Legal scholars and experts hurled ‎verbal missiles around a round table convened‎ to brainstorm on winning the war against corruption at the University of Lagos on Thursday.
The round table, organised by the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, tagged “Winning the War Against Corruption” was also an opportunity to launch the book ‘Legal Perspectives to Corruption, Money Laundering, and Assets Recovery in Nigeria.’
The occasion began with the keynote speech ‘Rule of Law and Treatment of Politically Exposed Persons in Corruption Cases’ delivered by Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Mr. Falana, who was represented by Wahab Shittu, advocated the creation of special courts to handle corruption cases.
[b]The verbal battle began after controversial scholar, Femi Aribisala, took to the podium to discuss Mr. Falana’s speech.
“There is no fight against corruption in Nigeria. And if there’s no fight against corruption, you can’t even talk about war,” Mr. Aribisala began.
And then he launched into a 10 minute speech that attacked the global definition of corruption by Oby Ezekwesili, a former World Bank vice president who had earlier defined corruption as “the abuse of public space for private gains‎”, the prescription of special courts by Mr. Falana; and current administration’s effort against corruption.
“Corruption cannot be narrowly defined the way Dr. Ezekwesili defined it, only relating to public institutions. We are corrupt in Nigeria. The plumber, the tailor, the whole society is corrupt,” said Mr. Aribisala.
“And we have not yet taken a decision, we have not yet gotten to a point where we are fed up. I mean, she (Mrs. Ezekwesili) had given an example of Hong Kong where people became fed up and said enough is enough. We have not reached that situation yet, I don’t know why not, but we certainly have not.
“The 2015 election was not an anti-corruption election. We did not have any political party that presented an anti-corruption mandate to us. The party that won the election was just a makeover of the PDP, I mean the PDP people moved from the PDP to the APC. If they were corrupt when they were in PDP, they became clean when they were in APC.
“So there is no mandate against corruption. If President Buhari was determined to fight against corruption, my feeling is that he gave up after losing election three times.
“Because the fourth time, he formed an alliance with people who he despised before. And they were not necessarily people who had a track record of being (sic) anti-corruption. So today, I don’t know who is anti-corruption.”
‎Mr. Aribisala said the current fight against corruption by the President Muhammadu Buhari government is merely a fight against the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
“We have to make up our minds if we really want to deal with the question of corruption. If we want to deal with the question of corruption, Nigerians themselves must insist on it and we have to deal with it at the institutional level,” he said.
“The institutional fight against corruption that has taken place to the extent that it has, took place under PDP. The institutional structures, even the ones that the present government is relying on, are PDP structures. Whether it is EFCC, ICPC, TSA, all these came under PDP.
“In ten months of Buhari’s‎ government, there has been no institutional structure that has been laid against corruption. We have simple had media circuses accusing people of corruption.
“You cannot fight corruption with corruption. And corruption is more than just the stealing of money. If you disobey the rule‎ of law, you have corrupted the system. If you create an avenue where you have a big margin between the official foreign exchange rate and the parallel market rate, there’s gonna be corruption. If you have children of the rich getting into the CBN on nepotistic grounds, the corruption is still with you.
“If you have a budget that is padded left right and centre, and after this was revealed you passed it and say only a small amount changed in it, and we do not know what is in the new budget, you can’t say you are against corruption. There is no transparency in any of these things.”
Mr. Aribisala further stated that the current anti-corruption effort‎ lacks a clear focus.
“Because the last 16 years was not just PDP government,” he said.
“The legacy parties of the APC were also in power. In fact when the PDP was ostensibly dealing with corruption, it addressed people in its own party. We are not having that now.
“And that’s why I can’t trust Falana’s prescription that we are going to establish special courts. I don’t trust this government to establish those courts. They will simply establish courts to decimate the opposition.
“People like Orubebe will be arrested, and they will file cases against him and several months later they will drop the charges against him. And they will have pronounced him guilty in the newspapers on charges that will later on be dropped. That is not a fight against corruption.”[/b]
Mr. Aribisala’s speech received a thunderous ovation from the guests, mostly students, a situation which irked‎ Itse Sagay, a professor of Law and the chairman of the occasion.[b]
[b]“We are not here to make students clap,” a visibly angry Mr. Sagay, who serves as the chairman of a Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-courruption.
“We are here on a very serious business. And students, don’t behave like American electorates who are ignorant. Donald Trump. The appreciation of unserious people shows ignorance. How can someone come here and say there’s no war against corruption and there is clapping? ‎”
[b]Mr. Sagay said the APC had a manifesto that spelt out its strategies to combat corruption, and admonished Mr. Aribisala to stop making statements devoid of facts.‎
“Obasanjo created ICPC, EFCC, they are doing well we don’t need to create new institutions. You do not win a war by just creating multiplicity of institutions everywhere, that’s irresponsible. We will work with the institutions that we have.
“You don’t dilute the meaning of corruption to a point that it is meaningless. This is a very serious discussion and I want us to be serious about it. If you are anti-government, please go and campaign against government and let your party win in 2019.
“This is not a venue for PDP campaign. Most inappropriate comment. We are here on serious business. Let’s maintain that seriousness,” he said.
With Mr. Aribisala appearing unperturbed by Mr. Sagay’s stern remarks, Mrs. Ezekwesili pleaded for another chance at the podium, ostensibly to further drive the case against Mr. Aribisala’s argument.[/b]
“The systemic nature of corruption as a cancer against a system of governance is demonstrated in the fact that the activity of corruption begins to happen at their different levels,” Mrs. Ezekwesili began.
“So for example, I wasn’t surprised that some of you were clapping. The reason you were clapping is that you are a page in your own level of corruption.
“There are many whose exam malpractice is the basis upon which ‎they have come to school. So when you are talking about the need to wage a war against corruption, they are completely disconnected from it. There is a complete dissonance from it.”
Mrs. Ezekwesili urged the students to desist‎ from applauding populist statements.
“You need to be driven by the evidence of the damage and the destruction ‎that corruption is doing to you, at the unit level. If you think you are doing well now, you will do exceedingly better if corruption is effectively tackled in this society,” she said.
“There is no comedy session going on here. We are talking about something that can be destructive. You should be holding the gun to fight against corruption. The gun has to be intellectual, so I need you to intelligently process everything that is said.”

