Rwanda’s amended constitution allowing President Paul Kagame to potentially rule until 2034 has come into force

(Today) -Rwanda’s amended constitution allowing President Paul Kagame to potentially rule until 2034 has come into force, the justice minister said Friday.

The amendments allow Kagame, 58, to run for an exceptional third seven-year term in 2017, at the end of which the new rules take effect and he will be eligible to run for a further two five-year terms.
“The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, 2015 revised edition, is in force,” Minister of Justice Busingye Johnstone said in a brief statement on Christmas Day.

The United States and European Union have denounced the constitutional amendments as undermining democracy in the central African country, with the White House urging Kagame to respect the limits of his term in office.
The “yes” vote in favour of the constitutional change garnered 98.4 percent, leaving just 1.6 percent of voters opposed.

Kagame has effectively controlled Rwanda since his rebel force ended the country’s 1994 genocide. He took part in the first post-genocide government as vice president and defence minister.
The issue of long-serving rulers clinging to power has caused turmoil in Africa, where some leaders have been at the helm for decades.

Doyin Okupe Blasts Critics Of Femi Adesina’s ‘Wailing Wailers’ Christmas Message

(Sahara Reporters) - A former presidential spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, has lashed out at those criticising Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Nigerian President, over his Christmas Day message on Twitter.
  Mr. Adesina had tweeted Friday morning, “Merry Christmas to all, including the Wailing Wailers,” a message that sparked fury and negative reactions among many of his followers.

The criticism that followed was so intense that Mr. Adesina trended on Twitter for most of the day.

But Mr. Okupe, who was initially thought to be deeply critical of Mr. Adesina and the present administration, rose in fierce defence of the presidential adviser.

Nigerian Government To Reduce Price Of Petrol To N85 Per Litre From Jan 1, 2016

(PRNigeria) - Government would on January 1 next year reduce the pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N85 per litre.

The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu broke the news to journalists in the Port Hacourt Refinery Company (PHRC), where he spent Christmas inspecting the plant.

I have no apology for kneeling to worship God – Ooni

(Punch) - The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said he owed nobody any apology for kneeling to worship the almighty God during the thanksgiving service held in his honour at the Paul’s Anglican Church, Ife, after his coronation.



The Ooni, said this in statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Thursday by the Director of  Communication and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Ile Ife, Mr.  Moses Olafare.

The monarch spoke in reaction to criticisims against him by an online medium Newspunch (Not The Punch) that he knelt down to worship God during the church service.

Ogunwusi said it was wrong to equate any king  no matter his status with the almighty God  who created the heavens and the earth, saying the comment was an attempt to embarrass the throne.

Ogunwusi  said since the almighty God is not Ooni or any king’s mate he would not stop to worship and revere him because it was God who enthroned him.

The statement read, ” It is an unacceptable sacrilege to equate Ooni’risa or other king to the almighty God. God Is the creator of mankind and it is God that made it possible for the enthronment of any king.

“The attention of Ile Oodua  has been drawn to a publication released Wednesday 16th 2015 by an online medium known as NEWSPUNCH in which His Imperial Majesty, Ooni’risa & Arole Oodua Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi(OjajaII) was crtisised for bowing to God.

“God remains the highest, the king of kings  who has kept all kings  alive and has made it possible for me to be crowned as the  king  of the source of Yoruba civilisation.

“I have no  regrets whatsoever for kneeling down to exalt the almighty God who did not only create me,  but also kept me alive, saw me through all the storms in my,  life-journey and eventually crowned me as the custodian  of Oodua race.

“This act of equating me to God of gods of king of kings  and the sole owner of the universe is a wicked sacrilege planned to embarrass the throne. My emergence as Oba has been made possible only by the almighty Olodumare to whom I remain eternally grateful.”

