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noimage 12 Dec

“ NIGERIA IS A NATION HELD AT HOSTAGE BY INTER-AGENCY RIVALRIES ”

 

A House Divided Against itself cannot Withstand Adversarial Wind

 

Almost in spite of wise counsel and common intelligence to the contrary, virtually all the key officers manning anti-graft under President Muhammed Buhari are tearing at each other’s jugular determined to ensure that battle against the monstrous corruption fails beyond any form of redemption. Complicated revelations of mind boggling scandals of allegations and sometimes counter allegations by public office holders and bodies under this administration makes the recent assertion of the President of Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), Dr. Samson Ayokunle very apt when he alerted that “we need to caution the President in particular that the fight against corruption may not be too far away from around him. Those hands that are not right around him, he should be courageous enough to deal with them”.

 

The comedy of error is legion and the fallacy of “what about you” under this dispensation is legendary.  The drama premiered with cutting Ibe Kachikwu to his place by Maikanti Baru was followed by Abdulrasheed Maina reinstatement, sack and disappearance which is as tearfully comical as the shouting bout of Abba Kyari and Oyo- Ita in the hallowed chamber of Federal Executive Council. The collective indictment for us as a nation comes when corruption points accusing fingers at all, as the Minister for Justice and Attorney General sings “ it wasn’t me ” and others in the Interior, Presidency,  Head of Service et.al chorus for him. We are now at a cross road where the various anti-graft agencies are either at open cold war or marking time to take sides. The obvious implication is that these security agencies, DSS, EFCC, NFIU, CCB, ICPC have been effectively muffled, becoming toothless bulldog that can not give sinew to the President anti-corruption campaign while “corruption” and its proselytes are the only beneficiaries of the attendant, raging inter-service rivalries.

 

A cursory example suffices to buttress our point and show a gory portrait of the situation. The EFCC accused the Department of State Security Service attempting to scuttle its investigations into the $2Billion arms scam perpetrated by the former Security Adviser, rtd. Col. Sambo Dasuki, by refusing to release the department suspected officers for question. DSS on the other hand is alleging witchhunting because its Director General, Lawal Daura did not give a clean bill of health to the Senate during the screening of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu. If there is no synergy between security agencies, when issues degenerate into the low abyss of inter-personal interests, how can they prosecute the battle against corruption with one mind? This is volatile landmine waiting to explode; concerted efforts must be garnered to diffuse it.

 

It is instructive to note that all over the world, there are instances of inter-service rivalries but this is usually on operation matters and not to the extent of compromising securities or mandated objectives, whenever this occur, the  consequences are always very fatal. For instance, the twin bombing in the United States in 11th September, 2001 was discovered to have occurred due to the absence of inter-agency collaboration. The work of most agencies are inter-twined, therefore, there must be sharing of information at real time as the findings into the 9/11 incidence revealed. Today, because of intra-agency petty and negative rivalries, the country has been suspended from the Egmont group which is the operational arm of the global organisation for Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), ostensibly because of an initiative by the Attorney General to yank off National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) from EFCC as its autonomy is a desideratum to be pa the of the Egmont group.

 

The logical necessity for inter-agency collaboration is that while money laundering falls under the mandate of EFCC; there are issues in counter-financing of terrorism that are under the purview of DSS internal security mandate particularly because of events in the North East or external activities of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). It is only a devious system design by an element like Adolf Hitler that would consciously promote the negative import of inter-service rivalries instead deploying same as a balancing factor as was his policy of “survival of the fittest” between the Wehrmacht and Waffen SS during the Third Reich.

 

Nigeria has a rich history of collaborations between security agencies either as unified or joint command structures which have over the years proven very helpful.  Examples abound in the operations of the various Joint Task Force (JTF) which litter our geo-political landscape. The Eagle square bombing of 1st October, 2010 underscores more imperatively why inter-agencies rivalry must be shunned at all cost and collaboration embraced.

 

 

 

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23 Nov

PRESIDENT BUHARI SHOULD STOP EFCC AND DSS FROM TEARING EACHOTHER’S JUNGULAR

“ A House Divided Against Itself Can Never Stand ”

In less than a month, there are several reports of incidences of inter-agencies clashes especially between officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Securities (DSS) in a manner lacking all the paraphernalia of civil governance guarded by entrenched decorum, protocols, rules and patriotic responsibilities.