The Chief Media Consultant to the Forum of Spokespersons of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA), Mr. Yushau Shuaib, has resigned his appointment after three years serving as an intermediary between all the major security and response agencies and the media in Nigeria.
Yushau Shuaib who was engaged by former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki to serve as media consultant to military, security, intelligence and response organisations under a unified platform, had as his core mandate the responsibility of positioning the agencies for desired public perception and changing the negative narratives regarding the war against terror.

In his notice of resignation served the Chairman of the forum and Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, at the weekend, Shuaib said he could no longer continue to serve FOSSRA which is under the auspices of Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) because of what he termed “misleading report by presidential committee under the same ONSA” for unjustly accusing almost all institutions and individuals that served the office without fair hearing.

Shuaib, renowned for issuing press releases of government security agencies to media houses insisted that, “The retired AVM Jon Ode-Presidential Panel under ONSA is merely criminalizing critical institutions and indicting groups and individuals in the media without being arraigned in the court of law where the accused could prove their innocence.”

He queried the rationale behind empowering a Panel of Procurement of Arms that is composed of retired and serving military officers to also be saddled with probing contracts and services that have nothing to do with arms and ammunition.

The media consultant pointed out that “while the Jon Ode led-Panel deliberately refuses to acknowledge successes recorded by previous administration in the war on terror, the team has only succeeded in misleading the president with its biased reports that create unnecessary anxiety in the polity.”

Shuaib advised President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of those whose stock in trade is to blackmail and destroy others apparently as a way and means of venting their anger over their past frustrations or exerting revenge against their perceived enemies or rivalries while in the service.

