TheNewsGuru

Tag: Officials

  • Arrest of top government officials by EFCC is executive lawlessness – Ekiti Govt

    The Ekiti State Government has said the arrest of its Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Toyin Ojo and Accountant General, Yemisi Owolabi by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is unconstitutional and a show of executive lawlessness.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the two state officials were arrested last Thursday for alleged misappropriation of state resources.

    Addressing reporters on Monday in Abuja, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the state, Mr. Kolapo Kolade said the action of the EFCC breached a subsisting order issued against the commission by a Federal High Court in 2016.

    According to him, the court barred the commission from arresting, detaining or investigating any state official or officials – whether past or present – without any report of indictment by the House of Assembly.

    Kolade said the government had approached the court to challenge the serial arrests of its officials by the EFCC on issues outside the purview of the anti-graft agency.

    The commissioner said the court order was duly served on EFCC on November 27, 2016, adding that it had not been vacated by the court or any other superior court.

    He said: “Following the Interim Order, the EFCC wrote a petition to the chief judge of the Federal High Court for the transfer of the case to another Federal High Court judge. The case was subsequently transferred to the Akure Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

    “The Akure Judicial Division of the Federal High Court sat over the case on January 24 and restated the earlier order by the Ado Ekiti Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

    “The case was adjourned till February 15 for hearing. But the judge referred the matter back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to have a second look at transferring the case to the Akure Judicial Division of the Federal High Court.

    “The order of the Federal High Court has not been vacated till date. In other words, the issue of the arrest and or detention of the Ekiti State government officials is still subjudice.

    “The EFCC is not above the law and the agency is bound to obey lawful orders made by courts, as in this case.

    “The actions of the EFCC are, to say the least, unlawful and show executive lawlessness.”

     

  • Nigeria run by non-performing government officials – Agbakoba

    Nigeria run by non-performing government officials – Agbakoba

    A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), on Monday attributed Nigeria’s under-development to incompetent leadership.

    He said the country cannot attract Foreign Direct Investment (FID) when it is under a “non-performing government.”

    Agbakoba spoke at the second plenary session of the ongoing Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos.

    The session had the theme: Institutionalising African Investment.

    Agbakoba urged lawyers to put more pressure on government to perform.

    He said no progress has been made towards addressing the power deficit, adding that he uses about 10 generators to run his offices.

    The ex-NBA president said bad leadership was manifest in the deplorable state of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway which is the gateway to Nigeria major seaport.

    Agbakoba said it takes him an average of three hours every day to get to work due to poor state of Nigerian roads.

    He said: “Despite all of the resources allocated to power, we don’t have power. As I stand before you, I run about 10 generators in various offices.

    “The vice president spoke very eloquently but in real terms, we as lawyers are responsible in the context that we must put pressure on government.

    No one is going to come here on foreign direct investment with the kind of, for want of a better word, non-performing government that we have. It’s not possible.

    “Despite the huge market – 200 million Nigerians – we are very poor. So, sometimes we sit here in fancy suits; but go out to the streets.

    “I am a maritime lawyer in Apapa district. The Apapa district contributes 30 per cent of Nigeria’s national budget. Yet it takes three hours for me to get to work because trucks and tankers have blocked the entire place.

    “So, let’s not pretend. We must look for leadership. And I think that is the central challenge.”

     

  • ICPC recovers 14 Hilux vans, Jeeps, other exotic cars from ex-govt. officials

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it recovered over 40 exotic cars from ex-officials of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the recovered vehicles had since been handed over to the Ministry.

    An ICPC official, Alhaji Bako Abdullahi, officially handed over the vehicles to Hajia Rabi Jimeta, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Abdullahi, who represented the ICPC Chairman, Ekpo Nta, said that the recovered vehicles were dishonestly carted away by some retired officers of the ministry.

    “It is extremely sad that vehicles meant for the administrative and operational uses of the government establishment were dishonestly confiscated by some retiring senior public officers that included directors and deputy directors.

    “However, the recovery is fulfilling because the commission has been alive to her law enforcement and prevention mandate in the fight against corruption,’’ Abdullahi said.

    The vehicles, which were handed over to the ministry included 14 Hilux pick up vans, 14 jeeps, three Toyota Avensis and seven Toyota Corolla cars.

    Others are one Toyota Camry and one Audi A6 cars.

    Abdullahi said investigation had started on the confiscation of the vehicles, adding that those involved would soon be prosecuted.

    Jimeta, who received the vehicles on behalf of the Minister of Water Resources, commended ICPC for the laudable recovery.

    She disclosed that the vehicles were not boarded for the officials but they decided to go away with the vehicles after their retirement.

    Jimeta said the affected officials acted with impunity, adding that their action negated government rules and regulations.

    “Don’t take government or public properties away with impunity; it is an act of irresponsibility and indiscipline,’’ she said.

    Jimeta said that the lack of operational vehicles has been one of the major factors militating against the service delivery of the ministry.

    She said that the recovered vehicles would enable the ministry to function effectively, particularly in the remote areas.

    TheNewsGuru.com that Mr Frank Nanakumo, ICPC’s Director of Assets Tracing, was the brain behind the recovery.

    A source in the commission said, on condition of anonymity, that the vehicles’ retrieval was as a result of anonymous petitions.

    The source said that that some of the affected directors and deputy directors retired from service over eight years ago, while others retired recently.

    He said that ICPC would also beam its searchlight on other ministries so as to provoke such recoveries.