 

In a brazen display of national disgrace and embarrassment, the EFCC and DSS flexed muscles in gangsteric style when the anti-corruption agency wanted to arrest a former Director General of DSS, Ekpenyong Ita, and the same fiasco was displayed at the residence of the former Director General of Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Ayo Oke. The operatives of the two security bodies lay armed siege against each others, brandishing sophisticated weapons, taking pictures like yoyo kids for hours.

 

This act in itself is not only condemnable but it is symptomatic of a larger ailment afflicting our nation. Nigeria is held at captive in a permanent siege by the bankrupt and degenerate ruling class who do not respect the constitution and the citizens aspirations better life and socio-economic advancement in the same way the DSS and EFCC are pursuing a grand design to stalemate President Muhammadu Buhari anti-corruption campaigns. More importantly, the security forces in the country are not suffering from bringing forward the military mentality during the military absolute despoliation of governance in the country but act according to their conception. The security force in Nigeria were established by colonial dispensation as “ Forces of Occupation”, decades after, we are yet to purge these bodies from these idiosyncrasies and civilinised, constitutionalised and democratized their operations.

 

It is a trite fact that the EFCC and DSS are creation of laws and should be accordingly guarded without this menace of inter-agency clashes. The EFCC, like its sister organizations Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), was established by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and deriving further legal sinew from the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), African Union Convention on Preventing and combating Corruption, ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption, UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). The DSS on the other hand, though as an intelligence organization, there are various enactments, Instruments and protocols given it powers and regulating its operations, mechanism and jurisdictional demarcation.

 

Thus under normal and abnormal circumstances, there should not be any valid reasons for the two agencies to have jurisdictional clashes. These agencies are supposed to work together, their operations are meant to be complementary not contentious and antagonistic.  We are clear that there breaches by the parties leading to this clashes which must be quickly probed by the Presidency and stopped immediately.

 

 

CACOL calls on Mr. President to urgently call the pointsmen of the two organizations to order before the tear eachothers’ jugular and shred into dirty pieces this administration’s commitment to prosecute without resting the campaigns to eliminate corruption from our national psyche and menu.

 

Debo Adeniran

Executive Chairman, CACOL

08037194969

dadnig@yahoo.com

cacolc@yahoo.com

www.deboadeniran.com

 

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20 Nov

ABDULRASHEED MAINAGATE SCANDALS ARE MAIN TEST OF PRESIDENT MUHAMMED BUHARI ANTI-GRAFT CRUSADE

“ In a place where tradition is lacking, a striking example becomes relevant”

                                                                        ………….. Leon Trotsky

 

As much as we at the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL fully identify with the current administration rare and audacious commitment to vigorously prosecute anti-corruption campaign, we are quick to point out that President Muhammadu Buhari need to bring culprits of corrupt practices to effective justice, not just mere negotiations to recover stolen public funds. The President and his team need to step up the ante by making stigmatizing examples of culprits of corrupt and sharp conducts through diligent investigations, thorough prosecution, confiscation of properties and real time convictions in the court of law. This will not only serve as deterrent, but also a striking stigma against corruption, signaling the absolute dedication of government to vanquish corruption.

 

Without any equivocation, the unbridled looting of pensions funds, attendant sack, criminal conspiratorial reinstatement and correct but embarrassing re-sacking of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina is one major corruption case that should not treated with kids’ glove.

 

BEYOND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY INVESTIGATION OF MAINAGATE

 

In recent time, the media has been awashed with contradictory, confusing and often laughable assertions on the unpardonable stories of sleaze and corruption engulfing the seemingly “invincible” former Chairman of Presidential Task Force on Pensions Funds, Abdulrasheed Maina. Ironically, there has been curious passing round of the bucks. One of such silly infamies claims that the Federal Government is hampered to take up Maina case because the National Assembly is already investigating the matter. This smacked like a grand scheme to find soft landing for all those that are obviously indictable for this national disgrace, we are certain that a thorough forensic investigation would consume many persons. The other comical claim is that Maina has since disappeared from Nigeria and cannot be brought to book. That. some powerful allies seem to be hiding the above the law crook is an alluring conclusion one would deduce.

