The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) through its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, has called on the Code of Conduct Bureau and the ICPC to liaise with the EFCC and look into the money the Imo state government spent on erecting statues in the state.
The organisation alleges corrupt practices claiming the cost of the project is upwards of 1billion naira. The organization said “Such investigation would help to improve public confidence in public authorities, and minimize the risks of bad government by public officials.”
SERAP expressed “serious concern that Governor Okorocha may have spent over N1 billion of public funds to build statues of South African President Jacob Zuma and Liberian President Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.”
According to the organization, “the spending on statues and apparent misuse of public resources may have violated constitutional provisions and international standards on code of conduct for public officers.
The initiatives cannot be justified under any circumstances whatsoever, especially at a time when Imo state is unable or unwilling to pay teachers’ salaries and pensioners’ entitlements.”
The petition copied to Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reads in part: “Inviting Zuma and Johnson-Sirleaf to attend the opening of his Foundation and then ‘honouring’ them with statues suggests abuse of office and apparent conflict of interest situation, as such acts were undertaken by Governor Okorocha in the exercise of his public functions to presumably promote and advance the commercial and other interests of the Foundation.”
“SERAP believes that rather than serving the common interest of the public, spending over N1 billion possibly of public funds on Zuma and Johnson-Sirleaf in the context of their participation in the opening of the Rochas Okorocha Foundation would seem to put Governor Okorocha in a conflict of interest situation.”
“SERAP notes that the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party prohibit conflict of interests and set ethical standards for public officers. Indeed, both the Constitution and the Convention require public officers to abstain from all acts that may compromise the exercise of their public office and functions, or are inconsistent with their entrusted positions.”
READ: Labour blasts Okorocha, rejects Zuma’s statue in Owerri, demands destruction“Public officers also must discharge their public duties truthfully and faithfully, abide by the constitutional code of conduct, observe the primacy of public interest, and not allow their personal interest to influence their official conduct.”
“The CCB and ICPC should carry out joint investigation in collaboration with the EFCC of the allegations of conflict of interest, abuse of office and apparent misuse of public funds by Governor Okorocha. SERAP also urges the CCB and ICPC to prosecute Governor Okorocha after leaving office if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence of abuse of public office against him.”
“Conflict of interest represents a situation where the person exercising a public function has a personal interest of patrimonial or commercial nature, which could influence the objective fulfilment of the duties incumbent on public officers under the Constitution and international standards.”
“Conflict of interest arises from a situation in which a public official has a private interest which is such as to influence or appear to influence the impartial and objective nature of his or her official duties in order to promote private interests, which would be contrary to the public interest.”
READ: The dreaded Igwebuike Forest in Imo where people are murdered and buriedThe post Rochas Okorocha statues cost over 1billion, SERAP alleges, calls for probe appeared first on Within Nigeria.
There was confusion in Chibok community, Borno State, on Sunday after a staff sergeant in the Nigerian Army, Silas Ninyo, shot dead a captain, four civilians and himself during an altercation.
Our correspondent learnt that Ninyo killed the captain, identified only as Mani, and the four others when he (Ninyo) was allegedly ordered by Mani to stop beating some civilians at a checkpoint.
According to an online medium, Sahara Reporters, which got the army’s situation report on the incident, the captain was providing security for worshippers during a church service when he received a distress call that Ninyo (93NA/36/2608) was beating up some civilians for some unknown reasons.
Our correspondent gathered that Mani (NA/14430) scolded the sergeant, freed the civilians and attempted to disarm Ninyo.
The later was said to have shot the captain dead before killing the four civilians.
He then shot himself in the head.
The corpses of the soldiers were reportedly taken to a military hospital in Yola, Adamawa State.
A reliable source in Chibok on Sunday confirmed the incident to our correspondent, noting that the army was investigating it.
READ: Gunmen abducts fiancée, others on engagement day in OndoThe source said, “I can confirm that the shooting took place. I know Silas (Ninyo) and Mani very well. They were very close in that formation. I don’t know what would have caused the altercation. I am still trying to speak to their boss, a Major, to ascertain what really went wrong. The army is investigating the incident.”
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, could not be reached for comment on the incident as of press time.
He also had yet to reply to a text message sent to his phone as of press time.
Meanwhile, two army lieutenants, identified simply as I.M. Akanni and S.E. Ayo, were killed in a road accident on Gwagwalada-Zuba Road in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Our correspondent learnt that the accident occurred on Saturday at about 10.30pm and the corpses of the officers had been deposited in the morgue of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada.
