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14 Aug

JOB RACKETEERING AT FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION: CACOL CALLS FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF ERRING OFFICIALS

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has called on anti-corruption agencies for necessary investigation of corrupt practices of job racketeering involving some members of staff and management of Federal Character Commission (FCC).

 

In a release issued by CACOL and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director, Administration and Programmes on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “It would be recalled that while testifying at the ongoing investigative hearing by the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Parastatals, and Tertiary institutions on mismanagement of the  Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), one Mr. Haruna Kolo, an ex-aide to the Chairperson of the Federal Character Commission, Muheeba Dankaka, confessed to selling federal employment slots to job seekers at the directives of his former boss”.

 

Haruna Kolo who was a former Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System desk officer at the Federal Character Commission, in his testimony, alleged that Ms Dankaka set up a job racketeering ring, collecting money from job seekers. He stated that to avoid digital trails, the FCC boss instructed him to transfer all the money to his (Kolo) personal Ecobank account and pay her in cash which he did a couple of times in her house.

 

On the allegations of job racketeering, Kolo alleged that the FCC Chairman instructed him to liaise with one Mr Shehu who is a personal driver and Personal Assistant to the Taraba State Commissioner. He also claimed that Shehu is the one that brought those who paid money to his (Kolo) account for job, some paid N1m, others N1.5m, all to his personal Ecobank account which he later gave to the Chairman in cash through POS, so there is no evidence of transfer. Mr Kolo also said the chairperson compensated him, alongside three others, with a job at the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) for the assignments he carried out. He also claimed that one of the beneficiaries of the AMCON job  is a sibling of Mrs Dankaka.

 

As much as we agree that the testimony of Mr. kolo is highly revealing, we are not in any way surprised by his allegations and confessions. The reason is because we had stated in one of our past releases that job racketeering is now the other of the day in virtually all the Ministries and Parastatals of government. It is far easier for a camel to pass through the hole of a needle than for a qualified, young and academically sound Nigerian to secure employment in any of these Ministries based on merit or even Federal Character which in some cases has been used to employ job seekers at the federal level. It is now a norm to sell employment slots, promote mediocrity, employ those with god-fathers, and perpetually keep the children of the poor in the unemployment web just because they cannot afford the humongous amount of money being demanded by these racketeering syndicates domiciled in all federal, state and even local government services, thereby impoverishing them and their parents who have invested a lot on their education.

 

It should be noted that the Federal Character Commission is a creation of the Constitution with the power to ensure that the composition of the government reflects the federal character of the country. The commission serves as a clearing house for employment by all government agencies.

 

Section 14(3) provides that “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few State or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or in any of its agencies.”

 

Section 4 of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) Act gives the commission the power “to work out an equitable formula, subject to the approval of the President, for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the civil and the public services of the Federation and of the States, the armed forces, the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, bodies corporate owned by the Federal or a State Government and Extra-Ministerial Departments and parastatals of the Federation and States.”

 

“However, over the years, the Federal Character Commission (FCC) has been embroiled in a number of corruption allegations and its primary responsibilities as quoted above has been abused, misused and denigrated contrary to the original intent of those that conceive the idea of its formation in the first place. The noble idea of fostering unity in the area of distribution of all cadres of posts in the civil and the public services of the Federation has now been shamefully and highly commercialized in a way that the highest bidders get the best of positions in these MDAs. This is official Bazzar at the federal level!!!

 

The anti-graft czar added, “We would have called for total scrapping of the Commission but considering the strategic and critical role of Federal Character Commission (FCC) operations in the country, we are seriously concerned about the enormity of corruption going on in the administration and operations of the Commission, therefore, we would like to commend the House of Representatives for carrying out this investigative hearing, we would also call on the federal government to quickly wade into the Commission’s administration with a view to sanitizing it. We would recommend immediate suspension of the Chair of the Commission and bringing all those responsible for these shameful and despicable acts to book. This is not the time for Anti-graft agencies to slumber; they should rather swing into action and prosecute all those that have been fingered in this revelation so as to serve as a deterrent. More importantly, we hope the allegations will not be swept under the carpet and that the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee should also beam its searchlights on all other MDAs of government.