Yazidi held as ISIS sex slave for 3 months begs UN to 'get rid' them

Yazidi held as ISIS sex slave for 3 months begs UN to 'get rid' them http://dailym.ai/1NtVger

Nigerian Jailed 330 Years In The US For Defiling Daughter

(Punch) - This holiday season, Emmanuel Ngene is spending his sixth year inside a South Eastern United States penitentiary. At 56, he has 225 years, five months and ten days left to serve for first degree r*pe of his daughter, a crime he continues to deny, supported by members of his network of friends and family. Few years after he was incarcerated, Emma Ngene had partial stroke from the stress of the trial and subsequent imprisonment.

Emmanue Ngene, like most aspiring young Nigerians whose lives were mortgaged to a battered inflation-driven economy of early 80s, sought survival overseas. He chose the United States as his destination for better life. He relocated in 1981. He would discover that life in God’s own country was just an imaginary tale. On arrival, Emmanuel desired education. But he had no money. Survival in a strange place, alone, was then important to him. He engaged in menial jobs to support his dreams of a better life here.

Years after he adapted to the lifestyle and surviving the culture shock of a different environment, Emmanuel returned to his hometown in Eastern Nigeria in search of a wife. He found love in Mary, a home girl. They married months after. Emmanuel became a regular visitor to his homeland from America; frequenting his village to be with his new wife and family. He returned every holiday, especially Christmas, to celebrate with his wife and other members of the family. Their first child, a baby girl, was born on November 9, 1998 in Nigeria. The couple would have two additional children after the birth of their daughter.

In June 2007, Emmanuel’s wife and children came to the United States to live in a two-bedroomed apartment with their father. Family and friends said that marital problems manifested when the wife was shocked at the strange standard of living in America as compared to what she was used to in Nigeria. She was also alleged to be disappointed that her husband was a Taxicab driver, an unsteady source of financial income. Emmanuel was gone all day, driving a taxi from morning and returned home at night with not enough income to support the family. Soon, the parents began arguing about money. Mary allegedly complained regularly of being bored at home, caring for the children. Emmanuel, frustrated by her daily musings about life in the United States and insufficient income, encouraged his wife to get certification for CNA: Certified Nurses Aid: she did, passed and got employed at one of the nursing homes as a care giver: providing ageing American population with daily assisted living and care. His wife’s new job, allegedly introduced her to a new social environment. She immediately began to explore her new found friends and friendship within her work place. Emmanuel suspected a change in his wife’s attitudes: she was no longer the charming obedient wife he had in Nigeria. She would refuse his s*xual desires and appeals. The marriage became tumultuous.

They were drifting apart as husband and wife: Emmanuel complained to his friends that his wife was always gone and seemed no longer interested in the marriage. It also affected his taxi cab business. He often returned home midday to make sure the children were fed and cared for. Most times, he alleged the wife was gone. When he asked her where she had been, she yelled at him: ‘mind your business. I am a grown woman and I can do whatever I want to do.’ Emma was raging inside. He thought he had a decent beautiful wife that loved the family and the children. He thought it was until death do them part! A wife he married and suffered to bring to America. Their children were drifting apart too.

The circumstances that led Emmanuel Ngene into a lifetime jail are too complex. The stories are bizarre from both sides. Ngene’s family sources, almost seven years after he was found guilty, still believed he was railroaded by his wife and the judiciary. Their stories remain consistent, each alleging that Ngene’s wife, Mary, may have coerced her daughter to lie that her father defiled and assaulted her. Part of the family version said that during one of Ngene’s lunch visits home to check on the children, he allegedly found his then young daughter in an explicit compromising position with a neighborhood boy, in the family’s living room!. He became agitated, asked the boy to leave immediately. Soon after the boy left, he grabbed his daughter and spanked her intensely. Mother allegedly walked in as dad was spanking their daughter. She jumped on him and began to scratch and scream. Their daughter, disengaged from the whip, cried profusely from the burns of the belt whipping. She had lacerations on her b*tt. Their mother, while restraining Emmanuel, instructed their daughter to dial 911. Few minutes later, police came to their door, handcuffed Emmanuel and took him down town. The police officer, noticing the lacerations on the girl’s body, requested for the ambulance to take the young girl and her mother to hospital for medical observations and interrogation. Emmanuel was hauled to jail!