 

As of today, the Nigeria Senate has conducted its investigation into the matter but with a veil of secrecy. An ad-hoc Committee of the Senate set up to investigate the controversial reinstatement and the embarrassing promotion of Maina in the civil service of the Federal Government invited the Attorney General, Abubarkar Malami (SAN) and the Minister for Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazau  but the session were held in camera in the office the Committee Chairman. We strongly believe openness and transparency to the media and the general public is integral part of the campaign against corruption.

 

However, the House of Representatives is reported to have slated the commencement of its ad-hoc Committee for Wednesday, 22nd November, 2017. It promised that the session on Maina’s ill-handling of pensions funds would be broadcast live by Nigeria Television Authority. The Committee also invited Abdulrahman Danbazau, the Head of Service to the Federation, Mrs. Winfred Oyo-Ita, the acting Chaiman of EFCC , Ibrahim Magu and Chairman of ICPC, Prof Bolaji Owosanoye assuring Nigerians that Maina would come out of hiding to face the Committee.

 

CACOL therefore salutes the courage of the House of Representatives in slating the Committee with live coverage. We hope that would be opportunities for the general public to also interrogate this process. It is a trite truism that anti-corruption war goes smoother with openness, transparency, accountability and the rule of law. We condemn any move to shroud this critical investigation with any garb of conspiratorial secrecy – Nigerians have the right to know all details. We also call on relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that there is no back door settlement with Maina no matter the quantum of information he revealed against his co-travellers in crime. He, along with others must be made to face the full wrath of the law – when you commit the crime, you do the time.

 

The investigating Committee and all other anti-corruption agencies must not only investigate all the Government’s ministries and officials responsible for the mid-night smuggling of Maina back into the public service, his promotion but also the office of the Accountant General and Auditor General must explain how they paid Maina N21Million salary arrears for a period when the judgment of a competent court of law debar him from the civil service.

 

The entire civilized world is watching on what would be the outcome of this case, and thus must not be handled lightly. It is our well considered view that justice must be manifestly done, we know that heaven shall not fall. All public funds must be accounted for and infractions duly punished.

 

Debo Adeniran

Executive Chairman, CACOL

08037194969,

dadnig@yahoo.com,

cacolc@yahoo.com,

www.deboadeniran.com

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noimage 17 Oct

KACHIKWU AND BARU DEBACLE, VERIFY THE CLAIMS AND ACT DECISIVELY; CACOL TELLS FG.

The debacle between the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Dr. Maikanti Baru, GMD, NNPC with the attendant salient issues of corruption and administrative lapses must not be sacrificed under the altar of political expediency, the Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has said.
 
“We have followed the events that have been generated by the letter written by Kachikwu to President Muhammadu Buhari on “matters of insubordination and lack of adherence to due process perpetuated by Baru”, and before the dust settle we want to oppose any attempt to sweep the core issues raised in the letter and response of Baru under the carpets.” Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Executive Chairman of CACOL said while stating the position of the Centre.
 
“While we appreciate the President’s role in interceding, we consider the issues thrown up in the episode as grave. It is a situation that logically requires thorough investigations by the relevant anti-corruption agencies with a view to establish their veracities basic on the economic sensitivity of our oil sector.” 
 
“The altercation between the duo of Kachikwu and Baru, with the way the drama is playing out, this is no clear indication that this saga will not go the way some similar cases appear to have apparently gone. Nigerians were treated to a part of the ‘cover-up’ show in the name of reconciliation at ongoing National Economic Summit yesterday in Abuja where Kachikwu and Baru were posing for media cameras.”
 
“The President is quite aware of that there are backlog of cases involving public officials; both elected and appointed that has not been resolved. And as these cases pile up, the more the Federal Government’s fight against corruption led President Buhari loses credibility.”
 
“Unresolved cases bordering on corruption, misconducts and abuse of due processes involving high profile public officials still litter the ground and they are not indications pointing to their resolutions. That the cases of Babachir Lawal, suspended Secretary General of the Federation, SGF, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai etc. remain unresolved judicially is totally distasteful, so the President must take decisive steps to ensure that this episode is immediately investigated and those in comatose’ should be reactivated pursued to legal and logical conclusions.”
 
Adeniran consequently, we called on the President to immediately give directive to appropriate anti-corruption agencies and other security agencies for the commissioning of a comprehensive investigation of the allegations that border particularly on corruption and the administrative lapses.
 