 

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

08141121208

cacolc@yahoo.com

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noimage 21 Jul

RMAFC BILL: Coalition Calls for President Tinubu’s Assent, Says RMAFC Deserves Better Funding

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) on behalf of the Civil Society Coalition Against Corruption yesterday in Lagos called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to graciously give assent to the Bill for an act to amend the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act, CAP. R7 LFN 2010 to grant the commission enforcement powers in the monitoring of accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account and bring the Act in conformity with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended); and for other matters related therewith.

 

The Coalition which made the appeal in a statement issued to media houses in Lagos, and signed by Comrade Debo Adeniran the Chairman of CACOL, recalled that the 9th Assembly at the twilight of the last administration had graciously and expeditiously passed the Bill that will give the beleaguered Commission a new lease of life which is awaiting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent.

 

According to the statement, the Bill as passed by the National Assembly prescribes that the Commission shall be wholly funded by the three tiers of government being beneficiaries of the Federation Account.

 

The Statement laments that as one of the fourteen (14) Executive Bodies recognized by the Constitution, RMAFC is one of the most poorly funded Agencies compared to other sister Constitutional bodies like Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Population Commission, National Assembly and others that are heavily funded from the national purse.

 

The Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is one of the Executive bodies established by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended). Amongst its fundamental powers and functions are;

 

  1. To monitor the accruals of federally-generated revenues to the Federation Account and disburse same to the three tiers of government;
  2. Review from time to time, the Revenue Allocation formulae and principles in operation to ensure conformity with changing realities,
  • Determine remuneration packages appropriate for political, public and judicial office holders as well as
  1. Advise governments at all levels on ways to improve their internally-generated revenues.

 

 

They opined that, the important role the Commission plays in the nation’s political economy through statutory allocation of revenue via an equitable revenue sharing formula to the three tiers of government and fixing remuneration for public, political and judicial office holders at all levels of government has enormously contributed to the democratization process, thus encouraging good governance, transparency and accountability and even development in the country.

 

The Chairman of the Coalition Debo Adeniran noted that “the review process of the above exercises involves extensive and in-depth research and studies in various areas of our political economy, call for memoranda, consultations, sensitization workshops, collection and collation of data, studies of other similar Federations in respect of fiscal arrangements, public hearings and administration of questionnaires which involves huge expenditure”

 

“These exercises normally take the Commission to all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT, as well as the 774 Local Council across the country to sensitize Nigerians to make input into the review process”.

 

“In the area of reducing revenue leakages and enhancing revenue generation, the Commission, has succeeded in expanding the sources of revenue to the Federation Account through the recoveries of hundreds of billions in the recent past”.

 

“It is gratifying to note that in order to ensure synergy in revenue generation, remittance and monitoring, the Commission also continues to engage critical stakeholders like the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Customs Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service, NNPC and its subsidiaries and the Central Bank of Nigeria to strategize on how to reduce revenue loss through indiscriminate granting of waivers and tax holidays”.

 

The coalition explained in the Statement that one of the major challenges faced by the Commission is the absence of financial autonomy and weak regulatory framework which directly hinders the effective and efficient performance of its operations with annual budgetary allocations for the financing of its activities over the years being grossly inadequate as to protect its independence and cater for its nationwide field operations. The sensitive nature of the Commission’s role in Nigeria’s Fiscal management requires a large measure of independence including financial autonomy.

 

The Coalition also noted with dismay that, while the Commission continues to discharge its constitutional responsibilities assiduously with little resources, workers and their chief executives in the various revenue generating Agencies it supervises, luxuriate in humungous salaries and allowances driving state-of-the-art cars as official vehicles, working in spacious and well-equipped offices and attending conferences, seminars and retreat abroad all at the tax payers expenses.

 

“In all honesty, how do you expect RMAFC to effectively monitor those Agencies without being ridiculed given the impoverished working conditions of their staff, how can the Commission attract top rate graduates and experienced hands like those in the MDAs they are supposed to oversight, how can they deploy top-notch ICT infrastructure like those obtained in FIRS, Customs, and NNPCL?”

 

“It is maladroit to expect a poorly funded organization with ill-motivated staff to perform supervisory functions on well-funded agencies whose staff are adequately remunerated and highly motivated”.