However, in a court document filed, the court posited, “One day in August 2007, defendant asked Cindy(to protect the minor child, the court identified her as Cindy, not her real name) to help him check his email on the computer in his bedroom. After they had finished with the email, defendant told Cindy to stay in the room while he went into the bathroom. He came out wearing only his underwear and a T-shirt. He asked her if she knew what s*x was and then pulled down her pants while she was lying on the bed. He pulled off his underwear, got on top of her, and had vaginal intercourse with her. On 31 August 2008, Cindy’s mother took Cindy to the emergency room at Wake Med where they met with a nurse, Kimberly Lewis, and a doctor, Dr. Chris Johnson. Ms. Lewis did a head-to-toe assessment of Cindy and observed bruises on her arms. Cindy told her the bruises came from a broomstick. Cindy also informed Ms. Lewis that she had been sexually assaulted many times.

“Dr. Johnson took a basic history and examined Cindy to determine if she needed immediate treatment. Cindy told him that defendant had been having vaginal and an*l intercourse with her over the past year. Because she had not been assaulted within the past 72 hours, Dr. Johnson did not perform a r*pe kit. Dr. Johnson’s examination of Cindy was limited to her external Instruments and looking for signs of trauma, of which he saw none. He diagnosed Cindy with alleged s*xual abuse. He noticed that Cindy appeared somewhat shy and that her mother was “appropriately concerned and worried.”

The hospital notified Wake County Human Services (“WCHS”) and the Raleigh Police Department (“RPD”) of the allegations. Katie Treadway of WCHS and Officer Harvey of RPD arrived at the hospital to interview Cindy. After describing the s*xual conduct, Cindy also informed them that one time she bled after defendant had s*x with her. She also stated that sometimes defendant “peed on her,” and she had to go in the bathroom to clean herself up. Ms. Treadway felt Cindy was very detailed in her description of the events.

Over the course of Cindy’s fourth grade school year, defendant engaged in vaginal intercourse with Cindy approximately 10 times. Approximately three of these times, defendant had her turn over on her stomach so he could also penetrate her anus. In August 2008, Cindy finally disclosed to her mother what defendant was doing.

At the hospital, the doctors during examination found that she had been penetrated. The police officer asked her who may have penetrated her; she looked at her mother, seeking protection. Her mother instructed her to answer that it was her father! She reluctantly told the officer that her father had penetrated her! The officer asked if she was sure, she bowed and fearfully said yes sir!”

However, Emmanuel Ngene denied the r*pe charges and penetration of his daughter. He contended that her daughter was sexually molested and penetrated by a boy at her school in Nigeria, the head mistress of the daughter’s school called him when the incident happened and he travelled home to remove his daughter from the school because of the molestation.

The court wrote thus:

“Defendant first contends that the trial court erred in not allowing him to testify regarding his claim that Cindy had been sexually assaulted in 2006 by someone else while in Nigeria. He argues that this evidence was admissible under N.C.R. Evid. 412(b) because it provided an alternative explanation for the paediatrician’s physical findings. Although Rule 412 generally excludes evidence of a complainant’s prior s*xual behaviour as irrelevant, it provides an exception for “evidence of specific instances of s*xual behaviour offered for the purpose of showing that the act or acts charged were not committed by the defendant.” N.C.R. Evid. 412(b)(2).

“Here, defendant testified during voir dire that, in 2006, he received a call from his wife that Cindy had been sexually assaulted at school, was walking funny, and was bleeding. He claimed that he flew home to Nigeria and transferred Cindy from Graceland Private School, where the assault had supposedly occurred, to another school.

“When Cindy and her mother were questioned on voir dire, however, each denied that any s*xual assault had occurred. Cindy acknowledged changing schools, but her mother explained that she had moved Cindy to a different school because Graceland Private School was too expensive.”