“I wonder if President Buhari was able to conduct comprehensive background checks on some members of the panel before their appointment. A mere google check would have provided him a glimpse on the character and ethical capital of some of these individuals who may likely be showing frustrations occasioned by stagnation in posting, arraignment before court martial for indiscipline and fund misappropriation while in service apart from those that might have served as aides to controversial figures,” he said.

Shuaib, while defending a PR agency, Image Merchants that works for security agencies since 2013 with over 20 staff on its monthly payroll said: “It is mere mischief for the Jon Ode-panel to indict an umbrella strategic communication outfit that was not involved in partisan politics but provided proofs of its assignment and paid the full taxes demanded by the panel only for the same panel to turn around and claimed nothing was done just few days after an article we published exposing the lies being orchestrated that no weapons were bought by the previous administration for the prosecution of war on terror.

“The panel were even arguing with us on some contents of the published article forgetting that while most of them were on retirement we risk our lives by engaging top serving military officers on various security issues and on the field which we disseminate through the media to the public.

“They seemed to be aggrieved with the disclosure in the article that the previous administration bought sophisticated weapons for the military, which included: Alpha jets, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) APCs, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, advanced artillery pieces, assorted arms and ammunitions, highly sophisticated surveillance drones, T72 Battle Tanks and modification of F7 supersonic jet fighters.”

Shuaib clarified that at the twilight of Jonathan’s administration, more than 22 towns in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states were recovered and confirmed with video and pictorial evidences through military press releases.

Continuing, b]“Some of the towns recovered before the coming of President Buhari included: Abadam, Askira, Baga, Bama, Bita, BuniYadi, Damboa, Gamboru Ngala, Goniri, Gujba, Gulani, Gwoza, Hong, Konduga, Kukawa, Marte, Madagali, Michika, Monguno, Mubi, and others. A clear testimony to some of the accomplishments was the official DHQ release dated March 16, 2015 with reference No: DHQ/ABJ/901/32/DDI and a title: “Troops Finally Rout Terrorists from Bama and Last Stronghold in Yobe.”[/b]

“Jonathan’s administration achieved the feat through adequate funding of Multinational Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) and participating neighbouring countries in additional to recruitments of ‘Special M Forces’ that stormed the terrorists’ camps from the air. The combined and collaborative security efforts, according to the consultant, weakened Boko Haram terrorists from disrupting 2015’s general elections which Buhari eventually won.”

Shuaib further expressed surprise that an article published by an aide of President Buhari eulogizing former NSA Dasuki over the accomplishments in the war against terror by Jonathan’s administration, which he cited in his own article, has been deleted from the website of the news media that published it.

Shuaib stated that while the John Ode Panel deliberately refused to appreciate PR intervention in crisis management, “our strategic team manages many humiliating and embarrassing reports from leakages, including alleged terrorists’ attacks in the hometowns of top security officers in the current administration.”

The consultant warned that: “While it is wrong to criminalize the military by subjecting their officers to scrutiny in an agency headed by a policeman, it is appalling the continued exposure of our judiciary to public ridicule in the sensationalised anti-corruption campaigns. In this context, it is foolhardy for anyone to now contemplate using a PR agency to rubbish media integrity as another critical stakeholder. PR people engage the media professionally and responsibly to achieve strategic objectives.

“I strongly believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is being misled with negative and predetermined reports that continue to portray Nigeria as the most corrupt nation when he should be encouraged to address the current problems of weak Naira, fuel crises, poor electricity supply, skyrocketing costs of living among other economic challenges which are denting the image of the administration. President Buhari certainly does not need lies and distractive propaganda at this critical period.

“Since the President is neither a god to be worshipped nor a devil to be feared, General Muhammadu Buhari deserves love and respect of the citizens through transparency and motivating demeanour which are characteristics of a compassionate leader. My position on incorruptibility and integrity of Buhari is an open secret through my writings over two decades, right from the university days.

“We stand for Buhari not out of fear as if every Nigerian is a criminal; we love and pray for his success as a national leader. We therefore urge the President to be wary of vested interests who are clearly capitalizing on his sincerity and trust for their own proxy wars.[b]

“We honoured the invitation to serve our nation out of patriotism and we dutifully provided our services as crisis communicators diligently and professionally. While acknowledging the moral supports and encouragement from critical stakeholders, we will continue to volunteer, support and render the services responsibly. We would never abandon our clients, partners and friends especially those who are unduly victimized and vilified.”