 

The Statement stressed that in view of the overriding importance of RMAFC’s role in stabilizing the nation’s political and socio-economic development since inception, there is the need to adequately fund the Commission through increased budgetary allocation and placement on first line charge so as to enable it to effectively supervise revenue generating agencies such as FIRS, NNPCL, Customs as well as carry out its other constitutional duties.

 

“The only viable option that will put the Commission on a strong financial pedestal is if Mr. President appends his golden signature on the new Bill placed on his table”.

 

The Coalition also expressed optimism that the Bill when eventually signed by Mr. President will reposition the Commission by giving it the needed impetus to perform optimally with the removal of financial, legal and regulatory encumbrances that hitherto made it a toothless bulldog that can only bark but not bite.

 

“While it is apt to note that PBAT does not waste time in signing Bills into law provided they serve the peoples’ best interest as demonstrated in his first few weeks of assumption of power, it is equally concerning that the RMAFC Bill is still in Mr. President’s incoming tray awaiting his final assent”.

 

In order to expedite action for the Bill to see the light of the day, it also called on other critical stakeholders like the National Economic Council, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, ALGON and the Media to bring their influence to bear on the Presidency to do the needful.

 

“It is our strong belief that the signing of the Bill into law by Mr. President will translate to stoppage of leakages in revenue generation, increase more revenues into the Federation Account and generally promote transparency and accountability in the management of our Commonwealth in consonance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope mantra. A stitch in time saves nine”.

 

 

Debo Adeniran

Chairman, CACOL

08037194969

dadnig@yahoo.com

www.deboadeniran.com

cacolc@yahoo.com

cacol@thehumanitycentre.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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15 Jul

PRESIDENT TINUBU’S N500BN PALLIATIVE: NIGERIANS REQUIRE MORE EXPLANATIONS

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has asked the President of the country to shed more light on his request for N500bn to be used to provide palliatives for Nigerians following the removal of petrol subsidy announced during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, in response to claims that the subsidy regime favoured the rich more than the average Nigerians, among other reasons.

.

In a release issued by the organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of Mr. Debo Adeniran, CACOL’s Chairman, he noted, “It would be recalled that President Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter sent to the National Assembly and read during plenary by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas. In his letter, the President proposed an amendment to the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act, saying “The request has become necessarily important to, among other things, the source for funds necessary to provide palliatives to mitigate the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians. Thus, the sum of N500bn only has been extracted from the 2022 Supplementary Act of N819,536,937,815 for the provision of palliative to cushion the effect of petrol subsidy removal.”

 

According to the CACOL’s boss, “We believe Nigerians need to know more about the N500bn the President is requesting. He should make the details of how the money would be spent more clearly to the average Nigerian. Inasmuch as we are not against the provision of palliatives for Nigerians who have been negatively affected by the removal of the fuel subsidy, we are calling on the President to reveal the details of how the money will be spent”.

 

In a country where a humongous amount of money had been expended in the past years majorly on palliatives and the low number of people that benefitted from the said palliatives, it will be unthinkable for this administration to follow the part of the past administrations.

 

We are all living witnesses to the way and manner some foodstuffs that were meant to serve as palliatives for Nigerians were locked up in warehouses across the country by some greedy and selfish people in power at the detriment of pauperized, traumatized and famished Nigerians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

To avoid the mistakes of the past administrations, the Tinubu-led government should publicize how it intends to spend the money, the names and locations of the beneficiaries, the modalities for disbursing the money and the conditions attached to the disbursement (if any), and other details that would set the minds of Nigerians at peace knowing fully well that the money would be used as planned”.

 

The CACOL Head adds, “Moreover, we observe that even if the names of those to benefit in the conditional cash transfer or whatever method the government wants to use to disburse the N500bn are published, the money may not impact significantly on the livelihood of the beneficiaries. If any palliative would be given, it should reflect in the cost of macro-economic products like petroleum but since the argument is that if petroleum is cheaper, it will be smuggled out of the country, then the palliative can be used to subsidize electricity, since it is not likely that electricity would be smuggled out of the country. It can also be used to subsidize the cost of building materials or telephony thereby having a direct impact on affordable housing and communication among the people. Reduction in prices of these products will affect everybody rather than selective conditional transfer to some privileged few that has been done in the past and nobody has openly acknowledged that it impacted positively on their lives”.

