TheNewsGuru

Tag: Investigations

  • Reps to investigate NDPC over alleged $1.5bn national revenue loss

    The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate alleged infractions in the operations of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and the loss of 1.5 billion dollars national revenue.

    This was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Ahmed Abu (Niger-APC) at plenary on Wednesday.

    Earlier, Abu had said that NPDC, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), currently owned and operated several oil and gas fields and infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

    Apart from creating additional source of revenue for the country, Abu said that NPDC was established to also develop Nigeria’s local capacity in the industry for sustainable development and profitability.

    He, however, disclosed that allegations of unethical and questionable actions in the company appeared to be hindering the attainment of its objectives.

    According to him, 29 years after the establishment of NPDC, it still appears to lack the capacity to compete favourably in the oil and gas industry.

    “NPDC is reported to be consistently ceding its core activities to third party private entities without due procurement process in Strategic Alliance Agreements that involve the provision of funds by those entities to carry out exploration.’’

    He also said that the giving out its operational rights to private ventures had resulted in the company’s inability to reconcile the revenue generated and amount of crude lifted, leading to speculations of loss of over 1.5 billion dollars revenue.

    Abu said that there were allegations that most of those third-party entities were newly registered companies with little or no technical experience, financial capability to carry out the duties and to meet the terms of Strategic Alliance Agreements.

    He alleged that the private entities were owned by cronies of members of the management of NPDC and other interested parties, adding that the firms had access to the company’s funds obtained from government’s appropriation.

    Abu added that there were reports that claimed that the nation was losing billions of Naira daily from the outrageously inflated recurring expenditure on the operations of the NPDC.

    He, therefore, called for the probe of the company’s activities, including financial transactions.

    In his ruling, the Speaker of the house, Mr Yakubu Dogara, referred the matter to the Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) for further action.

     

     

    NAN

  • We will prosecute importers of 661 rifles after investigations – Customs

     

    After almost two weeks that the entire nation was engulfed in fear over the discovery of 49 boxes of 661 pump-action rifles imported into the country but was intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, TheNewsGuru.com can authoritatively report that the importers are yet to be charged to court.

    According to the NCS, investigations was ongoing and there was no way those involved could be charged until preliminary investigations have been concluded.

    This was revealed by the the Assistant Comptroller and acting spokesman for the NCS, Joseph Attah, on Saturday in an interview with newsmen.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A of the NCS had, on January 30, intercepted the 40-foot container containing the rifles along the Mile 2 — Apapa Road in Lagos State.

    The FOU officials were said to have discovered that although the manifest said the container had “steel doors and other merchandise goods,” boxes of the weapons were concealed deep in the container.

    The rifles tagged, ‘JOJEFF made in Italy,’ could take up to 10 cartridges and could wreak a lot of havoc.

    Other items found in the container were diapers, office cabinet, towels, mattresses, soft drinks and toiletries among others.

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), had said the container came from China, but was routed through Turkey to “cause confusion.”

    He had explained that three suspects, Oscar Okafor (importer), Mahmud Hassan (clearing agent) and Sadique Mustapha (escort) had been arrested.

    The NCS later arrested two of its officers; Abdullahi I, and Odiba Inah who cleared the container.

    Attah explained that there none of those arrested so far can be charged with any offense until investigations (which started almost immediately the container was intercepted) is concluded.

    In his words: “They are facing investigations already. It is only when investigations are completed that appropriate actions can be taken.

    “All those concerned with the importation of the rifles are currently under investigations. And when the investigations are completed, the findings of the investigations will determine further action.”

  • Osinbajo orders investigations of alleged contract fraud in Ministry of Water Resource

    Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has ordered immediate investigations into alleged contract fraud in the Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA).

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that CRBDA is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

    Osinbajo’s order is contained in a letter addressed to the managing director of an indigenous engineering firm, Coasterners Engineering and Building Services Limited, Kola Adegoke.

    In a letter marked: SH/OVP/DCOS/Legal/Misc, written by Osinbajo’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President, Ade Ipaye, he acknowledged receipt of the petitions by Coasterners, including one in which it accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) of compromising investigation into one of its complaints.

    The letter reads in part: “I am directed by His Excellency, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated 10th October 2016 and 14th November 2016 on the above and related subjects.

    “I am also to inform you that your submissions have been forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further consideration and necessary action.

    In one of its recent petitions to Osinbajo, Coatsterners alleged contract racketeering in the CRBDA. The petition painted a situation where most contracts awarded in the agency are in violation of the Public Procurement Act.

    The petitioner accused the management of CRBDA of penalising it for its whistle-blowing activities by deliberately starving it of necessary funds to execute contracts awarded it, a move allegedly calculated to frustrate it. Coasterners also accused CRBDA of withholding funds due to it for projects executed.

