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Tag: assets

  • ICPC recovers N77.04b assets in 2019

    ICPC recovers N77.04b assets in 2019

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday said it recovered N77.04 billion assets from suspects in 2019.

    The commission also said it received 1,934 petitions out of which it concluded investigations on 580.

    The remaining petitions, which were not within its jurisdiction, were referred to relevant anti-graft agencies.

    But it said out of the 580 concluded investigations, 83 cases were filed in court and 25 convictions secured.

    The commission insisted that the former Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, is still wanted by the commission.

    ICPC spokesperson Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa announced these at a media briefing yesterday in Abuja on the activities of the commission in the last one year.

    She said: “In the last one year, we have recovered over N77.04 billion assets, including N1.16 billion in Treasury Single Account (TSA); immovable assets worth N32.038 billion and about N41.98 billion restrained after the review of MDAs Personnel Cost Expenditure.

    “Others were recoveries from project tracking (N0.767b) and N1.097 billion, being the value of constituency projects completed after we forced contractors to sites.

    “ICPC has also received 1,934 petitions and concluded investigations on 580 cases. All petitions were duly registered and captured. Quite a good number of the petitions were not within ICPC jurisdiction because they bordered on some issues, like pensions, estate, economic and financial crimes.

    “Several of those petitions have been forwarded to the relevant agencies. After those concluded investigations, 83 cases were filed in court. We had 25 convictions in 2019 but some of them were carried over cases.”

    Responding to a question, Mrs. Okoduwa said: “ICPC is not shy about naming and shaming of those suspected of corrupt practices but we have to work within the ambit of the law.

    “We have named certain corrupt persons when we have reasons to go to court. We are not shy of exposing those who engage in corrupt practices; we only follow the law.

    “Our ultimate goal in this anti-corruption war is about the betterment of the people. We believe that anti-corruption campaign should not happen in a vacuum; it should increase development; it should increase growth. It shouldn’t be about how many people you have thrown into prison.

    “Since the bottom line is allowing people to derive benefits from anti-corruption measures/ investigations, if we embroil ourselves in cases, it may take years for people to reap from what we may recover from corrupt elements.”

    On the fate of Obono-Obla, who was sacked as chairman of the Special Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), Mrs. Okoduwa said he was still wanted.

    She added: “Yes, we have read in the media about his being available in the country, that he is making statements on social media platforms.

    “We have also made statements to the effect that he should come out from hiding and present himself to ICPC. That is the only way he can clear his name, the only way to move forward.

    “We have also heard from media sources how he has been calling ICPC names, saying that commission is in rivalry with his office, and a lot more. That is a lot of hogwash. I have had people call me to say: what do you have to respond to Obono Obla, saying your chairman is a rival to him? It is hogwash.

    “The decent thing is for the gentleman to come to ICPC to clear his name. We are giving him an opportunity to clear his name. After all, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty…”

    On a petition before the ICPC against the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the spokesperson said the petition must have been attended to.

    Mrs Okoduwa promised to find out the status of the petition.

  • Buhari, Osinbajo must declare assets publicly – Falana Insists

    Nigeria’s rights activist, Femi Falana is backing agitation that President Muhmmadu Buhari, his vice, Yemi Osinbajo and the 36 state governors declare their assets publicly.

    The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), capitalising on the Freedom of Information (FoI), requested Buhari, Osinbajo, 36 state governors and their deputies to publicly declare their assets within seven days or face redress.

    The Presidency has claimed that there is no law in Nigeria mandating President Buhari to declare his assets publicly. With due respect, this cannot be the correct position of our law.

    According to Falana, in a statement, SERAP’s case for the public announcement of any updates on the assets already declared by Buhari and Osinbajo was correctly based on the Constitution of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Freedom of Information Act and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which had not only been ratified by Nigeria but also domesticated as part of the domestic laws.

    “As far as the law is concerned, the word “declaration” means “a formal statement, proclamation, or announcement, especially embodied in an instrument.” See page 467 of Black’s Laws Dictionary (Ninth Edition). The combined effect of the Constitution, FoI Act and the African Charter is that all public officials ought to voluntarily announce publicly their asset declarations even without prompting from civil society groups like SERAP.