 

Tola  Oresanwo,

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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16 Jun

BAWA’S INDEFINITE SUSPENSION: CACOL COMMENDS PRESIDENT TINUBU

15th June, 2023

 

Press Release

 

BAWA’S INDEFINITE SUSPENSION: CACOL COMMENDS PRESIDENT TINUBU.

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for approving the indefinite suspension of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, AbdulRasheed Bawa, from office.

 

In a press release issued by the anti-graft coalition’s Director of Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he noted, “It was reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has indefinitely suspended the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, AbdulRasheed Bawa, from office, to allow for a thorough investigation into his conduct while in office following “weighty allegations” of abuse of office against him.

 

The suspension of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, AbdulRasheed Bawa, from office is a welcome development that is long overdue due to the sensitive nature of his office. We had earlier joined other Civil Society Organisations to call on the immediate Past President, Muhammadu Buhari to relieve Bawa of his appointment in order to allow for thorough investigations of allegations leveled against him.

 

It should be noted that we wrote the Senate not to confirm him based on the allegations leveled against him when he headed the Port Harcourt office of the anti-graft agency but the Attorney General smuggled him in and got the National Assembly to confirm him. Moreover, because of the way and manner the immediate past Acting Chairman of the agency, Ibrahim Magu was eased out of EFCC, we opined  that Magu was yet to be removed from the office permanently and that he was still the Acting Chairman of the agency. So by this action coming from the President, we have been vindicated as we have opposed Bawa’s nomination from the beginning.

 

“It must also be noted clearly, that we are not opposed to the commission’s mandate to fight corruption, but we are opposed to the seeming politicization of the agency under Mr. Bawa, its clear fixation on certain individuals in society, needless media trial, alleged corruption within the agency, and the manner in which EFCC officials act above the law by corrupting our judicial processes with impunity.

 

“We therefore commend President Bola Tinubu for heeding to the yearnings of the people by taking drastic action which the past administration found too difficult to take. This singular action by the President would send a note of warning to all other holding one position of authority or the other that they can be called to give account of their stewardship at any time.

 

“We would like to advise that the selection of the next Chairman of the Commission should be based on merit and political consideration should be downplayed. This will allow the agency to function and discharge its duties without fear or favour. The good work of fighting corruption to standstill by the agency should also be supported by the government”

 

 

 

Tola  Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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14 Jun

Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa’s open revelation; CACOL CALLS FOR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has called on anti-corruption agencies, National Judicial Council and the Presidency to urgently set machineries in motion to investigate Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa over his statement that he obtained favours from his wife on behalf of his fellow senators.

 

In a release issued by CACOL and signed by TolaOresanwo, the anti-corruption organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “It would be recalled that Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, the current senator representing Bauchi North senatorial districtin a video clip which surfaced yesterday, spoke at the valedictory session of the Ninth Senate. Bulkachuwa claimed that he encroached on his wife’s (ZainabBulkachuwa, a retired Justice of the Appeal Court) “freedom and independence” in the course of her official duties as head of the second highest judicial office in Nigeria.

 

“We watched the video which has gone viral and we were aghast that a serving Senator could condescend so low to the extent of currying unmerited favouron behalf of his colleagues from his wife who was privileged to be in a position of judicial authority. More alarming is the fact that the Senator has the boldness, audacity and temerity to come out in the presence of the press to confess his ‘many sins’ to the Nigerian state. This shows the level of impunity being exhibited by our so called representatives of the people.

 

Since Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa has dramatically blown his own whistle, he has finally confirmed the reason why so many Nigerians have lost faith in the judiciary. Can we say all the cases his wife handled during her days on the bench are dispensed without fear or favour?  The Senator’s statements in the viral video shows that corruption in high places is on the increase in the country and drastic measures must be taken to stem the tide. The President should not overlook this serious infraction committed by a person who is supposed to know and protect the laws of the land. It is one anomaly that shows the rot not only in the judiciary but in virtually every arms of government.

 

The anti-graft czar added, “Considering the strategic and critical role of the legislative and judicial arm of government, we believe people like Senator Adamu Muhammad Bulkachuwa, are not worthy in character and personality to represent any particular group of people in the country. We therefore call on Anti-corruption Agencies, the National Judicial Council and the presidency to swing into action and immediately investigate the claim by the Senator. He and his wife should be quizzed to determine the cases he intervened in and correction or redress should be made in those cases while he along with his wife should be appropriately punished to serve as deterrent to others.

