TheNewsGuru

Tag: Report

  • Corruption ratings: Transparency International report erroneous – Sagay

    The chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof Itse Sagay (SAN) on Thursday faulted the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency International (TI) describing it as ‘erroneous’.

    The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

    While Nigeria scored 27/100 and was ranked 136th in 2016, the latest CPI scores Nigeria 28/100.

    It ranks 148 out of 180 countries surveyed —12 places below where it was the previous year.

    Sagay said corruption was perceived to still be high because of frequent revelations of acts of graft.

    According to him, TI misinterpreted the fact that acts of corruption were being exposed on daily basis.

    He said: “Transparency International is making a major error. It is confused between the actual level of corruption and the level of revelation of acts of corruption. Corruption was worse than now.

    “But, because of the activities of the anti-corruption agencies, particularly the EFCC, virtually no day passes without one act of corruption or the other being revealed.

    “To someone who is just relying on statistics of what is revealed, it’d seem that corruption is increasing. In fact, it is decreasing, because those that are revealed involve prosecution of suspects or forfeiture of assets.

    “Corruption is being dealt with. So, that’s the error there.”

    PACAC Executive Secretary Prof Bolaji Owasanoye said the index relies on public opinion, but that fighting corruption was an ongoing process.

    “The way the study is conducted is that public opinion is sought on perception,” he said.

    According to him, people may perceive corruption as being high because of low conviction rate.

    “They have not seen people in jail, but of course that is a process that cannot be short-circuited, and all manner of reforms are going on around that,” Owasanoye said.

    In a similar vein, the Special Assistant on Prosecution to the President, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, described the report as a “sham” which does not reflect the reality.

    “Indication cannot be the reality. Those reports are based on assumptions and sometimes they are not true. Are we not fighting corruption? We cannot kill people. Do they expect us to slaughter everybody before they know that this government is fighting corruption?

  • Second quarter GDP ranked most uploaded report in 2017 – NBS

    Second quarter GDP ranked most uploaded report in 2017 – NBS

    The Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of National Bureau of Statistics ( NBS ), Dr Yemi Kale, said the Second Quarter 2017 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Report was one of the most uploaded reports in 2017.

    Kale said this in his 2018 message posted on the bureau’s website.

    He said the report was followed by the National Survey on Corruption Perception, each with more than 5000 uploads within 120 days of their release.

    “My personal engagement with a vastly diverse sample of our clients convinces me of the growing appreciation for Nigeria’s official statistics. Yet, we can and must do better,’’ he said.

    Kale said with the country’s emergence from economic recession in the second quarter, came greater demand for data by policymakers and business leaders seeking to identify how to sustain the recovery.

    “Also to sustain the implementation of policies, prioritise programmes and ensure that the Nigerian economy gets on a more sustainable path of inclusive growth.

    “Concerned citizens, eager to witness immediate changes in their socio-economic circumstances, also paid closer attention to statistical reports,’’ he said.

    The statistician-general said 2017 witnessed a considerable uptick in activities of NBS, driven in large part by an ever-growing demand for more and better data by governments, businesses and citizens.

    “As 2018 beckons, it is clear that we are unlikely to see a slowdown in such demand, and I am pleased to affirm that NBS is ready, willing and able to rise to the occasion again this year.

    “No doubt, 2017 was a remarkable year. A total of 198 reports were released, an increase of 85 per cent over 2016,’’ he said.

    According to him, NBS is committed to surpassing these milestones in 2018, as seen in its revised data release calendar, 189 reports are already planned.

    “As usual, they will be accompanied by clear, informative infographic materials, and disseminated widely across all our social media platforms.

    “We remain committed to quality improvement across all our service delivery channels, in order to continually justify our multiple awards in 2017.

    “As ever, the bureau will remain steadfast in guarding its professional and operational independence granted by the Statistics Act (2007), especially as the political climate builds up.’’

    The statistician-general said that efforts would be made to provide adequate explanations and context for data releases, and prioritise statistical advocacy efforts to limit the misuse of data.

    Kale, however, acknowledged the support of government at all levels and institutional partners towards improving the availability and quality of official statistics in the country.

    The statistician-general prayed that 2018 would be a year of better statistical funding, both at the federal level and to state statistical agencies.