[b]“Meanwhile we will soon be in the court to clear our name from the unfortunate media trial of indictment that has been used consistently to unjustly rubbish reputations of institutions and individuals without following the rule of law or due process,” Shuaib concluded.

aresa:






http://pointblanknews.com/pbn/news/president-jonathan-commissions-remodeled-enugu-airport/


You should worry about your own ignorance, shallow, can't read and comprehend and warped mentality first..

obailala:
Well, I am not privy to the exact funds which were made available, but my argument is purely based on the figures raised by SR which up till now, has not yet been denied by the people they accused.

Regarding whether the job was poorly done or not, the report by SR also claims the runway and terminal jobs are still a far cry from basic standards. Once again, no denials have been made in this regard so that report is what I base my comments on. Or do you have any contrary position on the figures quoted and the quality of the job?....

Finally, if you read through my responses, I haven't really judged anyone. I am only in support of proper investigations.

aresa:



They don't have to tell you anything in the report to arrive at that conclusion...

What she's denying is the contract for N10 billion to re-do the runway which was never done or poorly done, but she is conveniently dodging the N13 billion she was given to refurbish enugu airport terminal...

N10 billion + N13 = N23 billion.

aresa:
[b][/b]


I don't waste my time on ignorant and unintelligent people like you..

obailala:
On the contrary, you are the one with the zombie instincts else you should have understood the sarcasm in my message. Now since you are incapable of discerning simple statements, may I spell out my message using the most simple words, "who should be blamed for the poor job done?"

obailala:
Na wa oo.... So in this whole story it is only the tribal aspect you are able to see?.... What has really gone wrong with the psyche of Nigerian youths?

N23billion was released for the upgrade of Enugu airport runway and terminals. The upgrade of the runway was to make it a kilometre longer to enable larger planes (international) land at the airport. The upgrade of the terminal was to get it to international standard.

Now to start with, N10bn is more than enough to build an entirely new runway, but someone ended up doing a shaby extension work on the old bad runway and now large international airlines are wary of the airport.

Then we have N13bn for the upgrade of the terminal, under normal conditions, that amount would build a massive new international standard terminal. But what do we have today, we have a glorified airstrip at enugu after N23bn has gone down the drain and and large airlines are wary of the airport.

Now this is supposed to be the only international airport servicing the SE axis, but an allegation like this is made and all you as a south easterner can do is to reduce it to tribalism?..... What kind of self hate is this?... This attitude has to be a broad form of the stockholm syndrome. Just recently, the ipob group claimed it was hausa and yoruba marginalisation / manipulation that led to the unavailability of a common tarmac shuttle bus at the enugu airport and you all cheered on. Now an allegation like this is made and instead of you to support a proper investigation, your mind can only think of tribal persecution against the woman?..... wow!

aresa:
[s][/s]



I don't waste my time on ignorant and unintelligent people like you..

obailala:
So Stella did not award the contracts for the upgrade of the Enugu Airport yet we have been praising her all along?

Now we need to know the exact person who should take that glory for the upgrade (and also, the accompanying blame for the poor job).

aresa:



She's deflecting the N10 billion contract award for the runway which was truly awarded before her tenure while staying silent about the N13 billion she was given to refurbish the terminal when in fact the same N13 billion was more than enough to build a bigger and better airport from scratch with longer and better runway.

Either way, she contributed to the lousy state of that airport and looking at that terminal, I don't think she spent more than 1 billion on that terminal..