It was gathered that Akanni (N/15752) and Ayo (N/16164), were attached to the 176 Guards Battalion, Keffi, Nasarawa State, and a memo of the incident was done to the Nigerian Army Guards Brigade headquarters, Abuja.
READ: Man caught fleeing with 5 children kidnapped from a Church CrusadeThe post Soldier kills captain who stopped him from beating innocent civilians, shot four others dead, commits suicide appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as the boss of bosses in the Nigerian political space.
Jonathan said any “politician who ignores Obasanjo does so at its own peril,” advising ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to find a way of courting his former boss, if he (Atiku) must realise his presidential ambition.
He maintained that it would be impossible for Atiku to realise his presidential ambition on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
According to Jonathan, Atiku’s chances of becoming President in 2019 would be bright if he contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He, however, stressed that Atiku must do everything to get Obasanjo’s endorsement, who, he said, had the magic wand and remained respected home and abroad.
Jonathan was quoted as saying this in an interview he recently granted the Ovation Magazine, published by Dele Momodu.
“He (Atiku) can’t get the APC ticket. If Atiku gets our party (PDP) ticket, he would compete well,” Jonathan reportedly said.
“He’s always a passionate politician. But he would have to reach out to our boss, Baba OBJ, the boss of all bosses.
“We’ve all learnt at different times that you ignore OBJ at your own peril. OBJ has the magic wand, respected at home and abroad,” Jonathan said.
READ: I Accept Forgiveness By Obasanjo—AtikuAtiku, who served as Vice-President during Obasanjo’s eight years administration, fell out with his former boss towards the end of the administration.
The rift was believed to have stemmed from Atiku’s antagonism to Obasanjo’s alleged third-term bid.
Atiku had recently said given the chance to lead the country, he would fight corruption even better than President Muhammadu Buhari, who enjoys public opinion as a man of integrity and hater of corruption.
Atiku lashed out at those he said were regurgitating corruption allegations against him, without bringing any proof forward.
He said, “It is sickening to continue to regurgitate allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office.
“Despite previous desperate efforts to link me with corruption, the William Jefferson trial in the United States ended in 2009 without indicting me or linking me to corrupt activities,” Atiku added.
READ: ‘Restructure your senses before restructuring Nigeria’ — Obasanjo tells PoliticiansThe post 2019 Presidency: Ignore Obasanjo and fail — Jonathan to Atiku appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Buoyed by rising confidence that he breached no laws in the reinstatement of wanted ex-Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has rejected the idea of a secret probe by the Senate,Vanguard reports.
Malami, who is being accused by the Head of Service and the Federal Civil Service Commission of having initiated series of memoranda to effect the recall of the wanted former pension task force chairman, is billed to appear before the Senate tomorrow to explain his role on the controversial reinstatement, which has angered Presidential Muhammadu Buhari.
Malami told newsmen, last night, that he was keen on being tried openly by the Senate, having been ‘tried and condemned in the public’ over the Maina case. Malami said: “I want to address Nigerians directly on the Maina issue when I appear before the Senate.
But I understand the committee to probe the allegations against me and the Minister of Interior wants to do so in camera. “Trying me in secret after I have been vilified openly by the people is not good enough.
I will certainly appear before the committee at eleven o’clock (11.am) on Tuesday (tomorrow) to speak on the matter but if they bring up the issue of trying me in camera, I would recuse myself from the matter and seek alternative way to explain my position publicly to Nigerians.”
In leaked memoranda to the media, the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission claimed they acted on the request of the AGF, Malami, to reinstate Maina into the service.
READ: EFCC knows Maina’s whereabouts but he’s untouchable, under protection — Ex DSS directorThe post Maina: I want open trial or nothing — Malami appeared first on Within Nigeria.
A middle-aged man identified as Efe Seki, committed suicide in Uruete quarters in Otor-Iyede in Delta state, after his girlfriend called off their relationship.
Facebook user, Fejiro Soweto, who shared the sad news online wrote
‘Could this be love…..? He committed suicide becuss his girl friend said, I dnt wnt again………. this is a reality. Happened in my country home. Guide your thought n decision’.
The post Middle-aged Man commits suicide in Delta state after his girlfriend dumped him appeared first on Within Nigeria.
A set of 20 female cadets, nicknamed Jonathan Queens, were first admitted into the course in Nigeria’s premier military officer training institution during the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2011.
It was learnt that the recommendation to end the programme was made by the Armed Forces Council which was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.
Buhari had also last week ratified the National Defence Policy 2017 (Revised); Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service Officers 2017.