    He said the importance of statistical data for identifying development priorities and shaping public policy should not be subjected to vagaries of the socio-economic or political climate.

    “Rather, leaders must continually emphasise and utilise evidence-based approaches, whether in policy or business.

    “If this is not done, it becomes impossible to objectively identify key areas in our society that actually require change.

    “It will be difficult to accurately determine what policy prescriptions will best respond to the real needs of the country or take advantage of the next big business opportunity in this resilient economy.

    “We are confident that the year will bring numerous opportunities for us to effectively support policymakers.

    “We look forward to another fulfilling year for us at the bureau, our partners and data users,’’ Kale said.

     

    NAN

  • Alleged N2bn fraud: Release report of finding on UNILORIN – ASUU tells EFCC

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release its findings on the alleged N2billion fraud petition on the University of Ilorin, submitted to it over a year ago.

    The Union also called for the recall of all sacked and victimised members at the Kogi State University, Lagos State University and University of Ilorin.

    While calling on President Buhari to check the growing impunity at the Unilorin, the ASUU said it will continue to expose corruption in universities despite victimisation of its members.

    The Ibadan Zone of ASUU in a release signed by its Coordinator, Dr Ade Adejumo titled “impunity and disregard for the Rule of Law: the Cases of the University of Ilorin, Kogi State University and Lagos State University”, ASUU accused the anti-corruption agencies including ICPC, CCB and EFCC of failing to bring the administrations of Professors Ishaq Oloyede and Abdulganiyu Ambali as Vice Chancellors of University of Ilorin to justice despite “substantial evidence which nailed them on corruption issues.”

    According to ASUU in the statement, the failure of the anti-corruption agencies to make public their investigations on the petition has made a mockery of the whistle blowing policy of the Buhari administration and allowed impunity to thrive while the whistle blowers, Drs Kayode Afolayan and Solomon Oyelekan were sacked for daring to expose corruption at UniIlorin.

    While the Union appealed to the Visitor to the University of Ilorin to prevail on the council to recall sacked officials of the union, it called for a “special probe panel of men and women of integrity to look into the books of past administrations in Unilorin.”

    Dr Adejumo also noted that it is worrisome that the Lagos State University went ahead to sack its members (Drs Isaac Akinloye and Adebowale Adeyemi-Suenu) alleged of altering students’ results and demanding money from students without “proven evidence beyond reasonable doubt”, and as such asked Governor Akinwumi Ambode to intervene in the matter urgently.

    “In a country where universities are short of qualified academic staff, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state terminated the appointment of 120 members of our union and got unqualified persons to impart the knowledge they do not possess. ASUU believes in the rule of law and will continue to expose the dangers of the criminality that is presently going on in these universities despite victimisation of our members. we call on the visitors in these universities to stop the impunity and recall the sacked lecturers”

  • FG requests Facebook user data of Nigerians

    Facebook has announced the release of a report that reveals the federal government (FG) requested user data of Nigerians on the social media platform five times in the first half of 2017.

    The details of the latest ‘Government Requests Report’ was published by Facebook on Monday.

    TheNewsGuru reports the FG carried out five legal process requests for five different Facebook users/accounts.

    Facebook did not, however, revealed the details of the accounts governments requested their data.

    “We respond to valid requests relating to criminal cases. Each and every request we receive is checked for legal sufficiency and we reject or require greater specificity on requests that are overly broad or vague,” the social media firm said in a statement.

    The ninth Facebook transparency report showed that governments’ requests for information about users increased 21 percent worldwide compared to the second half of 2016, from 64,279 to 78,890.

    Facebook also announced on Monday that it removed nearly 3 million posts, including videos, ads and other forms of content, from its services during the period under review, following complaints of counterfeiting and copyright and trademark infringement.

    The worldwide data on intellectual property-related takedowns is a new disclosure for Facebook as part of its biannual “Transparency Report,” Chris Sonderby, a Deputy General Counsel at Facebook, said in a blog post.

    Aggregate data shows Facebook received about 377,400 complaints from January through June, with many referencing multiple posts. About 60 percent of the reports related to suspected copyright violations on Facebook.

    A “small fraction” of requests were excluded because they were not sent through an official form, Facebook said.

    The company removed user uploads in response to 81 percent of filings for counterfeiting, 68 percent for copyrights and 47 percent for trademarks, according to its report. The percentages were roughly similar for Instagram.