He said “with what was revealed about the oil sector in their altercations are similar to the tradition that has characterized the management of our petroleum resources prior to the coming of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress FG, a government with a ‘serious’ anti-corruption agenda. All hands must be on dock to halt the tendencies that sustained corruption in NNPC.”
 
“Prior to this time, specifically on 13 September, 2017, CACOL had made a call to President in an open letter to make changes in his cabinet; Kachukwu was one of the topmost on the list of names we recommended to be sacked including Raji Fashola and Kemi Adeosun. Thus we are we once again reiterating the call for Kachikwu to be sacked or asked to resign.”    
 
“There are no concrete achievements to showcase 2 years after the inauguration of this government, by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources under the superintending Minister of State, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. All the lofty promises of performance including making the refineries functional within 6 months and building of new ones given by the Minister at the assumption of duty has fallen flat on their faces, just as Nigeria sadly still import refined petroleum products. At this rate, the situation will persist till this tenure lapse, which will be totally unfortunate and unacceptable.”
 
“Quintessentially, we also reiterate our call on the President to relieve himself of the position of the Minister of Petroleum Resources immediately. This is to allow him to concentrate fully on the wholesome administration of the government. This clearly needs be done conscientiously against the background of a National Assembly that apparently lacks diligence in its oversight functions preferring the mundane for the significant, it becomes expedient. Buhari should concentrate energy on supervisory roles over all Ministries and the Presidential leadership of the country while a substantive Minister is appointed for the Petroleum Resources Ministry.” 
 
In concluding and speaking on Baru, CACOL’s Chairman said, “the apparent personality clash in the saga is not as important as the business of the NNPC. Statutorily, the NNPC boss knows who he should report to. If the allegations leveled against him are confirmed, then he must be punished accordingly including between being sacked if findings disclose that as deserved. But as long as the job gets done, the person he reports to should not be made a sentimental issue.”
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
            
For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at
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noimage 17 Oct

LOPSIDEDNESS, SELECTIVE APPOINTMENTS, NEPOTISM; BUHARI MUST JUSTIFY HIS ACTIONS – CACOL

The Executive Chairman of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, has said that people should not be quick to criticize the President Muhammadu Buhari over perceived nepotism in appointments and projects allocations stating that there are adequate reasons for Nigerians to be agitated if the government cannot justify its actions.
 
Adeniran who was speaking against the background of criticisms that has trailed appointments, projects allocations and resource sharing said “Let us agree that an incipient nepotism is developing or had been growing prior to now. We should not mince words; nepotism is a form of corruption and it contradicts the supposed anti-corruption image of the Buhari-led administration and the so-called change mantra of his political party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.”
 
“We believe that the common wealth of the country should be evenly distributed. But be that as it may be, we must not trivialize equity. By this we mean, no component part of the country should be discriminated against in project allocations and federal appointments but meritocracy and fairness should be the underlining precautions that must always be factored in when it is about administration and governance in a democracy.”
 
“For instance, the present agitations over some projects allocated to the North eastern part of the country should not generated so much foray in public discourse were it not for the constant distrust that leaders have instilled in the minds of the people.”
 
“We believe it’s not out of place to allocate more projects to the North-East because of the challenges of that area. It may not sound fair, but we want the President to defend his action. He has a responsibility to justify it convincingly to Nigerians that the allocations are not nepotistic.”
 
“There should be no equivocation in taking decisions that would largely be acceptable to Nigerians as long as equity in sharing resources is prioritized to a very large extent. The truth is that the present government cannot wish away or invalidate the genuine agitations of the people and that is simply because they are valid!”
 
“We should now realize why people clamour for a rotational presidency; give a madman a hoe, he’ll make ridges for himself. If a president comes from the North or South, it’s expected he’ll take care of his own first. Admittedly, this is antithetical to democracy,”
 
“Whether a dichotomy exists between the Northern and Southern part of Nigeria in terms of making appointments, project allocations, resource sharing etc. can only be disproved by the actions or inactions of the holders of the levers of political power at the moment as led by President Muhammadu Buhari.” Adeniran concluded
 
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
            
For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at
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noimage 17 Oct

GET TO BOTTOM OF KACHUKWU AND BARU DEBACLE, VERIFY THE CLAIMS AND ACT DECISIVELY; CACOL TELLS FG.