Recommendation 19 of the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of the Armed Forces of Nigeria was sighted by one of our correspondents on Sunday.
It read, “Phase out the training of female regular combatant cadets.”
A serving general in the Nigerian Army told our correspondent that the military took the decision due to complaints from some unnamed northern Muslim leaders.
The general, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, explained that there were various types of commissions in the Armed Forces namely: Regular Combatant Commission, Short Service Combatant Commission, Direct Regular Commission, Direct Short Service and Executive Commission.
He said, “It is only the Regular Combatant Commission that can give an officer the opportunity to aspire to head any of the services or rise to become the Chief of Defence Staff, while the others have limited career path. If the military is able to scrap this programme, women will never be able to head any of the arms of the Nigerian military.
“The northern Muslim leaders want to prevent a situation where one day, a woman will lead the army and give orders to men.”
READ: Cooking Gas cylinder explodes in Benue Nursing School, burnt 100 level student head-to-toeIncidentally, it was reported in 2013 that of the first 20 female cadets, only one Muslim, Fatimah Saleh, enlisted. She had also stated that her “Arabic school teacher” had advised her against joining the army.
The general said those pushing for the scrapping of the programme had convince the President that women were not doing well in the programme.
He said, “When we started the training of female cadets in 2011, we never thought it would be successful. When the first set of women cadets graduated from the academy last year, women won three awards, including the best award in the navy category.
“A female cadet, C. Lord-Mallam, won the Navy Gold award which is the highest in the navy category. The Army Silver award, which is the second highest in the army, went to a female cadet, K. O Dayo-Karim. The Air Force Silver award was also won by a female cadet, O. S Ijelu.
“However, some northern conservatives were not happy about it because most of the female cadets are either Christians from the South and northern minority groups or Muslims from the South and Middle Belt.
“Dissatisfied with how things are turning out, the northern Muslim leaders lobbied the military authorities to stop the programme for women.”
The general described the recommendation as an attempt to reverse the gains of the past, adding that it was a setback in the push for gender equality.
He revealed that many of the female cadets were outperforming their male colleagues, adding that their achievements were being suppressed by the military hierarchy.
The general said, “I was informed that the women were trained just like the men were trained. They were not given any preferential treatment. Two of these female cadets beat their male counterparts to win placement at the United States Military Academy in West Point and they are doing well.
“It is unfortunate that while the western world and even other African nations are progressing, Nigeria is going backwards.”
In 2010, the then President, Goodluck Jonathan, had ordered the military to allow females interested in becoming combatant officers of the Nigerian armed forces to be admitted into the NDA for the first time ever.
The then Minister of Defence, Adetokunbo Kayode, had said other countries in Africa were “already doing it and they are not better than us.”
He had said, “Presently, we have female armoured tank drivers, female Para-troopers, jumpers, and so on. We want to have strong, virile armed forces devoid of discrimination.”
Expatiating on the new directive, the minister had said, “As you are all aware, the Nigerian Armed forces have always had opening for female officers. However, these have always been limited to non- combat duties, thereby limiting their career path irrespective of their competence or skill.
“To redress this obvious anomaly and in line with theconviction of the President that every Nigerian, irrespective of gender or any affiliation, should be given equal opportunity to excel in his or her chosen field of life, Mr. President has directed the immediate enlistment and training of female regular combatant commission officers into the Nigerian armed forces.”
However, the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, failed to comment on the revised harmonised terms and conditions on Sunday.
The Director of Information, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, did not pick his calls, and a text message sent to his line had yet to be replied to as of press time.
Also, the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
However, a military source said the revised harmonised structure, if it saw the light of the day at all, would not affect the NDA admission for 2018.
“The NDA has already begun receiving applications for the 70th regular course since October 20, 2017. The application, which will run till February 2018, is open to both male and female Nigerians.
“So, there is no going back on what the NDA has started. It will be a public disaffection if the military reneges on what it has advertised and we are a professional arm and cannot do that.’’
READ: I’m free to have romantic affair with any policewoman — Police IG, Ibrahim IdrisThe post Nigerian Military stops admission of combatant female cadets appeared first on Within Nigeria.
Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN)
The group said if care was not taken to curb the situation, IMN might snowball into another disaster in the country.
COCSOTGG was reacting to the recent clash between police and some members of the Islamic movement who had gone to the unity fountain to protest the detention of their leader, El Zakzaky over acts of terrorism.
The national president of COCSOTGG, Patriot Sabo Ode said Nigerians shall no longer accept the complacence of the AGF on the continuous existence of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria.