Emmanuel remained in the county jail as prosecutors began to build a case against him. The prosecutor offered him a deal: Plead guilty and spend 15 years in jail or go to trial and if found guilty, could face 250 years to life. He refused the deal and sought to be tried because it was an abomination, in his culture, for a man to sexually molest his own daughter and penetrate her. He felt his innocence and said that he would rather die in jail than plead guilty to a crime he did not commit. It took one year for Emmanuel to go to trial. It only took the jury three hours to return with a guilty verdict. Emmanuel was sentenced to 300 to 369 years in prison. On December 3, 2009, Emmanuel Ngene began serving his sentence. He was preparing to travel to Nigeria to bury his mother when he was arrested.

“On 22 September 2008, a grand jury returned 15 separate bills of indictment, charging defendant with four counts of indecent liberties with a child, four counts of Inbreeding, three counts of first degree s*xual offence, and four counts of first degree r*pe. Following trial, the jury found defendant guilty of all 15 counts and also found the existence of an aggravating factor: that defendant had taken “advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offence or offences.” The trial court entered 15 separate judgements. The court sentenced defendant to four consecutive aggravated-range sentences of 300 to 369 months imprisonment for the four counts of first degree r*pe; three consecutive aggravated-range sentences of 300 to 369 months imprisonment for the three counts of first degree s*x offence; four consecutive presumptive-range sentences of 16 to 20 months imprisonment for the four counts of Inbreeding; and four consecutive presumptive-range sentences of 16 to 20 months for the four counts of indecent liberties with a child. Defendant timely appealed to this Court.”

I recently contacted Ms. Mary Ngene for interview with regards to this essay. Her response:” If you write anything about me, I will sue you!”

EFCC reopens subsidy fraud file, re-arraigns 3 suspects

(Premium Times) - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday re-arraigned three persons allegedly involved in subsidy scam.

Those arraigned before Justice Lateef Akapo of the Lagos State High Court sitting at Ikeja are Ifeanyi Anosike, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ekeoma and their companies, Anosyke Group of Companies Limited and Dell Energy Limited.

They were arraigned on an amended 35-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, attempt to obtain property by false pretence, conspiracy to forge documents, forgery and uttering a false document.


The accused persons were said to have conspired among themselves to obtain the sum of N325million by false pretence from the federal government of Nigeria as subsidy payment for the importation of petrol from Europe.

When the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.

In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, Ayo Olukotun, asked for a trial date.

Counsel to the first and second defendants, L.A. Opawoye, prayed the court to allow the defendants continue in the bail earlier granted them by the court.

The same view was canvassed by Romeo Michael and Dele Awokoya, counsel to the 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants.

Justice Lawal Akapo therefore granted the payers of the defendants and adjourned the case till March 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16, 2016 for trial.

FULL TEXT OF ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE ANYIAM-OSIGWE FOUNDATION LECTURE TODAY.

I

NCORRUPTIBILITY; A SPIRITUAL PREMISE FOR MATERIAL WELLBEING

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE OSIGWE ANYIAM-OSIGWE FOUNDATION LECTURE HELD ON DECEMBER 11, 2015,

AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, ABUJA.



PROTOCOLS

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I want to begin by appreciating the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation for its impact on the development of ideas through its annual lecture series. The fact that the themes of the lecture series have focused on critical puzzles bordering on human development lends credence and justification for the sustenance of the lecture series.

It is no doubt that an event like this demands a lot of sacrifice financially and otherwise. Apart from the contribution of the lecture series to human development, it has also unveiled the genius personality of Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe, whose philosophical insight is gradually finding place in the psyche of academics globally, particularly at a time when Africans are determined to rewrite their own history. 

The topic of discourse at this session, which is corruption, significantly ties into my vision for our great country, Nigeria, that we must kill corruption before corruption will kill us. My being here to deliver the keynote address at today’s session is instructive on the resolve of this government to interface with initiatives that are fundamentally patriotic and assisting in our path to socio-economic and political recovery.

In the last general elections, in the midst of a number of issues upon which we campaigned as a party, the one that gained higher currency in the psyche of our people was that Nigerians needed leadership that could be relied upon to tackle the orgy of corruption in the country.