The debacle between the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and Dr. Maikanti Baru, GMD, NNPC with the attendant salient issues of corruption and administrative lapses must not be sacrificed under the altar of political expediency, the Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has said.
 
 
“We have followed the events that have been generated by the letter written by Kachukwu to President Muhammadu Buhari on “matters of insubordination and lack of adherence to due process perpetuated by Baru”, and before the dust settle we want to oppose any attempt to sweep the core issues raised in the letter and response of Baru under the carpets.” Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Executive Chairman of CACOL said while stating the position of the Centre.
 
“While we appreciate the President’s role in interceding, we consider the issues thrown up in the episode as grave. It is a situation that logically requires thorough investigations by the relevant anti-corruption agencies with a view to establish their veracities basic on the economic sensitivity of our oil sector.”  
 
“The altercation between the duo of Kachukwu and Baru, with the way the drama is playing out, this is no clear indication that this saga will not go the way some similar cases appear to have apparently gone. Nigerians were treated to a part of the ‘cover-up’ show in the name of reconciliation at ongoing National Economic Summit yesterday in Abuja where Kachukwu and Baru were posing for media cameras.”
 
“The President is quite aware of that there are backlog of cases involving public officials; both elected and appointed that has not been resolved. And as these cases pile up, the more the Federal Government’s fight against corruption led President Buhari loses credibility.”
 
 
“Unresolved cases bordering on corruption, misconducts and abuse of due processes involving high profile public officials still litter the ground and they are not indications pointing to their resolutions. That the cases of Babachir Lawal, suspended Secretary General of the Federation, SGF, Lt. Gen Abdulrahman Dambazau, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai etc. remain unresolved judicially is totally distasteful, so the President must take decisive steps to ensure that this episode is immediately investigated and those in comatose’ should be reactivated pursued to legal and logical conclusions.”
 
Adeniran consequently, we called on the President to immediately give directive to appropriate anti-corruption agencies and other security agencies for the commissioning of a comprehensive investigation of the allegations that border particularly on corruption and the administrative lapses.
 
He said “with what was revealed about the oil sector in their altercations are similar to the tradition that has characterized the management of our petroleum resources prior to the coming of the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress FG, a government with a ‘serious’ anti-corruption agenda. All hands must be on dock to halt the tendencies that sustained corruption in NNPC.”
 
“Prior to this time, specifically on 13 September, 2017, CACOL had made a call to President in an open letter to make changes in his cabinet; Kachukwu was one of the topmost on the list of names we recommended to be sacked including Raji Fashola and Kemi Adeosun. Thus we are we once again reiterating the call for Kachikwu to be sacked or asked to resign.”    
 
“There are no concrete achievements to showcase 2 years after the inauguration of this government, by the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources under the superintending Minister of State, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu. All the lofty promises of performance including making the refineries functional within 6 months and building of new ones given by the Minister at the assumption of duty has fallen flat on their faces, just as Nigeria sadly still import refined petroleum products. At this rate, the situation will persist till this tenure lapse, which will be totally unfortunate and unacceptable.”
 
“Quintessentially, we also reiterate our call on the President to relieve himself of the position of the Minister of Petroleum Resources immediately. This is to allow him to concentrate fully on the wholesome administration of the government. This clearly needs be done conscientiously against the background of a National Assembly that apparently lacks diligence in its oversight functions preferring the mundane for the significant, it becomes expedient. Buhari should concentrate energy on supervisory roles over all Ministries and the Presidential leadership of the country while a substantive Minister is appointed for the Petroleum Resources Ministry.” 
 
In concluding and speaking on Baru, CACOL’s Chairman said, “the apparent personality clash in the saga is not as important as the business of the NNPC. Statutorily, the NNPC boss knows who he should report to. If the allegations leveled against him are confirmed, then he may be punished. But as long as the job gets done, the person he reports to should not be made a sentimental issue.”
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
            
For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at
Read More
noimage 17 Oct

NPA $20M BRIBERY SCAM; EFCC SHOULD SPEED-UP ITS INVESTIGATIONS – CACOL

The Centre for Anti-corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to expedite its investigations on the $20M bribery scam involving former officials of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA with the ultimate goal of bringing the culprits to book.
 
Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Executive Chairman of the Centre said “it is embarrassing and unacceptable that till date, the $20M bribery scam; an international case has not been seen to logical conclusions where culpability of suspects or otherwise would have been established and with culprits facing the full wrath of the law.”
 
“This is a case that involved a Swiss company, Dredging International Services (Cyprus) Ltd that has already being found guilty in Switzerland and fined 1 million Swiss Francs accordingly since 2012!”
 
“What could be taking the EFCC, other anti-corruption agencies and the Federal Government so long to identify the former NPA officials that received the bribe and bring them to justice just like it has been done in Switzerland? The fact that the Swiss government had sent its report on the bribery scam which indicted the NPA officials to the FG since 2012 makes the situation curious as far as logic is concerned. The case mocks Nigeria’s anti-corruption drive within the comity nations and something must be by the authorities.”  
 
“Again, we hear from media reports that the indicted companies are still bidding for contracts at the NPA while the $20M bribery scam remain judiciously unresolved. We note that such moves indicate that the case has been ‘resolved’ and business can continue as usual.”
 
“As such, we are therefore calling on the EFCC and other relevant agencies to move beyond ‘we are investigating’ to practical, expeditious and lawful means to bring those behind the bribery scam to justice no matter how highly placed they are in the society. Nigeria cannot continue to carry an image created by only a few persons via their incurable greed, lust for lucre and self-aggrandizement.” Adeniran concluded
   
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
            
For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at
 
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9 Oct

OPEN LETTER: URGENT CALL FOR THE REMOVAL THOSE WITH CORRUPT PROCLIVITY IN THE RECENTLY CONSTITUTED COMMITTEE TO TRY LOOTERS

October 6, 2017
 
Justice Walter S. Nkanu Onnoghen GCON
Chief Justice of Nigeria
Supreme Court of Nigeria
Three Arms Zone
Abuja, Nigeria
 
 
Your Lordship,
 
URGENT CALL FOR THE REMOVAL THOSE WITH CORRUPT PROCLIVITY IN THE RECENTLY CONSTITUTED COMMITTEE TO TRY LOOTERS
 
The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL welcomes the decision of the National Judicial Council, NJC to constitute a committee dedicated to the trying of looters of the commonwealth of Nigerians.
 
Sir, our organization, was up till December 28, 2016 known as Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders. An aggregate of human rights; community based, civil society organisations and individuals with anti-corruption and openness in governance agenda across Nigeria. It is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian, non-profit organisation.
 
We find it pertinent to call on you and your honourable office to reconsider the appropriateness of some members of the recently constituted committee by NJC on trying the looters of our commonwealth based on their apparent corrupt antecedents.
 
We are convinced that with the task before the said committee and the sensitivity of it, the NJC ought to constitute the body with people of impeccable credentials in terms of incorruptibility and glaring integrity.
 
As an organization that has been following the efforts of your Lordship particularly the recent positions being put forward by you against the behemoth called corruption and we believe it is imperative to forestall whatever will frustrate your noble intentions.
 
Justice Ayo Salami and people like Olisa Agbakoba are good nominees because of their track records in public space for the committee but one cannot say the same about some other persons basically because they apparently have baggage of corrupt practices. There are some lawyers on the committee who have clearly demonstrated that as long as they get their ‘fat briefs’, the learned fellows would defend the corruption cases against their clients. Morally and ethically, Lawyers like Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and J B Dauda, SAN have no business being on the committee based on their antecedents of defending suspected corruption criminals.
 
Your Lordship, the lawyers we are talking about have been persistent in defending suspected corruption criminals and helping looters with the benefit of their knowledge of law to wriggle through the lacunae to escape justice. Their regular justification has always been “we are only doing our work”.
 
It is against the foregoing that we are urging you not to take the risk of allowing people who are corrupt or have allegations of corruption that can distort your good intentions on the committee. We believe that the present government’s efforts on anti-corruption have its gains that are commendable and with judiciary rising to the occasion, we can end the repeated starts we have been making at excising corruption from our country.
 
Lastly, your Lordship, we call for a thorough and clinical screening on all the members of the committee to establish, and made public, their true qualifications upon which they are so trusted to be on such a quintessential body. The judiciary remains the last hope of the common people; in a situation where the Judiciary can longer serve the purpose of its creation, it becomes anachronistic, useless, and self-help is becomes the only hope, which is a recipe for anarchy.
 
