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CACOL COMMENDS LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT FOR ESTABLISHING ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has made its support known to the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration in Lagos State for signing the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Bill 2021 into law.

In a release issued by CACOL’s Director of Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo, on behalf of the Chairman of the Centre, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he noted, “We observed with keen interest the fulfillment of one of his promises made to the good people of the state during his inauguration as the Governor of Lagos state, by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, whereby he insisted his administration would be accountable and responsible for the appropriation of the state’s resources. To make good his promise, the governor signed a law creating the new anti graft body on Monday, several days after Lagos’ parliament approved the bill”.

The governor was quoted as saying “the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission Law, 2021, showed the state government’s effort towards entrenching accountability in governance. The bill establishing Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission is important legislation critical to the delivery of quality services to the citizens. When we came in, we said we would be accountable and responsible for the appropriation of the state’s resources. We want to stand in front of the citizens to give an account of how public funds are being spent. To give credence to this promise, the executive arm initiated the bill and sent it to the Assembly for approval. We believe that this law would not only ensure accountability of public funds, but also promote dialogue among public officers to keep the trust of the people in the discharge of their duties in line with transparency. The anti-corruption commission will ensure that all approved activities are implemented in accordance with budgetary allocation.”

The anti-corruption Czar said “Against this background, we could see how the Anti corruption Commission would be the ‘brainbox’ or engine room of the state government in the fight against corruption in the state, especially as they relate to government and public officials and CACOL, as an anti-corruption group with its component organizations would solidly lend its unalloyed support in this patriotic duty, as the entire world focus on the nation to overcome the destructive ogre of corruption within the shortest time possible.”

“We at CACOL have been a frontline campaigner against corruption in Lagos State in particular and the nation in general. Our publication ‘Lagos Open parliament’ (LOP) now in its seventh series is been used as an evaluation of the level of budget implementation with regard to infrastructural development in Lagos State from time to time”.

The CACOL Boss added, “We will like to commend the Sanwo-Olu led administration in Lagos state for taking this bold step aimed at curbing corruption in government in the state. We hope the anti-corruption commission would be independent, autonomous, self-governing, unbiased and will not be an appendage of the Executive arm of the state government in the discharge of its statutory duties. We also believed the state government would give the commission all the needed financial, human and material support in order for the commission to succeed”.

“We also hope the new anti-graft agency would intensify efforts in tracking, investigation, arraignment and effective prosecution of all corrupt officials to avert a situation whereby the court would be left with no other choice than to order the release of a corrupt public officials, for lack of proper prosecution or perpetual detention without trial”, he added.

Tola Oresanwo (Mr.)

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

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CACOL MOURNS THE DEATH OF YINKA ODUMAKIN

The Centre for Anti-Corruption anad Open Leadership, CACOL, with sympathy and much grief mourns the death of Comrade Yinka Odumakin.

In a release issued on behalf of the Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran and signed by Tola Oresanwo, the organisation’s Director of Administration and Programmes, he said “we mourn the sudden death of Comrade Yinka Odumakin who until his death was the national Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group who died on Saturday, 3rd of April, 2021 at Lagos State University teaching Hospital from respiratory issues due to complications resulting from COVID-19”.

“The news of his death came as a great shock to us as we least expect it. He was an activist, a leader, mentor to many younger folks, lover of the masses and downtrodden, a solution provider, job creator and employer of labour. Yinka, was a quintessential nationalist and freedom fighter from many fronts. A courageous politician who didn’t mind what others say but stay with the principle that guides his thoughts. He left when the thought that he may not make it had subsided. He was an activist with unique attributes since his days as student leader. We love him but nature had to take its course. We mourn his demise but we are consoled that he left when the ovation he attracted to all of us was still good. We will really miss him”.

“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”.

The CACOL boss also said “we would recollect how Yinka Odumakin devoted his life and times for the cause of humanity. He played a key role in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fought the government of Sani Abacha after the annulment of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election. He was among the spokespersons of the Southern and Middle Belt Leader’s Forum (SMBLF). He was the spokesman of Muhammadu Buhari when he contested the 2011 Nigerian presidential election under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change. In 2014, during the government of Goodluck Jonathan, Odumakin and his wife were the only married couple among the 492-member 2014 National Conference which was held in Abuja, Nigeria. Before his death, he had also advocated the establishment of the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) codenamed Operation Amotekun.

His love for people and quest for an egalitarian society seriously impacted on the legacy he bequeathed to all who encountered him during his sojourn on earth”.

“His death is an irreparable loss not only to the people of Moro his home town but to Osun State in particular and the country in general. His memory will linger on for generations to come by all privileged to know him or any of the family members”.