While our programme of action identified corruption as a very dangerous challenge that must be curtailed if our country could ever generate a future of hope, the issues of collapsing educational system, diversificationof our economy, fostering a welfare based agenda for the disadvantaged, infrastructuraldevelopment, among others, were also very prominent in our campaign focus.

The primary attention that tackling corruption earned in the course of our campaign and in determining the final outcome of the election underpins how seriously Nigerians see corruption as a fundamental factor crippling the progress and development of the country. Nigerians are, indeed, convinced that except we curtail corruption, the country will remain in perennial regression.

It is upon this conviction of our people that corruption poses great danger and should be curtailed that we anchor our hope. It underpins our assurance that the efforts of this government in checking corruption will yield significant successes in the final outcome.

In other words, we note that sheer heroism cannot achieve the elimination of corruption from our social space. What is most required is the conviction of the populace that corruption is an antithesis to social cohesion and development, and must be eliminated. We must get to a point where every Nigerian begins to hate corruption with a passion, and collectively determine to root it out of our body polity.

Any effort to try to deal with corruption without a convinced populace will end as spasmodic, ephemeral exercise, lacking the appropriate social impact. When we are talking about corruption conventionally, it is a manifestation of the human mindset. It is the human beings that manifest corruption.

To win the war on corruption, therefore, begins with the people accepting that there is an error to be corrected in their lives, that there is a need to refocus and re-orientate the values that we cherish and hold dear. It requires change of mindset, change of attitude, and change of conduct.

The decision of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation to choose corruption as the topic of discourse at this session is, therefore, encouraging to this government, pursuant to our vision that winning the war against corruption requires our synergy, a collectivisation of our resolve that corruption must be eliminated in the social psyche of the Nigerian nation.

Even in my earlier years in service to our country, I had personally identified the destructive impact of corruption. Taken from the narrow perspective of the embezzlement of public funds, its social consequence of gross economic inequality alters the basis for social peace and security. 

When given the opportunity to play a leading role in our national history in 1984, we acknowledged that corruption is not just about the embezzlement of public funds but that the perversion of our consciousness and mindset was the point at stake. This was the basis of our WAR AGAINST INDISCIPLINE (WAI) – Indiscipline in any way and manner is a form of corruption of the human essence. That was why we waged campaigns against indiscipline, and its many manifestations in the 1980’s during my tenure as Head of State of our great Nation.

Sadly in this season, we find ourselves in a Nigeria where indiscipline has been taken to an unprecedented level. Th rule of law is grossly perverted, and corruption has been elevated to a way of life at all strata of the society. In striving to reorder our country and put it on the path of recovery, we have thus identified the need to tackle corruption head-on. In this regard, we have taken steps towards recovering a reasonable amount of the money that was looted or misappropriated from public coffers. Investigations are ongoing on public officers who served, or are still serving, and those whose conduct are questionable will be compelled to accept the path of honour and surrender their loots.

As I stated recently, a good number of people who abused their positions are voluntarily returning the illicit funds. I have heard it said that we should disclose the names of the people, and the amount returned. Yes, in due course, the Central Bank of Nigeria will make information available to the public on the surrendered funds, but I must remark that it is yet early days, and any disclosure now may jeopardize the possibility of bigger recoveries. But we owe Nigerians adequate information, and it shall come in due course. It is part of the collective effort to change our land from the bastion of corruption it currently is, to a place of probity and transparency.

Quite frankly, the anti-corruption war is not strictly about me as a person, it is about building a country where our children, and the forthcoming generations, can live in peace and prosperity. When you see dilapidated infrastructure round the country, it is often the consequence of corruption. Poor healthcare, collapsed education, lack of public utilities, decayed social services, are all products of corruption, as those entrusted with public resources put them in their private pockets. That must stop, if we want a new Nigeria. And that was why I said at another forum that people need not fear me, but they must fear the consequences of their actions. Corrupt acts will always be punished, and there will be no friend, no foe. We will strive to do what is fair and just at all times, but people who refuse to embrace probity should have every cause to fear.