    The Water Resources Ministry had faulted allegations made against CRBDA, accusing Coasterners of among others, acting with the intention of blackmailing its agencies.

    The ministry’s position is contained in a letter marked: FMWR/LU/S/292/1/34, titled: “Harassment of the CRBDA by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coasterners Group Ltd.”

    Part of the letter authored by the ministry’s Director, Legal Services, Gboyega Oyekanmi reads: “The ministry’s attention has been drawn to your frantic efforts to malign the name and integrity of the management and staff of the CRBDA by making spurious and unfounded allegations against them as evidence in the correspondences under reference.”

  • UN wades into killings, attacks in Southern Kaduna

    The United Nations says it is currently investigating the alleged killings of over 800 people, mostly women and children in Southern Kaduna.

    UN made the disclosure in response to a petition by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, dated December 30 and was contained in a statement signed by SERAP’s Executive Director, Adetokumbo Mumuni.

    In a statement sent to TheNewsGuru.com, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Dr Agnes Callamard noted that the “recent allegations of killings of over 800 citizens mostly women, children and the elderly in Southern Kaduna by suspected herdsmen, and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims.

    “Many thanks to SERAP for your petition. I am writing to confirm that I have well received it and will review it with great attention. I will update you on follow-up interventions.

    “We welcome the attention by the Special Rapporteur to the matter and her commitment to pursue justice and accountability with respect to the killings in Southern Kaduna.”

    SERAP had in its petition to Dr Callamard expressed, “concern that the killings of citizens in Southern Kaduna of Nigeria amount to serious violations of the rights to life; to security of the human person; to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being; and right to property guaranteed not only by the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) but also the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”

    According to the petition, SERAP the UN rapporteur to prevail on the Nigerian authorities to take measures to urgently “secure the right to life, right to security and dignity of the human person and right to property of citizens in Southern Kaduna, and to prevent further attacks and killings by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators.

    “Carry out an effective investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killings and to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice, and to provide reparations to victims

    “Provide a framework of security for the protection of life, and to protect the lives of those individuals at risk from unlawful attacks in Southern Kaduna

    “Provide for an effective remedy and reparation for the victims.”

    The statement reads further, “SERAP contends that Nigerian authorities have failed and/or neglected to respect these human rights and to exercise due diligence to ensure that these rights are not violated by private individuals such as herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators. Nigerian government should therefore be held to account for failing or neglecting to guarantee and protect the rights of the people in Southern Kaduna, regardless of whether such violations are directly or indirectly attributable to the state or its officials.

    “SERAP is concerned that the Nigerian government has failed and/or neglected to create an environment in Southern Kaduna to end the unlawful killings by failing to move their legal and institutional machinery towards the actual realisation of these rights. It is in fact the failure by the government to take adequate measures to prevent the violence which has contributed to the increasing number of victims.”

    “SERAP believes that the killings would not have taken place if the Nigerian authorities have taken measures to prevent their happening and to address persistent impunity of those responsible for the violations and abuses. The lack of accountability for the attacks by herdsmen and other unknown perpetrators across the country has continued to create a culture of impunity which clearly is not compatible with the rule of law in a democratic society.”

    “According to the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, a total of 808 people were killed in 53 villages across the four local governments areas in the state ridden by crisis. The church leaders also said that 57 people were injured; farm produce estimated at N5.5 billion were also destroyed, and a total of 1,422 houses and 16 churches were burnt during the attacks. The affected communities are spread across Kaura, Sanga, Jama’a and Kauru Local Government Areas where there had been persistent attacks on communities by gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen.”

    Meanwhile, in another development, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai announced the arrest of some masterminds behind the killings and attacks in Southern Kaduna.

     

  • #RiversRerun: Count us out of your investigations – Wike tells IGP

    #RiversRerun: Count us out of your investigations – Wike tells IGP

     

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said the State Government will not provide any assistance to the police in the ongoing investigation on electoral fraud carried out during the rerun legislative election in the state held on December 10.

    Wike stated this at the thanksgiving organized by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

    The Governor said his decision was based on the negligence of the Police High Command, whom he accused of deliberately ignoring the alarm raised by the state government.

    Governor Wike also challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to release result of Rivers South-East to ascertain the winner of the election.

    “They are accusing you that you are the ones killing our people, you are now saying that the Rivers state government should give you assistance.

    “Which assistance have we not given? We told you that you appointed policemen who will interfere with the election process. We told you that you have appointed policemen to those people who are contesting election you refused to say anything.

    “Now you are asking the Rivers state Government to come and assist you. Assist you to do what?” Wike asked.