“We pray for the required fortitude and composure to bear his irreversible transition to eternity. Death, as we all surmise, remains an inevitable end of all; but our solace and comfort remains in the fact that he lived a worthy and remarkable life”.

Adieu and rest well Comrade Yinka Odumakin!!!

Tola Oresanwo

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

CACOL BACKS SENATE’S RESOLVE TO PROBE ALLEGED MISSING $9.5M INTEREST FROM THE FEDERATION ACCOUNT

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian Senate in its bid to unravel the mystery surrounding the alleged missing $9.5m interest which accrued to the Federation Account from Petroleum Profit Tax Investment.

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, “We received the news that the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) has given the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, up till Thursday, to appear before it over an alleged disappearance of $9.5m interest which accrued to the Federation Account from Petroleum Profit Tax Investment. The Senate Public Accounts Committee, which is currently scrutinizing the reports of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) alleged during its sitting on Monday that the principal sums deposited, the tenor and rate of interest, were shrouded in secrecy”.

“It should be noted that The Petroleum Profit Tax is applicable to upstream operations in the oil industry. It is particularly related to rents, royalties, margins and profit sharing elements associated with oil mining, prospecting and exploration leases. The Media reported that the committee had penultimate week summoned the officials of the apex bank over alleged disappearance of the fund but no management staff of the apex bank honoured the lawmakers’ invitation”.

The summon was sequel to the consideration of the Auditor-General of the Federation report which probed the spendings of federal government’s agencies. The Auditor-General was quoted as saying in the report that, “During the examination of transfers to Foreign Excess PPT/Royalty and Foreign Excess Crude Accounts, it was observed that during the year 2016, amount totalling $6m and $3.5m were credited to the Foreign PPT/Royalty and Foreign Excess Crude Account as interest on funds’ investments. The authority for placing the funds which yielded the above interests totaling $9.5m in deposit account, the principal sums deposited, the tenor and rate of interest were not made available for audit verification. This observation had also been a subject of my reports since 2017 without any positive response from Central Bank of Nigeria. Records made available for audit further revealed that the balance in the foreign PPT/Royaltt and Foreign Excess Crude accounts as at 28th December 2016 were $0.00 and $251,826 respectively.” This, it added, suggested that the foreign PPT/Royalty was depleted before the year end.

The anti-corruption Czar opined that “It is disheartening and demoralizing how most of the MDAs flagrantly disregard the directives of the National Assembly and the country’s Auditor-General (AuGF) on submission of audited accounts for necessary vetting and scrutiny because there is a lacuna in our Constitution that has made it expedient for them to tactically evade such order with no fear of backlash or any sanction whatsoever for such impunity. This trend is not peculiar to the MDAs only, as the both the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) and other existing financial laws are either inadequate or contradictory in addressing modern challenges posed by corruption in the country. Since the advent of this democratic dispensation, cases like this abounds. The reason for this inconsistency is not far-fetched as deliberate loopholes exist in our statutes and other regulatory enactments that allows for not only impunities but also make corruption attractive and tempting since most of our approach against corruption is aimed at apprehending after the crime(s) rather than aiming at prevention as it is being done in saner and more advanced climes.

The CACOL Boss further enthused, “We want to commend the Senate Public Accounts Committee for investigating the whereabouts of this huge sum of money. Over the years, we have been at the forefront of championing calls for the legislature to take full charge of their oversight functions especially in situations where public funds were misappropriated. With the advancement in technology today, most of the looting or financial manipulations would be effectively prevented and detected ab initio if we focused more on prevention and greater accountability and independence of organs saddled with oversight and embrace e-governance as a matter of urgency. This is no doubt, in line with our previous calls for the audit law and other useful legislation that are already begging for speedy consideration and passage in the National Assembly for ages to be accorded due attention so that the fight against official corruption could become a thing of the past in the country”.

Tola Oresanwo (Mr.)

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

ELECTION FRAUD: CACOL HAILS INEC FOR DILIGENT PROSECUTION

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has commended the ruling of a High Court in Akwa-Ibom State, which sentenced a Nigerian professor, Peter Ogban, to three years in prison, for election fraud.

In a release issued by CACOL’s Director, Administration and Programmes, Tola Oresanwo on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he noted, “It was reported that the Akwa Ibom State High Court 2 sitting in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area had sentenced one Professor Peter Ogban of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, to three years imprisonment for the electoral fraud he committed during the 2019 elections in the state. Ogban, a Professor of Soil Physics and Conservation, who acted as the Collation/Returning Officer during the National Assembly election, stood trial on two counts of manipulating and falsifying scores of election results in Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas in favour of the APC. In his judgment on Thursday, Justice Augustine Odokwo said it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that the accused was guilty of the charges and accordingly sentenced him to three years imprisonment and a fine of N100,000 for the two counts, respectively. All these were after a painstaking, diligent and commendable investigation, coupled with brilliant prosecution by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)”.