According to him, it is a direct threat and danger to the peace-loving and law abiding citizens.
He said, “We deserve to live and survive in our country, free of molestations or phobia of violence in whatever guise.”
Ode said if the AGF fails to initiate the necessary action now, the IMN sect, which by the estimation of all right thinking members of the society, is worse than Boko Haram terrorists will re-enact the regime of bomb attacks in Abuja or elsewhere in Nigeria.
His statement reads, “We are neither the least nor the most concerned about the security of our dear nation, Nigeria. But when we see national security drifting dangerously and fired with impunity by some violent sects, the dire consequences stare us in the face and, we are thus, prompted to voice out, as time has dictated at the moment.
“We fanatically believe, it is our collective responsibility as people of a united federation called Nigeria to work towards those things that perch peace in our hearts and minds, neighborhood or anywhere in the country, than violence. So, our unadulterated convictions points to the natural understanding that violence solves no problem; but peace and dialogue are universal antidotes and, indisputably, the keys which prosper nations around the world. We reiterate that the extent or magnitude of bravado does not post any useful results to any of the parties in a rivalry.
“Therefore, COCSOTGG was prompted into speaking to the Nigerian public again, because Nigerians appear to be very complacent with what we consider to be a thorough misbehavior, affront and assault on our dear nation, with the siege on Abuja in numbers, exceeding 10, 000 by Shiites members (IMN). Their leader, Shiek Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has taught them everything, except the rule of law or subordination to lawfully constituted authority and government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN).
“We are not interested in scratching the bruises of old wounds and the damage to Nigeria, wrought on us by the IMN sect in the last 40 years, operating illegally and unregistered in Northern Nigeria. Even their fellow Muslims oppose them vehemently, faulting their style of public worship in lengthy processions, with assorted weapons, as strange, alien and unacceptable.
“We have observed that members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, who though claim some religious activity, but are unfortunately, always combat-ready and striking any ideologically unaligned persons with awesome unprovoked violence and murder. And also, both leaders and adherents boldly profess allegiance to the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and affiliation with ISIS, as their mentors and sponsors of this bizarre version of Islamism in Nigeria. Iran is the most notorious terrorists’ nation in the world, which has “proudly” defied even the United Nations on promotion of terrorism.
“Emboldened by this background, IMN sect members breach laws of the Nigerian federation with impunity and dares everybody, with a confounding recklessness or ruthlessness. From their Spiritual Head Sheik, El-Zakzaky to incensed aficionados, they all hunger to test their intolerable tempestuousness on the Nigerian public anytime, anywhere, so courageously.
“We are not just worried, but concerned that members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria have consistently and persistently shown disregard to the laws of our country. What is of utmost concern to them is how to clandestinely impose another version of terrorism, garbed in the fake coats of Islam on the rest of us.
“May we remind Nigerians that Boko Haram terrorism started, to paraphrase, President Muhammadu Buhari on his inaugural day speech to Nigerians, as “small fires, now causing large fires.” None of us is oblivious of the pains and sorrows inflicted on us by Boko Haram terrorists, because we allowed it blossomed, unchecked in celebration of some faulty and indiscernible liberties of democracy.
“Displaying their familiar tradition in the week, just ended, IMN sect members again assailed Abuja in incredible thousands. Some media reports pegged the number as much as 10,000 sect members. Now, it’s rare to even have a presidential political rally in Abuja, boasting of this astounding crowd organized by IMN terrorists . How did anybody mobilize terrorists in such astonishing numbers into Abuja for a protest? Something must be amiss somewhere and some people delight in it.
“It is the same siege they laid on Zaria City in Kaduna state. It is the same unlawful siege on Kano, Yobe or other states in the North. No one noticed the potential danger at the budding stage. And the Shiites sect expanded to what it is now, extending to Abuja, after Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai outlawed the sect at the state level.
“In Abuja on their so-called “peaceful” protests, the IMN sect members did not only hurl insults and held the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ransom and in contempt, but stoned the Police, the only civil security agency mandated by law to supervise their lawful protests. Police were compelled to necessarily use teargas canisters’ to disperse the unruly Shiites rented mob.”
“The Coalition will be left with no option but to mobilize Nigerians against the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and to pass a vote of no confidence on him until he resigns from the office which he holds in trust for the rest of us. Enough is enough of the IMN threats which is already a negative signal within the FCT in view of their recklessness and violence posture to inflict pains on anyone without looking back.”
The post Designate IMN a terrorist group before it’s too late, Coalition cautions FG, AGF appeared first on Within Nigeria.