 

 

 

TolaOresanwo

Director,Administration and Programmes, CACOL.

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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9 Jun

CACOL CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT TINUBU, CAUTIONS HIM ON FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL

30th May, 2023

 

Press Release

 

CACOL CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT TINUBU, CAUTIONS HIM ON FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has congratulated the incoming President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was sworn in as the 16th President of the country. The Anti-Corruption organization however cautioned the President over his recent decision to stop fuel subsidy regime in the country.

 

In a release issued by CACOL’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran and signed by the anti-corruption organization’s Director of Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo, he stated, “We do not agree with Mr. President that fuel subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources rather we want to align ourselves with the school of thought that believes that subsidy should not be removed from fuel, it doesn’t matter who uses fuel. Those buying Luxury items like expensive cars/vehicles should be made to pay more at the point of registering their cars and renewing their vehicle papers based on the cost and the age of the vehicle. These sets of people are the ones using petroleum products more.  Same policy should apply to those using expensive or high capacity generators who should be made to also register them with the government. All the luxury goods should attract higher taxes and rates, these will generate the needed income that can serve as alternative to the subsidy the president is trying to remove.“

 

We at CACOL believe that our people especially the middle class and those occupying the lower rung of the social strata would be forced to face the following consequences of fuel subsidy regime removal:

 

  1. General increase in the prices of fuel and other related products.
  2. General increase in the cost of transportation.
  3. General devaluation of the commanding power of wages
  4. Lowering of general living standards.
  5. The decision will foist on the people multiple economic discomforts pitiably on the same people who are just coming out of the bad effects of crashing state revenues and variants of poverties of material well-being, the difficulties associated with the  recent unavailability of petrol,  the hard pains suffered from the  lack of cash, resulting from the seemingly deliberate Emefiele driven fiscal policy and failed  currency redesign

 

 

“We would like to advise that Mr. President should not come in to cause agony and increase the level of misery of the people most of whom are already living below the poverty line and who are also looking up to him to proffer solutions to the myriads of problems facing the country. Moreover, the promise of renewed hope would have been eroded if the President carries out his planned suspension of the fuel subsidy regime removal. Instead of removing the subsidy on micro products like fuel, he should rather extend subsidy to other products like foodstuff, the government should create food banks and produce marketing boards to receive all what farmers especially and other food producers harvested from their farms and buy at profitable rates and sell back to the masses at subsidies rates.

 

He should also ensure that another way of compensating the poor for the crimes of the rich is to ensure that public education system is completely free from the nursery level to first degree level and other levels of education (from Masters’ to Ph.D level) should be generally available to those who can afford it.

We are particularly disappointed that Mr. President carried out his threat to remove fuel subsidy without adequate consultations with the various stakeholders and without considering the implications of the decision on the small scale enterprises and majority of our people who have been impoverished by the misgovernance imposed upon them by successive governments in the past.

 

 

The CACOL Boss added, “We would like to use this medium to call on the President to declare his assets, because he has come to equity and he should be seen to have come with clean hands. We want to know his assets and liabilities, and he should make it open to the generality of Nigerians. We are making this demand because we want him to run an open and participatory government and a government that is not shrouded in secrecy. He should also appoint people of competence and impeccable character so that there would be ‘right pegs in right holes’ so that at the end of the day, those of us who have reposed some level of confidence in him would know the indices and indicators we can use to appraise his government, whether to praise it or condemn it.”

 

“That we seem to be supporting his ascendancy doesn’t mean that when things are commendable we will not commend it and when they are condemnable we will actually condemn whatever misstep we identified.  We would also want him to make the implementation of his campaign promises to be SMART so that we may know the parameters to access his performance in office. ”

 

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

 

 

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9 Jun

CACOL CAUTIONS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUTGOING GOVERNORS ON AWARD OF LAST MINUTE CONTRACTS AND APPROPRIATIONS

25th May, 2023

 

Press Release

 

CACOL CAUTIONS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OUTGOING GOVERNORS ON AWARD OF LAST MINUTE CONTRACTS AND APPROPRIATIONS

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has expressed reservations at the flagrant manner outgoing administration both at the federal and the state levels are awarding contracts, making appointments into sensitive positions and presenting supplementary budgets even at the eve of the expiration of their tenure of office.