Look at the corruption problem in the country, and tell me how you feel as a Nigerian. Our commonwealth is entrusted to leaders at different levels of governance, and instead of using the God given resources to better the lot of the citizens, they divert them to private use. They then amass wealth in billions and trillions of naira, and other major currencies of the world, ill gotten wealth which they cannot finish spending in several lifetimes over. This is abuse of trust, pure and simple. When you hold public office, you do it in trust for the people. When you, therefore, use it to serve self, you have betrayed the people who entrusted that office to you.

Again, how do you feel year after year, when Transparency International (TI) releases its Corruption Perception Index, and Nigeria is cast in the role of a superstar on corruption? In 2011, out of 183 countries, Nigeria was 143 on the corruption ladder. In 2012, we were 139th out of 176. In 2013, we ranked 144 out of 177, and in 2014, we stood at 136th out of 174. Hardly a record to inspire anyone. In fact, it is sad, depressing and distressing. Our country can be known for better things other than corruption.

In the process of trying to recover stolen funds now, we are seeking the cooperation of the countries were these loots were taken. Time it was, when such nations may have overlooked our overtures for assistance to fight corruption. However, we now live in an era where corruption is anathema, looked upon as something that should be tackled head-on because the actions of the corrupt can have global impact. 

It is to be noted that resolving the problem of corruption transcends merely arresting and trying people that have held public office. This is because, to curtail corruption, we have to reorder the mindset of all. Empirical facts have shown that even those who are critics today are most times not better than those they criticize. When they are availed the same or similar opportunities, they act likewise. In other words, those who didn’t have the opportunity criticise and blow whistle but when they get into office; they become victims of the same thing they criticize. Nigeria must grow beyond that point, and be populated by people with conviction, a new breed without greed, radically opposed to corruption.

This points to the fact that curtailing corruption might require a more broadened social engineering. It, indeed, requires conforming every mindset in the social order to the moral tenets in which propriety anchors as a way of life.

That was why in the earlier dispensation, we saw corruption beyond the embezzlement of public funds. We knew that a morally upright personality, a disciplined person, will not embezzle people’s money or betray the confidence reposed in him after being elected or appointed to manage any office. 

We knew that due to the perversion of our mindsets, people would rather abandon pedestrian bridges and flyovers and run through the traffic in very busy highways. We understood the economic and social worth of every Nigerian and the need to preserve their lives; we tried to enforce compliance with commuters using the pedestrian bridges provided for their safety. We even went as far as enforcing the discipline of queuing to board buses and not the chaos of scrambling with its attendant dangers. The people saw where we were headed, and cooperated with us.

That effort of the past was under a military regime, a dictatorship as it is classified. Now we are under a democracy. The democratic system has its benefit in the rule of law and the fact that a man cannot be assumed guilty until it is so determined by the court of law.

With the rule of law and its advantages, the same could however pose as serious limitations to curtailing corruption when the legal system is not adequately reinforced. The onus, therefore, is on those who run our legal process to ensure that the corrupt does not go free through exploiting the weakness and lacuna in the system.

I agree with Anyiam-Osigwe that corruption is an attitude and it is about the wrong attitude. The problem with tackling corruption is that when people have become used to a particular way of doing things, even if it is not the proper way, they find it difficult to change. 

We all know that to lie is not good. But we have a sense of justification each time we tell lies. This sense of justification encourages us always to do the wrong thing. It is in this context that the mindset becomes an issue. There is the need to bring back our minds to the pure state of the human identity. 

While changing the mindset of the people is integral to dealing with the manifestation of corruption socially, it is also important to heal the wounds inflicted by the corruptive indulgence of specific people who have been entrusted with public positions or funds. 

Thus, it is the responsibility of government to investigate reported cases of corruption. In the process, suspected culprits could be arrested, detained or questioned. All these efforts would eventually end up with prosecuting the case in court. A government that closes its eyes to brazen corruption loses its essence, the very reason of its existence. Such a government is sheer flippancy, a waste of time, moral and sociological absurdity. 