    “In the alternative, the Code of Conduct Bureau is bound by law to make them available to members of the public, pursuant to section 1 of the FoI Act. In fact, the law contemplated by the Constitution to make asset declarations of public officials public is the FoI Act. With the FoI Act, there is no longer secrecy in government, including in the asset declarations made by all public officials.

    “Section 3 (c) of Paragraph A of Part 1 of the Third Schedule to the Constitution provides that the Code of Conduct Bureau shall have power to “retain custody of such declarations and make them available for inspection by any citizen of Nigeria on such terms and conditions as the National Assembly may prescribe”. The National Assembly has since 2011 prescribed such terms and conditions in the FoI Act.

    “No more excuses by public officials, as the National Assembly has, by passing the FoI Act, prescribed the terms and conditions for pubic officials and the CCB to publicly make asset declarations available. In this instance, SERAP has correctly invoked the provisions of the Constitution, FoI and the African Charter. Similarly, Section 22 of the Constitution has imposed a duty on the mass media to promote public accountability and transparency,” Falana said.

    He added that even private citizens could no longer insist on secrecy as they were now required by official policies to register their biometric data for the purpose of acquiring international passports, telephone lines and opening of bank accounts.

    Falana stated that the Bank Verification Number commonly called BVN–a biometric identification system implemented by the Buhari administration–has ended secrecy of bank accounts, thereby curbing illegal banking transactions in Nigeria.

    “All that SERAP is asking is for the Presidency, governors and their deputies to announce their asset declarations as submitted to the CCB. Such announcement will help to update the records of what the President and Vice President already made public and refresh the memory of the public who are keen to see transparency and accountability in the implementation of the asset declarations frameworks in Nigeria.

    “I therefore urge President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo to show strong leadership by immediately acceding to the FoI requests by SERAP and publicly announce any updates on their asset declarations already made public in 2015. This will end the secrecy that continues to surround asset declarations in Nigeria. The secrecy has over the years been used to hide corruptly stolen assets, which has continued to cause untold misery for millions of Nigerians,” he said.

  • Okorocha, wife, others to forfeit assets to EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has obtained orders for the interim forfeiture of assets traced to a former Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his wife.

    The Head, Enugu Zonal Office of the commission, Mr Usman Imam, disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu while briefing newsmen on the activities of the commission in the last eight months.

    Imam said that the commission also obtained similar order on a property traced to a former aide to Okorocha, Mr Paschal Obi, and the former governor’s daughter.

    He said that the commission had established prima facie cases against the suspects which they would answer to.

    Imam said that the commission would like to know how the Rochas Foundation and other accomplices acquired and or converted some of the property for personal use.

    He listed some of the property to include a 16-block cum 96 flats and an eight-bungalow multimillion naira estate, hotel, two schools, shopping plaza, supermarket, hospital and four vehicles.

    The EFCC chief said that while the hospital was traced to Obi, the remaining property were traced to the former governor and his family, including his wife and daughter.

    “We hope to get permanent forfeiture orders on the property in order to return them to the people of the state,” he said.

    Imam said that all the facilities, including the schools, would remain functional as the commission would not like to shut them down for the sake of the students and other users.

    “Other recoveries were made and are awaiting forfeiture, but for the court vacation. They include a twin three-storey building with a three bedroom bungalow and a duplex, both in Enugu.

    “The property were recovered from cyber fraudsters,” he said.

    Imam said that the commission, within the period, recovered N213.85 million and 10, 600 US dollars.

    “In one of such recoveries, one Augustine Ejimokor, who defrauded his victim of the sum of 5,000 US dollars and used it to acquire a Mercedez Benz C300 was ordered to forfeit the vehicle.

    “So far, the zone has arrested 88 suspected fraudsters since 2015, with 70 of them in 2019. This underscores the efforts of the present zonal head in conformity with the acting chairman’s directives,” he said.