    “We believe that sharing information about (intellectual property) reports we receive from rights holders is an important step toward being more open and clear about how we protect the people and businesses that use our services,” Sonderby stated.

     

  • Boko Haram: DHQ blasts Fayose, dismisses US report on its operations

    Sequel to a report indicting the Nigerian Army of being unable to hold down recaptured territories in the Boko Haram troubled North East, the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on Thursday dismissed the reports insisting that it captured the situation for 2016 and not as currently obtainable in 2017.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the report, published on July 19, highlights the successes and failings of the Nigerian Army in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists.

    It indicates that the Federal Government’s progress report on the fight against terror is merely a duplication of failed efforts carried over from the end of last year’s fighting season.

    The DHQ further noted that some people, who deliberately misinterpreted the report, wanted to pit the American government against the Nigerian military.

    The Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said this on Thursday in a release. He said the US report was not for January to July 2017 and hence could not be taken as the current security situation.

    The US Department of State Bureau for Counter-Terrorism and Countering Violent Extremism had in the “Country Reports on Terrorism 2016” accused the military of not holding and rebuilding the North-East after clearing the Boko Haram terrorists, adding that security agencies failed to share intelligence reports on the terrorists.

    But Enenche said the work of “holding and rebuilding the North-East” as noted in the US report was not for the military, but for the state governments, paramilitary organisations and other stakeholders.

    He said, “Contrary to the picture given to Nigerians, the report did not cover only Nigeria; it included Niger, Cameroon and Chad. That is, it covered all the countries affected by Boko Haram terrorists’ menace. The report is not being objectively analysed by some mis-informers because of their ulterior motive.

    “The report was for 2016 and not January to July 2017. Hence, attributing the assertion that the military failed to hold and rebuild the North-East to be current is rather wicked and should be disregarded. After the decimation of the terrorists’ strongholds, other security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have been taking hold of areas cleared by the military.”

    “Furthermore, rebuilding of civilian structures and institutions is not a military task. It is purely the responsibility of government of which a lot is being done. The efforts of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states are evident in this regard. Equally important are the efforts of the Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative.”

    Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army on Thursday lashed out at the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, over his comments on corruption in the military and the upsurge of the Boko Haram terrorists, urging the governor to seek other avenues for his relevance.

    The Army’s reaction is contained in its official Twitter handle. It alleged that Fayose, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, had politicised security issues and military operations.

    Fayose had on Wednesday in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said the United States “Country Report on Terrorism 2016” and the Transparency International report revealed corruption in the military.

    Fayose had noted that it confirmed his earlier position that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government lied to Nigerians that the Boko Haram terrorists had been technically defeated.

    “With over 120 Nigerians killed by the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State last month alone, it is necessary for the Federal Government to face the reality that it has a very long walk to victory in the fight against the insurgents. The report by the US Government has further lent credence to earlier revelation by the TI that despite President Muhammadu Buhari government’s anti-corruption fight, corruption in the military is weakening Nigeria’s efforts to battle Boko Haram,” Fayose had said.

    But the army replied on its official Twitter handle that the governor was seeking relevance.

    “Governor Ayodele Fayose should stop politicising the military and military operations. Seek other avenues for your relevance. The army today is not corrupt,” the Army tweeted.

  • Pastor Adeboye goes tough on randy pastors, says ‘report them to me!’

    Pastor Adeboye goes tough on randy pastors, says ‘report them to me!’

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E.A. Adeboye has said members should report any erring minister of the church directly to him.

    The Daddy G.O, as he is fondly called by members of the church stated this on his verified Twitter and Facebook accounts on Tuesday (today).

    The statement reads: “Good day, if you know of any RCCG pastor or minister, doing anything wrong or anything they shouldn’t be doing as a leader please report such to me. My email address is contact@eaadeboye.com,” he wrote on his Facebook page.


    TheNewsGuru.com reports the revered pastor recently emphasised the importance of humility noting that the church does not appoint proud people as pastors

    He stated that a leader must always be ready to serve.

    In his words: “I still iron/press my wife’s clothes when I’m allowed to. If you are a true leader, you must always be ready to serve, even when no one can see you.

    “If you find a RCCG pastor that is not humble, then it means I wasn’t the one who ordained him or her,” Adeboye said.