 

In a release issued and signed by CACOL’s Director of Administration and Programmes Tola Oresanwo on behalf of the organisation’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he stated, “We cannot but add our voice to condemn the recent actions taken by the outgoing administrations at the federal and states level concerning last minute rush to award contracts, sign new laws, and make appointments into key positions while they are packing their bags and baggages.

 

We have noticed that this precedent was set by the President, Muhammadu Buhari who until now is still awarding contracts and making new appointments into some federal parastatals even at the twilight of his tenures. Most of the affected governors perhaps took the cue from President Muhammadu Buhari in his decision to take an $800 million loan from the World Bank to hand out in paltry doles to some poor Nigerians as a cushion against the impacts of the planned removal of subsidy for premium motor spirit (petrol) from June.

 

On the 10 of May, the federal government, rising from its weekly executive council meeting, announced the award of multi-million naira contracts for various ministries. The meeting approved a total of N327.34 billion for the ministries of transportation, sports, aviation, federal capital territory and for other works including Ogoni projects, IRS building in Abuja and Port Harcourt.

 

We have heard how some outgoing state governors are now enmeshed in this last minute rush to award contracts and sign new bills into law. Recently, outgoing Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, made the headline news. First, he was reported to have approved N2 billion for the purchase of cars for himself and his deputy. As if that was not enough, the outgoing governor rushed to commission an uncompleted 500 units housing estate he started in 2017.

 

Also from Delta State came the news that the outgoing governor Ifeanyi Okowa, recently presented a N71 billion supplementary budget to the State House of Assembly. Mr Okowa sent the budget 14 days before the expiration of his two terms tenure. The supplementary budget was made up of N5.6 billion in recurrent expenditure and N65.5 billion in capital expenditure. The Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi’s also justified his own decision to seek a N33 billion loan to complete pending projects. Senator-elect and Sokoto State outgoing governor, Aminu Tambuwal, has also allegedly made appointments and approvals of huge sums of money after the general elections. In April, he gave approval for contract variation in sums amounting to N7 billion and has also appointed 23 new permanent secretaries and 15 director-generals in the state.

 

We perceive the development as booby traps for the incoming administrations, although the president-elect and governors-elect have not condemned these outrageous developments, probably because they are of the same parties with their soon-to-be predecessors or they had been helped in the elections.

 

“While CACOL as an anti-graft organization acknowledges the fact that government is a continuum, it behoves on the outgoing administrations to consider the impacts their current actions would have on the incoming administrations, especially when they will be at rein of power in matters of days. It will be sacrilegious for an outgoing administration to impose a burden too heavy to bear on an incoming administration. It is a known fact that most of the last minute appointments being made now would be replaced by the new administrations while some of the laws would be revoked.

 

The CACOL Boss added, “We would like to call on the President and the outgoing governors concerned to ensure judicious use of the funds or loans they have secured. They should also remember that they may be called upon to come and give account of their stewardship even after leaving office even as they must have lost their legal sheath popularly called “immunity”. We would also like to call on anti-graft agencies to beam their search lights on the loans being secured and appropriations being made by the outgoing administrations and ensure they are properly utilized, and they should not be slow to impose sanctions on anyone found wanton with the commonwealth of the people.”

 

 

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director (Administration and Programmes) CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

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9 Jun

ADAMAWA FIASCO: CACOL CALLS ON INEC TO INVESTIGATE ALL THOSE INVOLVED.

19th April, 2023

 

Press Release

 

ADAMAWA FIASCO: CACOL CALLS ON INEC TO INVESTIGATE ALL THOSE INVOLVED.

 

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate and possibly prosecute the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa-Ari.

 

The call was premised on Yunusa-Ari’s declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the governor-elect in Saturday’s supplementary election. Yunusa-Ari had announced Binani as the winner of the supplementary polls while the collation of the results was underway, causing confusion in the state and drawing consternation across the country. However, according to the electoral law, the announcement should have been made by the returning officer of the election, who is a different person, usually an academic appointed by INEC for that purpose.