Long Live, Nigeria!
 
Yours in service to humanity,
 
 
 
 
Debo Adeniran
Executive Chairman, Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL
0803-7194-969
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4 Oct

NIGERIA, 57 YEARS AFTER INDEPENDENCE: CALLS FOR RESTRUCTURING, PROSPECTS AND FORGING AHEAD IN NATION BUILDING – CACOL

 
57 years after independence, the clamour for ‘restructuring’ continues to resonate and as the next general elections closes in, it may seem like the call is now getting to the climax. The agitations that have surrounded what is called the ‘National Question’, which ‘restructuring’ is a component of, have gotten to crescendos and tipping edges that are akin to what we are witnessing presently in the country. The character of the political class and elites that have dominated the Nigerian socio-political and economic space, both in and out of power have no doubts constituted a huge obstacle to nation building which have led to several repeated starts, fake or transient victories.
 
The fact is that the discerning Nigerians who understand the history of the political intrigues of the country in the past years would apparently adduce the coming general elections in 2019; and the mostly inordinate ambitions of desperate and opportunistic politicians as the reason behind the recent calls for restructuring.  
 
At the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL, when the renewed call began to gain ascendancy recently in agitations, we had said that the restructuring of Nigeria’s body polity required to be profoundly interrogated, to understand the motivations and core purpose of the seemingly justified call.
 
Circumspection on all the labyrinths of issues over the National question remain very imperative, so as not to fall into the pitfalls of the past.  Nigeria with the apparent faulty foundations remain shaky owing to the historical reality that Nigeria and Africa in general were indeed partitioned at the bayoneting ends of the guns of colonizers; for the convenience of their political cum economic exploitation and subjugation of the people.
 
Again without any iota of doubt, the call to restructure Nigeria is neither the exclusive preserve of the ruling class in their intra-class fractional and factional struggles, nor is it a new call. It is a call, a demand, a bargaining weapon of choice, in their now covert, now overt intra-class skirmishes as 2019 general elections approaches.
 
The truth is that no matter how Nigeria is ‘restructured’, the fundamental issue will remain about the social emancipation of the vast majority of the people. Any form of restructuring that is not achieved side by side with the social emancipation of the component units of Nigeria will amount to naught. Such achievement will make no significant difference in National life and the lives of majority of the people who would still remain oppressed and exploited in any arrangement that emerges from ‘restructuring’ designed and controlled by the present ruling class i.e. the representatives of the political and economic status quo.
 
We are convinced that unless and until when the oppressed people of the different component units of Nigeria unite against their oppressors in their various units in a popular process that will put the destinies of the vast majority in their hands regardless of the unit/s they come from, the National question may permanently become a permanent question.
 
The pre-independence constitutional conferences, as well as the post-independence constitutional reform processes have all been at the heart, about restructuring Nigeria, as has been the numerous state agitation/state creation processes and the many constitutional and political conferences.
 
It is important to learn from the history of Nigeria’s several attempts at addressing the National question, either initiated by the Government or by the people (Civil society). From the Obasanjo staged managed National Conference to the last National Confab organized by the Jonathan Goodluck-led government, it is explicit that the call for restructuring and addressing the National question is beyond what the status quo will organize for obvious reasons.
 
The call to restructure Nigeria, it must be affirmed has also periodically found resonance among ordinary Nigerian citizens like National Consultative Forum, NCF and Pro-Peoples’ National Conference, PRONACO which gained traction particularly in times of deepening economic and political crisis. The more debilitating the economic crisis, the greater the instability in the polity, the louder the calls for restructuring gets.
 
Therefore the ongoing groupings and meetings across the country on restructuring are also not new. But the quintessential questions would be: do they have the full mandate and representative capacities to speak on behalf of the group, sectional or regional interests they lay claim to represent? What do their constituents understand by restructuring; the gains, losses and are they on the same page in terms of consensus? What would restructuring translate into practically; for the vast majority that will bear the brunt of possible gains or losses in terms of social economic development? What are the modalities for restructuring if a consensus is reached that such is expedient? These are the underlying fundamental questions and issues, the political class and elites across the country are not bringing to the fore in their present ‘agitation’ for restructuring beyond their phraseologies and sloganeering.
 