In Nigeria, it needs be said that two problems stare us in the face. First is that our laws need to be strengthened if we must realistically contend with the miasma of corruption. The second is that we must correct the gaps in our legal system that are exploited to frustrate the process of justice. A number of anti-corruptioncases have been rendered inconclusive due to legal limitations.

Dealing with corruption, requires the collective will of every Nigerian. Without our collective will to resist corrupt acts as a people, it will be difficult to win the war. We in the leadership will provide the right example. We will not pay mere lip service to corruption. We will eschew it in every aspect of our lives. However, we are but few, in a country of more than 170 million people. We need the mass army of Nigerians to rise as one man, and stand for probity in both public and private lives. It is only then that we can be sure of dealing a mortal blow on corruption, which will engender a better country.

Nigeria has been brought almost to her knees by decades of corruption and mismanagement of the public treasury. We must come to a point when we all collectively say Enough! That is collective will, and that is what will bring us to a new state and status. If this country will realize her potentials, and take her rightful place in the comity of nations, we must collectively repudiate corruption, and fight it to a standstill. It remains eternally true: if we don’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.

I thank you for listening.

I didn’t fund Jonathan’s campaign – ITF DG

(The Nation) - The Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mrs Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, said the allegation that she used the agency’s N700 million to fund former President Goodluck Jonathan’s election campaign was untrue.

Speaking at a media roundtable in Abuja on Thursday, Chukkas-Onaeko described the accusation allegedly made by some

members of staff of the organisation as ‘’ridiculous and painful’’.

She stated that those peddling the `falsehood’ should have known that it was impossible for her to sign off such huge amount of money without appropriation.

She said, “I am sure that when they wrote that thing they expected me to go and commit suicide or for the President to just shoot my head.

“If I were going to steal money to fund somebody’s campaign, where did they expect me to get it from? N700 million is not what you just sign off like that.

“The former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganda, under whom I served, is a professional, not a politician.

“I don’t know of other chief executive officers under him, but nobody ever told me to bring money for campaign; PDP never asked me for any money,’’ Chukkas –Onaeko said.

She also dismissed the allegation that she transferred N1.2 billion to the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) without due process.

She explained that the money was provided for in the agency’s 2014 budget to fund the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Programme (TSDP) launched in 2009.

“Every year, there is funding provided for it, which is in the budget and is approved by the National Assembly.

“By the time I came on board in 2014, they had already disbursed about 70 per cent of the money. That budget wasn’t drawn up by me.

“What I saw in the trend was that on a yearly basis, the money allocated for the programme was increased by between 10 and 20 per cent to reflect current economic realities.

“But, in the 2015 budget, which is the only one I have presided over, I refused to approve the increase.

“Instead, we increased the number of participating companies from below 10 at inception to the current 14 which is against the initial arrangement. I expected to be commended for that,’’ she said.

The director general said that she had stepped on many toes since she came on board by blocking the avenues through which they were making easy money from the agency.

One of such avenues, she disclosed, was the outrageous monthly rent of N9.5 million being paid by the agency on a property housing one of its offices before she assumed duty.

According to her, the landlord was forced to reduce it to N5 million monthly following her insistence that the rent was either renegotiated or the office be relocated to a cheaper accommodation.

“I think this is one of the ways I’m stepping on many toes, because people who are used to making easy money will definitely react when you attempt to block them.

“Corruption is something that when you fight it, it fights back even more aggressively and if you are not careful you end up being the corrupt one.

“That is the jacket that they have sown, but I refuse to wear it. Anybody saying I’ve taken millions illegally should come and check, the system is open for them.”

Chukkas-Onaeko also debunked the workers’ allegation that she was insensitive to their welfare, saying that within her one year in office she had worked a lot on staff welfare.

She stated that staff salary was doubled, while the money set aside for staff loan was also increased from N250 million to N500 million.

According to her, the ITF is one of the first agencies to implement a Federal Government’s circular released in October 2014 on the increase of pensioners’ entitlements by 23 per cent.

She added that her administration was also able to pay a backlog of the increase spanning 63 months to the pensioners.

The director general said that the issue of training and retraining programmes was given utmost priority by the agency to update the knowledge and skills of its workforce.