 

 In a press release issued by the anti-graft coalition’s Director for Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he noted, “Like every other democrat and peace-loving Nigerians, we were appalled by the drama played out in Adamawa state as an aftermath of the just concluded supplementary election in the state. The funny aspect of the whole drama is that the person who is supposed to be an unbiased arbiter and the repository of all electoral laws and guidelines in the state is the one at the centre of the melodrama.”

 

“It is a known fact that all the dramatis personae in the drama playing out in the state especially the politicians have their supporters who would want them to win at all cost but it is an anomaly to find an INEC official who is holding such a highly esteemed position in the middle of the storm.”

 

“We at CACOL, will like to reiterate that to protect the sanctity of the electoral process, INEC officials must be above board in all their dealings, they must be people whose hearts cannot be bought with money or other material things, they must also be patriotic individuals who will always put the interest of the country above their personal or selfish gains.

 

The anti-corruption Crusader said, “By his action, many voters in the state would have lost confidence in the whole election and their hope for a free, fair and transparent election would have been eroded.”

 

“We would therefore call on INEC not only to nullify the illegal declaration, and suspend the REC for Adamawa state but also take urgent actions to protect the integrity of the electoral process in the state. The Nigeria Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) should investigate what transpired during the Adamawa State supplementary governorship election in its entirety. The allegation that the REC received a two billion Naira (N2bn) bribe to announce Binani as the winner should be thoroughly investigated and anyone found culpable in the illegality including the security officers who aided and abetted the crime should be made to face the full wrath of the law. If Binani herself is involved, she should not be spared it doesn’t matter what moral meanings anyone could read into it, since nobody is above the law, once a crime has been proven to be committed, all those involved should be made to face the consequences of their actions no matter their status on the social ladder.”

 

 

Tola  Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

08141121208

 

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9 Jun

CACOL REMEMBERS OLAWALE SALAMI (DON)

9th April, 2023

 

Press Statement

 

CACOL REMEMBERS OLAWALE SALAMI (DON)

 

With the demise of Olawale Salami, popularly known and referred to as, ‘DON OF ALUTA, and DON OF THE STRUGGLE FOR A BETTER NIGERIA’, Nigeria lost one of her most courageous and patriotic citizens, and the Yoruba nation lost an illustrious son. Olawale was one of the legends of the pro-democracy struggles, known for speaking truth to power and championing the cause of justice and fairness – he remained consistent through many decades of activism till his demise.

Olawale’s belief in justice as a primary condition for ensuring peace inspired his participation in the struggle against military rule and towards the restoration of the annulled June 12 presidential mandate. With the return of civilian rule in 1999, Olawale understood that we had only arrived at a milestone on a journey – the journey of democratizing the Nigerian polity which is still in progress even to this day. He quickly located himself in the new order, choosing to position himself as a public critic and activist for a Nigeria that truly embraces democracy, fairness, equity, and justice.

He found the right channels and platforms to give expression to his agitations – a paradox of sorts continuing his fight for democracy and justice with a democratically elected government in place. He went on to earn for himself the reputation of being one of the most irrepressible voices of conscience and reason, who spoke timely, boldly, and thoughtfully on important national issues.

Unfortunately, the plenipotentiary ideologue, Wale Salami, was involved in an accident that affected one of his legs during his itinerary and had to be flown on operation to Cuba. He survived the operation at the initial stage and teamed up with Comrade Debo Adeniran of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, to add bite to the agitation against corruption which was perceived as Nigeria’s singular most destructive cankerworm, inhibiting progress and rediscovery. He served as the Director of Projects and Programmes at the Humanity Centre and was planning for the second leg of medical operation on the affected leg when he breathed his last, so early on this 9th day of April, 2018, when he was planning for work.

Irrespective of his age, the loss of a loyal colleague in the struggle normally leaves a yawning gap in one’s mind whenever one remembers him. We can only take consolation in the fact that death is the inevitable end of all mortals, without which life would have been so boring, brutish, and in a way, humiliating; hence, we are all born to die.

Today, we at CACOL remember and celebrate you; we would continue to celebrate you, dear Comrade Don! We miss you greatly, especially as none of the troubles imposed on us by the same decadent and short-sighted, political class you left behind has been solved; since we still battle with man-made problems like cashless policy, insecurity, fuel scarcity, etc.

Adieu Comrade Don! The journey continues…

 

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

cacolc@yahoo.com

 

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