The story of Brexit and the consequence of superficial introspection and circumspection in process which is still fresh in global history is manifest in yet-to-be resolved dilemma-like situation that subsist between the United Kingdom and European Union where the UK have had to revisit the referendum that led to its exit from EU. We as people should take a cue from that and look before we leap beyond the apparent political bargain weaponry being wielded at presently by sections of the ruling class and elites across the country as the 2019 elections approaches.
 
Nigerian politicians are largely inconsistent in their views obviously because the positions they assume at most times on national issues are directly proportional to their narrow political interests’ tendencies beyond that of the country. Majority of politicians’ views on restructuring therefore cannot be far-fetched from inconsistent.
 
Hence the recent calls being shielded in nationalism and genuine will for nation building from members of the ruling class should be handled with ‘a pinch of salt’. This is because the ruling class factions and fractions who lost out or are losing out in the jostle for control of and access to state power at central and sub national levels proceed to mobilize existing grievances along the lines of existing cleavages, as well as co-opt existing and incipient resistance struggles of impoverished and oppressed citizens against declining living conditions and intensifying economic hardships.
 
Finally, we think President Muhammad Buhari’s speech on the occasion of the 57th anniversary is one that inspires hope for a better Nigeria in spite of the background of being a country facing very serious challenges almost on all plains. So we commend him for demonstrating commitment and sincerity of purpose in rebuilding the nation and particularly in the bold confrontation against corruption since he took over the reins of power.
 
The President’s call on the National Assembly and the Judiciary for support is nothing but presidential in act and humility exemplified and we support every move that will ensure harmony amongst the arms of government. The President outlined some ways he intends to make the fight against corruption more effective and that is what is expected of a leader and Nigerians should support him on the campaign.
 
Quintessentially, Nigerians must resolve on altering the socio-economic and political system which has concentrated the wealth of the collective in the hands of a tiny few that have subsisted for too long in their country. This is the fundamental task that must be done. Long live, Nigeria!
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noimage 4 Oct

CACOL OBJECTS TO TRANSFER OF SOME ROADS TO STATES; SAYS STATES SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON THEIR ROADS

The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, CACOL has charged the governors of the 36 states of the Federation to abandon their overzealous and unnecessary call on the Federal Government, FG to take charge of fixing federal roads within their various territories.
 
The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr Debo Adeniran, said “within each of the every states of the federation, majority of the roads under the purview of their governments are in serious and embarrassing conditions that can best be described as despoiled and unattended to.”  
 
The CACOL Leader who was reacting to the recent calls made by some governors to the FG at a meeting of the National Economic Council presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja posited that the states have their hands full considering their share of dilapidated roads that are sprawling the country all over.
 
Apart from rejecting the suggestion, Adeniran added “we oppose the suggestions that the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Raji Fashola has been peddling recently on tolling of roads; a measure which the governors added as a condition to fixing federal roads. Like the Minister, the governors are saying they will fix the roads through investors and toll them. But the country at different points in history has toyed with such ideas and has failed severally including tolling on roads and we remain where we are today.”
 
“Those suggestions have always come from the neo-liberal perspective of privatization under varied names and have been used by consecutive governments to abdicate the very basic reasons they were instituted for. Tolling of roads is akin to irresponsibly transferring the responsibility of government to the citizens, the tax-payers and the owners of the resources of the country.”
 
 “Also, going by the track record of some former and present governors in terms of the tendency to exploit such arrangements being suggested in terms of corrupt practices and self-aggrandizement, we cannot help but to be adamant in our skepticism as things stand. This may be another avenue for some sleazing governors added with the existing conduits of corruption which they hideously use to corruptly enrich themselves. Charity as they say begins from home, the conditions of our state roads without any iota of doubts seem to suggest how the governors will ‘rehabilitate’ and ‘maintain’ FG roads should be put in their charge.”
 
“We therefore propose and demand that the state governors focus more on the parlous conditions of most of the roads under their purview, while the FG should do same with the ones in its charge unless under an extraordinary circumstance. This way, the citizenry would be able to monitor the failures of both tiers of government in terms of performance on one hand and to expose corruption which has been a major bane in the excruciating experience of Nigerians on road infrastructural development on the other.”  
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