“We at CACOL believed that Elections are transparent when each step is open to scrutiny and stakeholders can independently verify whether the process is conducted honestly and accurately. The principle of transparency is linked to the fundamental right of citizens to seek, receive and impart information (which are elements of the freedom of expression), as well as the right to take part in government and public affairs. To this end, we were not surprised when this case was taken to court because we have a very strong faith in the judiciary”.

“It is lamentable that the accused in this case is a learned professor who is supposed to be a very respectable person in the society who have been found worthy in learning and character but betrayed the trust reposed in him by the state. How can he mentor the young ones who look up to him for guidance? Little wonder then, why our educational system continues to produce half baked graduates when those who were supposed to teach them are engrossed in questionable and corrupt activities. Manipulation of election results had been with us since independence and it has robbed the nation of selfless leaders who were supposed to represent their constituency and have the backing of the people in their constituencies”.

The CACOL Chair added, “We insist that, it is not only criminal and condemnable to betray the public trust that has placed such civil servant in a position of authority and control after much training, to simply betray such confidence reposed in him by manipulating election results for his personal gains without considerations of the remote and immediate consequences of his action on innocent electorates and the larger society such illicit actions may ultimately rob of desired effects. We want to commend INEC for the diligent prosecution of this case and the Judiciary for the landmark judgment. We want to believe that this case will not be a flash in the pan and other cases of electoral frauds will also be judiciously prosecuted and the culprits made to face the consequence of their acts as a just supper”.

Tola Oresanwo (Mr.)

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

OVER N900M FRAUD: CACOL COMMENDS ICPC ON THE ARRESTS EX-JAMB REGISTRAR, PROFESSOR OJERINDE

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has hailed the arrest of a former Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor DibuOjerinde, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly misappropriating 900 million Naira.

In a release issued by CACOL’s Director for Administration and Programmes, TolaOresanwo, on behalf of Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Chairman of the Centre, he stated, “It would be recalled that the former Registrar of JAMB Professor Ojerinde, who was arrested on 15th March 2021, in Abuja, by operatives of ICPC, is alleged to have committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council (NECO). It was reported that Professor Ojerinde has been detained by the Commission for questioning over allegations of multiple identities, abuse of office, money laundering, tax evasion, and making false statements to public officials. The former JAMB boss is also being questioned by the Commission for allegedly awarding fraudulent contracts to shell companies that cannot be traced”.

“It is on record that just last year the current management of JAMB announced that it has returned 3.5billion Naira to the Federation Account from the excess generated from its operations during the conduct of 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) following the sales of ePINs to UTME candidates, bringing the total remittance that year by the board to 7billion Naira.What the former registrar couldn’t declare as surplus to the Government for 4years was declared within one year of the new Registrar. Professor Ojerinde should tell Nigerians why JAMB was unprofitable during his time”.

“We at CACOL, congratulate the ICPC for this bold move and we urge the staff of ICPC to carry out a thorough investigation of all the allegations leveled against the former registrar of JAMB followed by meticulous and diligent prosecution of this high-brow corruption case. This is a very laudable and cheering development, considering the multiplier and damaging effects of every strand of corruption case(s) on the psyche of our people especially the youth. It is even more devastating when the corrupt acts arecommitted by revered members of the academia who are supposed to be morally upright and serve as mentors that can be looked up to but unfortunately they have soiled their reputation by betraying the trust and confidence the country reposed in them cheaply by engaging in unethical and corrupt practices”.

TolaOresanwo (Mr.)

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL

BANKER’S ASSETS DECLARATION: CACOL COMMENDS EFCC

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, has given a pat on the back to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for mandating operators in the Nigerian financial system, particularly bankers to declare their assets as from June 1, 2021.

In a release, issued by CACOL on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran and signed by its Director, Administration and Programmes, TolaOresanwo, he stated, “We observed with keen interest the directives issued by EFCC to bankemployees in the country to declare their assets by June 1, 2021. EFCC Chairman, Mr. AbdulrasheedBawa, was quoted as saying ‘We understood that at the tail end of every financial crime is for the criminal to have access to the funds that he or she has illegitimately gotten and we’re worried about the roles of financial institutions. And we have discussed, but we hope that all financial institutions, particularly the bankers, will declare their assets as provided for by the law, in accordance with the Bank Employees Declaration of Assets Act 1986”.