    Imam said that the zone also obtained 59 convictions out of whom were the 51 arrested and prosecuted in 2019.

  • Gov Makinde visits Oyo CCB, declares assets worth over N48bn

    Gov Makinde visits Oyo CCB, declares assets worth over N48bn

    Following his promise to the people that he would make details of his assets public upon assumption of office, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Monday made public his asset, calling on any interested members of the public to verify the same with the Code of Conduct Bureau.
    The Governor, who visited the Oyo state office of the CCB in Ibadan to receive a copy of the asset declaration form he submitted earlier said that his decision to make the assets public was in fulfillment of a personal promise he made during the elections and also give them a basis to crosscheck after he might have finished serving them as the governor.
    Details of the assets as contained in the CCB 1 deposited with the bureau in the name Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, which was declared at the High Court of Oyo State, on May 28, 2019, indicated that the Governor is worth over N48billion in assets.
    The assets declaration form, marked OYSE/2019/001 contained details of cash at hand, in the bank, landed properties (developed and undeveloped), household items, share and bonds owed by the Governor, his wife, Omini Makinde as well as his companies.
    According to details of the asset form made public by the Chief Press Secretary to Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Governor of Oyo State had cash at hand and in the bank worth N234, 742,296.01, as at May 28, 2019.
    In dollar terms, the Governor has cash valued at $30,056.99 as at the same date.
    Properties, including the developed and undeveloped as well as household items indicated on the asset forms, showed that the Governor is worth N2, 624,800,500 (two billion, six hundred and twenty-four million, eight hundred thousand, five hundred Naira) as at the date of asset declaration.
    In Dollar terms, the Governor also declared properties, developed and undeveloped as well as household items valued at $4,400,000 (four million, four hundred thousand dollars only.
    In South African Rands, the Governor declared buildings and household items worth four Million, four hundred and fifty-seven thousand, five hundred and fifty-four and four South African Rands.
    The houses declared by the Governor include nine buildings in Nigeria, two in the United States of America and one in South Africa.
    One of the properties in the United States is described as “jointly owned.”
    The details showed the current value of Makinde’s companies stand at N48, 150,736,889 (forty-eight billion, one hundred and fifty million, seven hundred and thirty-six thousand, eight hundred and eighty-nine Naira), with 33,730,000 units of shares as at May 28, 2019.
    The Governor also has existing Bonds (Eurobond) worth $3,793, 500 as well as shares, debentures and other securities valued at N120,500,000 (One hundred and twenty million, five hundred thousand naira).
    The companies listed by the Governor include Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited; Energy Traders and Technical Services Limited; Makon Oil and Gas Limited; Makon Group Limited, Makon Construction Limited and Makon Power System Limited.
    The asset declaration form indicated that Governor Makinde’s four companies have additional assets denominated as loan notes including Makon Engineering and Technical Services Limited (N1.7 billion); Makon Power System Limited (N148.4 million); Makon Oil and Gas Limited (N341 million); Energy Traders and Technical Services Limited (N1.159bn) totalling N3.389 billion.
    The Governor who was at the CCB said he visited to get his copy of the form duly signed as an attestation that anyone could assess the document through the freedom of information Act on details of his asset, just like he promised to do during the campaign period.
    Makinde said: “I came here to collect the photocopy of the form that I signed in fulfillment of my campaign promise to the people that I will declare my asset publicly and release the document to the public.
    “I will encourage all the members of my cabinet to do the same thing but in as much as they stay within the ambit of the law, I will encourage them to do the same.”

  • FG panel strips serving senator of assets in Lagos, Delta, Abuja

    …22 bank accounts frozen

    The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property has sealed off suspicious assets and property belonging to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, in Warri, Asaba in Delta State, and Lagos State.

