to hide it in the basement of his house. That money has no economic value yet it deprived those companies that need it to import raw materials, those companies go to Aboki to buy at exorbitant price.
15. A country where a strong bank owners can influence shares from within Stock Exchange room to inflate their shares worth from N20 to N150, crash the same share to N30 and ready to buy it back at N28 all within a year. Forget it, currency will never appreciate in such economy.
16. A country where banks are involved in round tripping and inflated cost to siphon money is doomed. A company wants to import caterpillar worths $50,000. A bank made the forex $550,000j meanwhile no caterpillar was imported at last yet the money faded into private accounts. Who strain forex in that case?