“Just like most other critical sectors of Nigeria’s economy, our Banking system were so compromised and despoiled to the extent that many of the senior cadre workers in the sector were looting and engaging in ludicrous speculative and dubious transactions for personal enrichment at the risk of ordinary depositors’ money. Whereas, in saner climes, the banking industry is pivotal in transforming the domestic economy and migrate it from subsistence to tertiary and advanced productivity by studying, underwriting and financing such advanced migration, what do we find here? Our banking gurus simply collect depositors’ funds, running into billions and use it to advance their individual and group’s business interests without recourse to laid-down procedures. For so many decades, this been the practice of most within the banking industry, hence, the need to check the excesses of these bank employees.”

“We at CACOL, therefore, congratulate the EFCC for issuing this directive. We believe there is an urgent need for a means to check illicit financial flows especially when it is carried out in connivance with employees of financial houses. Declaration of assets by bank employees would among other benefits stem the tide of accumulating illicit wealth within a very short time, betraying the trust of both their customers and employers and engaging in unethical practices that do not conform to international banking best practices”.

The CACOL Boss added, “We believe that for Nigeria to be reasonably ridded of this menace or ogre of corruption especially those perpetrated with the connivance of bank’s staff, declaration of assets is a welcome development. This is why we hail the decision of the EFCC to enforce the provisions of the Bank Employees Declaration of Assets Act. We concur with the opinion of the Chairman of EFCC that the directive is part of measures to sanitize the nation’s financial system and block some of the loopholes currently being exploited by unscrupulous players in the sector to undermine the economy through money laundering and illicit financial flows.

TolaOresanwo (Mr.)

Director, Finance, Administration and Programmes, CACOL .

DARIYE: CACOL COMMENDS JUDICIARY FOR UPHOLDING EX PLATEAU GOVERNOR10-YEAR IMPRISONMENT.

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, hashailed The Supreme Court ruling upholding the 10-year imprisonment of former Plateau State Governor Joshua Dariye upon his conviction for criminal breach of trust.

In a press release issued by the anti-graft coalition’s Director for Administration and Programmes, TolaOresanwo on behalf of its Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, he noted, “In his appeal, Dariye prayed the Supreme Court to upturn the November 16, 2018 judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, which convicted him and sentenced him to 10 years for diverting public funds estimated at N1.162billion while he was the governor. A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Stephen Adah, in its decision, upheld an earlier judgment by Justice AdebukolaBanjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), delivered on June 12, 2018. The trial court convicted Dariye on 15 counts relating to the offences of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation contained in the 23-count charge on which he was tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In upholding Dariye’s conviction, the Court of Appeal noted that the prosecution, led by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), effectively proved its allegation of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation against the ex-governor. The Appeal Court proceeded to reduce the 14-year sentence for the offence of criminal breach of trust to 10 years and reduced the two years sentence for criminal misappropriation to one year.

The Supreme Court, however, upheld Dariye’s concurrent conviction and sentence by the trial court and the Court of Appeal on the offence of criminal breach of trust. It proceeded to quash his conviction and sentence in relation to the offence of criminal misappropriation.

“We at CACOL, received the news of the Supreme Court verdict on Dariyewith great delight. It is very interesting to note how he pursued justice for his case from the lower courts to the highest court in the land. Though, he got respite for the offence of criminal misappropriation leveled against him, the Court did not disappoint millions of Nigerians whose resources are being looted and who are subjected to abysmal state of deprivations and poverty by upholding the 10-years imprisonment for the offence of criminal breach of trust”.

The anti-corruption Crusader said “We want to commend the judiciary for taking this bold step. We have been at the forefront of naming, shaming and criticizing the corrupt tendencies of some of our political office holders and it gladdens the heart to see some of these wicked public officials being punished for their wicked acts while in office”.

The CACOL’S Chairman added “In recent times, we have seen public office holders after siphoning the commonwealth of the citizens of this country running into billions to advance their individual and group’s business interests without recourse to laid-down procedures and thereafter be running from pillar to post in order to evade arrest and the attendant judicial prosecution. This is why we commend the decision of the Supreme Court for this landmark judgmentand call on all the Anti-graft agencies to continue to investigate and prosecute other public office holders who arestill enjoying their freedom and spending their loots. We have always opined that culprits of official corruption need to be deprived of their evil accumulations, wherever and whenever they are found out, and made to face the consequence of their acts as just deserts”.

TolaOresanwo (Mr.)

Director, Administration and Programmes, CACOL