    The Presidential Panel carried out the action on the premise of last week’s ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja which ordered an interim forfeiture of property belonging to Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North senatorial district.
    Ruling in the suit filed by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property on behalf of the Federal Government, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo also placed a post-no-debit order on 22 bank accounts linked to Nwaoboshi.
    The senator was recently referred to the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel led by Chief Okoi Obono-Obla for allegedly making false assets declaration in his Form CCB1 submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
    According to the ruling, 14 properties and 22 bank accounts linked to the senator are to be temporarily forfeited to the federal government.
    Aside sealing off the properties, the Panel also wrote to several banks including Zenith International Bank Plc ; United Bank of Africa ; Sterling Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc to block Senator Nwaoboshi from operating multiple accounts maintained by him in these banks pursuant to the Order of the Interim forfeiture given by the Court.
    Some of the properties sealed by the Presidential Panel are:
    *Summing Electrical Company located at Asagba along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State;
    *PON filling station along Asaba Airport Road, Asaba, Delta State,
    * A Multibillion Naira Estate under construction at Maryam Babangida Road, Asaba, Delta State.
    * Carthage Cinema located at Okpana Road beside Rain Oil Petrol Station, Asaba, Delta State;
    *Newbridge filling Station along Airport Road, Warri, Delta State
    * A house at No 8 Monu Olanrewaju Crescent, GRA, Asaba, Delta State.
    * Guinea House, No 27, Marina Road, Apapa:
    *A multi-billion building at 41, Burma road, Apapa, Lagos.
    * House No 25 6932 road, Adban Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja
    * Plot 3011B Kuranakh Close, Maitama were sealed.
    *Plots of land in Abuja.

  • Falana faults CCB’s refusal to disclose ex-presidents’, governors’ assets

    Falana faults CCB’s refusal to disclose ex-presidents’, governors’ assets

    Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has condemned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for its alleged refusal to grant a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on the asset declaration of former Presidents and governors.

    The CCB had allegedly turned down the request the ground that an asset declaration form is private information.

    Falana described the ground as “illogical”.

    The eminent lawyer spoke yesterday in Kano in a keynote address, titled: Involvement of Nigerian People in the Fight Against Corruption, delivered at a stakeholders’ dialogue on corruption in Nigeria organised by ActionAid Nigeria.

    Falana said: “The Federal Government has also failed to show commitment to the fight against corruption by encouraging secrecy with respect to asset declaration by public officers. A few days ago, the CCB turned down the request by the Socio-Economic Right And Accountability Project (SERAP) for the release of copies of the declaration forms of former governors and Presidents on the grounds that the declaration forms are private documents.

    “With respect, it is illogical to claim that the asset declaration forms submitted by the erstwhile public officers are private documents. Accordingly, the rejection of the request by SERAP is a contravention of Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

    “It is hoped that the CCB will review its position and allow citizens to access the information in the declaration forms submitted to it by all public officers in view of the new policy of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to enforce effective asset declaration by public office holders.”

    In his paper, the eminent lawyer said: “It is an undeniable fact that the progressive withdrawal of subsidies from social services by the state, which is a key component of the IMF/World Bank-sponsored Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), has led to mass poverty in the land.

    “Through the privatisation of public enterprises and assets, including banks and other financial institutions, the economy was taken over completely by foreign and local interest groups. Thus, the privatisation of public companies, commercialisation of social services, has increased poverty and income inequality in the society.

    “From the reports compiled by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Federal Ministry of Finance as well as the anti-graft agencies, the Federal Government has recovered not less that N1 trillion from treasury looters and through the whistleblowing policy of the Buhari administration.

    “It is suggested that N1 billion be set aside for the establishment of a factory in each of the 774 local governments in the country while the balance should be allocated to the police to secure the country.

    “Having managed the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) under the Sani Abacha junta, President Buhari should have no difficult in investing the recovered loot to address the crises of insecurity and unemployment. After all, $321 million from the Abacha loot is being distributed to the poor, as dictated by Switzerland, which illegally warehoused the loot for almost two decades.”

  • Makinde orders ex-officials to return Oyo Govt assets in 48 hours

    Makinde orders ex-officials to return Oyo Govt assets in 48 hours

    The Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has ordered all former political office holders to return government vehicles and other assets in their custody with immediate effect.