Ribadu opens up on $60b looted funds, $15m bribe from Ibori

(The Nation) -

A former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, at the weekend said about $60billion looted funds left Africa yearly.

He said ex-Delta State Governor James Ibori attempted to bribe him with $15million in two big bags, but he resisted.

Ribadu said the bribe was, however, deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to serve as evidence against him.

The ex-EFCC boss, who spoke at the TEDx Talk in Berlin, Germany, said although “anti-corruption war is the most dangerous work, this is one war worth fighting.”

In the video clip, released on You Tube by Ribadu Media Office and transcribed by our correspondent, Ribadu said: “Do you know that every year, $60billion leaves Africa illegally?  This figure is from the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

“Billions are going out of Africa every year. I’m a Nigerian and I am from this paradoxical continent where today our most notorious export in Africa is stolen money.”

He explained how he resisted the $15million bribe from Ibori.

Ribadu said: “Ibori approached me with $15million to stop his investigation. I called my people because the money was in big bags, which two people could not carry and we deposited it in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as evidence against him.

“I arrested Ibori and prosecuted him. Since his friend was in power, they removed me, sent me to a school as a student where I was once a teacher.

“They made attempts on my life, but they did not know I was using a bullet-proof Honda car. As God would have it, ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua died. Ibori escaped to Dubai from where he was taken to the United Kingdom for trial. He is serving a jail term in the UK.”

On the trial and conviction of ex-Inspector-General of Police Tafa Balogun, the former EFCC chairman said the case was a by-product of the investigation of Emmanuel Nwude, who duped a Brazilian bank of $254m.

He said: “The case of Nwude made us to be more determined. In the course of his case, I stumbled on an account belonging to my boss, Tafa Balogun. I arrested him, he was tried and convicted, and I recovered enough from him.

“We also investigated and tried about 49 chief executives of banks. Fighting corruption is a war and if you are in a war, you must go for the big targets.”

On the $184m Halliburton scandal, Ribadu said: “A gang of foreigners stole from Nigeria” from a $6 billion natural gas contract won by a consortium of four international companies.

He said the investigation was almost running into a brick wall, but he was persistent.

Ribadu added: “I first got hint of the case in France. I returned home and tried to investigate the case, but it was very difficult or probably impossible because the companies were not there in Nigeria, they didn’t have account there, the people were not there. They had left.

“I rushed back to Paris. I was in Paris many times. I wrote a request letter, but after a year of trying to get French authorities to help us, the investigation magistrate told me that they could not get anyone to translate my letter from English to French. I knew it was a hopeless case.”

He said after failing to get France, Italy and Japan to help, he opted to go to the United States, although Dick Cheney, the then US vice president, was on the board of Halliburton.

“The Department of Justice in the United States took up the case. They investigated and prosecuted the case. They placed a fine of over $1.5billion on the company, the biggest in the world for corporate corruption.”

Ribadu said some of the cases, which the EFCC under his watch referred to US Department of Justice, including those of Siemens and Julius Berger, the US made over $3billion in fines.

He added: “But the sad aspect is this, in my own country, where the criminal activity took place, not a person was made to face justice, especially after I was asked to leave my position. Sadly, Nigeria did not make a dollar out of it.”

After placing him on prolonged house arrest, SSS picks up ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki

(PREMIUM TIMES) -

After placing him on house arrest for about a month, the State Security Services on Tuesday arrested a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, driving him away from his Abuja residence, people familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Dasuki was first arrested by the SSS in July after a prolonged siege on his Abuja home. He was charged to court with illegal possession of arms and money laundering.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court later granted the retired colonel a request for his passport to be released, to enable him receive treatment abroad.

However, the former NSA’s plan to travel was thwarted by the SSS, which, on November 5 laid another siege to his Abuja residence.

But on Tuesday morning, SSS operatives ordered the former security chief out of his residence and drove him away amidst tight security cover.

A source said he was driven to the SSS headquarters in the Asokoro District of Abuja but that could not be independent confirmed at this time.

More to come…