    This was contained in a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka, and made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    ”It has been observed that some former political office holders are still in possession of official vehicles attached to their offices in spite of the fact that they are no longer in the service of Oyo state.

    ”Consequently, His Excellency, Gov Seyi Makinde, has therefore directed that all former political functionaries who are still in possession of government vehicles to return same to government transport pool within 48 hours.

    ” Failure to which the security agencies shall be directed to retrieve such vehicles from where they may be kept,” Ilaka said.

    He said the State Government would take all necessary steps to ensure that all assets illegally taken away by the former officials are returned.

  • Declare your assets, Unilorin VC urges staff

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Unilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, on Monday advised members of staff of the institution to fully comply with the asset declaration procedure, as required by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

    Abdulkareem gave the advice at a sensitisation workshop organised by the CCB for members of staff of the university in Ilorin.

    The vice-chancellor, who was represented at the opening of the programme by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Sylvia Malomo, said that such a step would enhance a high standard of morality and accountability in the country.

    He advised members of staff to comply with the rules and regulations of the Bureau, to remain on the side of the law.

    Addressing the participants, the Director of CCB in Kwara, Mrs Afolabi Abayomi, described assets declaration among public officers as an official mechanism for ensuring accountability and probity in public service.

    According to her, the CCB is to ensure transparency, honesty, and to make sure that actions of government officials fully comply with high moral standards, as obtainable in other civilised nations.

    Abayomi warned against under-declaration and anticipatory declaration of assets, which, she said, could result in litigation.

    She warned that flagrant abuse of the CCB Act could lead to vacation of office or seat in any legislative house, disqualification from membership of legislative house for 10 years, and forfeiture of property in question to the government.

    NAN

  • FG charges Ekweremadu, one other over refusal to declare assets

    The Federal Government has charged the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Senator Bassey Akpan, who represents Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State, with offences bordering on their alleged refusal and negligence to declare their assets to the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.
    On Wednesday, Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Abuja where two separate sets of charges were instituted against the senators, ordered that the charges and other accompanying papers be served on the two of them through the Clerk of the National Assembly.
    The judge, after granting the orders for service through substituted means, fixed October 22 for the next hearing date in respect of Ekweremadu’s case and November 19 for Akpan’s.
    The Okoi Obono-Obla-led SPIPRPP had, on behalf of the Federal Government, filed the two separate criminal suits containing two counts each against the senators.
    It filed the criminal suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/62/2018 against Ekweremadu on May 11, 2018, while it instituted the one marked FHC/ABJ/CR/88/2018 against Akpan on June 13, 2018.
     
    Details later…
     
     
     
     

  • We must unravel mystery surrounding recovered loots, assets – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said that Parliament will not continue to look on as confusion trails the recovery of looted funds and assets.

    This, he said, at a public hearing by the House Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Finance on the need to ascertain the status of recovered Public funds and assets from 1999 to date.

    “It is common knowledge that there are a lot of conflicting reports and claims from various agencies of government concerning the status of the funds and assets recovered from some citizens and corporate entities by law enforcement agencies. As a Parliament, we cannot fold our arms and allow the confusion trailing the whereabouts of the recovered funds and assets to continue.

    This is why the House of Representatives resolved to mandate this Joint Committee to investigate the issue in the interest of accountability and transparency.”

    He added that the investigation has become necessary in order to ascertain how resources are being appropriated, and that it is in line with the duties of the National Assembly as stated in the Constitution.

    “We believe that as a Parliament, we owe the people of Nigeria the duty to ascertain the resources available to government and how they are being appropriated in their interest. This is in line with the exercise of our Constitutional powers in Sections 88 and 89 of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 as amended.”

    He urged stakeholders present to be patriotic, truthful and honourable in their submissions. He further urged the committee to handle the matter with utmost seriousness as it is capable of eroding the credibility of the present administration.

    The total value of recovered funds and assets is estimated at $2trillion and the House has also mandated its Committee on Financial Crimes to investigate whether any crimes have been committed in the course of the management and disbursement of funds recovered by the Federal Government in the last 12 years.