All in all, N23 billion in total is down the drain....






http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/fg-approves-n106bn-for-construction-of-new-airport-terminals/

lacidi:
Enugu airport was shutdown for runway renovation on 10-Feb-2010
- Enugu Airport reopened for commercial aviation services on 16-Dec-2010 after the runway extension and resurfacing. (closed for ~10 months)
- Babatunde Omotoba was the aviation minister that initiated, awarded and started the project. He was replaced by Fidelia Njeze (in April 2010) who supervised the completion of the project.
- Stella Oduah was confirmed as Aviation minister on 02-July-2011

sammyj:
ignoramus

ibedun:
I bet this useless thieving woman from 'that side' has Yam Legs from akpu munching, like the rest of her olosho sisters all over Nigeria.
The woman is a shameless born liar!!!

drss:
but fashola who bought 3 bmw cars worth N600 million is a ministerial saint in buari dullard's govt yeye dey smell.

LadyExcellency:


What denial?

Was the BMW not bought?

politricks:
http://www.google.com.ng/search?q=stella+odua+airport+remodel&client=ms-opera-mini&channel=new&gws_rd=cr&ei=gQX4VsiAI4Hsas27obgM

politricks:
Why didn't you add olisah metuh. Besides?, how many times have you heard FFK talk compared to before?

politricks:
Why didn't you add olisah metuh. Besides?, how many times have you heard FFK talk compared to before?

sammyj:
..... ignoramus

petkoffDrake:
Probe man is about to knock on ur door

sammyj:
Madam keep sh*t. Was this not thesame way you denied the BMW Odua gate scandal. Madam do the needful and refund our money to the treasuery !!!

Posted By: Adekunle Jimoh on: March 26, 2016

The-yet-to-abate fuel scarcity in the country assumed a dangerous dimension on Saturday in Ilorin, the Kwara state as three gunmen opened fire on motorists queuing for petrol.
The incident happened at one Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Filling Stations in the metropolis.
In the ensuing melee, it was gathered that the gunmen left two young men and a lady with serious injuries.
Some others on the queue and other officials of the station were said to have scampered for safety.
The incident according to eyewitnesses occurred in the early hours of the day. It was gathered that the three men were part of some youths who had forced themselves on the station, located along Offa Garage Road, to manage the gates to reduce the practice by many motorists to jump the queue in their desperate bid to get fuel.
An eyewitness said “it was due to an argument among the boys; you know they are thugs and they have been at the gate but we don’t really know what led to the argument but we just suddenly heard the gunshots and it was later discovered that some people were seriously injured.”
The three victims it was gathered were rushed to a private hospital, Yusjib Industrial Medicare, along the same axis.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the facility, Dr Yusuf Abdulraheem, told newsmen the three victims were in stable conditions. He said one of them had been taken to a laboratory where the bullets in him would be extracted.
Kwara police command’s spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the development.
He said that one of the gunmen has been arrested adding that a locally made pistol and some live cartridges were recovered from the suspect.
Management of the filling station could not be reached, as the Manager only promised to call back after several calls to him. He also did not respond to text messages from reporters.

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK MAR 26, 2016


SaharaReporters has learned that scores of people were killed during a Boko Haram raid that began at 8am today. At the time of publication, no definitive number of dead or injured is known.

The raid took place at Tumpun villiage near Lassa in the Askira Uba Local Government Area (LGA), according to sources speaking with SaharaReporters.

These same sources told our correspondent that Boko Haram terrorists arrived on bicycle and tricyle to the community and looted their foodstuffs before leaving.

Kallamu Musa Dikwa, Remember him? The pastor who alleged that ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, gave out N7 billion to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship off Nigeria (PFN), to facilitate and support his reelection has confessed to lying.
Musa Dikwa who is the Executive Director of the Voice of Northern Christian Movement (VNCM), has admitted to telling lies and now seeks forgiveness from those whom he maligned.
The controversial pastor apologized to the to the President of CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; General Overseer of Living Faith Worldwide aka Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo and Secretary, National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), Pastor Bosun Emmanuel.
Bosun Emmanuel, one of the pastors maligned by the controversial Mr. Dikwa, narrated this to the Religious Affairs Correspondents, on Thursday, in Abuja. He recalled that; “During the electioneering campaign leading to the 2015 elections, Musa Dikwa addressed a press conference in which he claimed three ministers of the gospel, the President of CAN (Pritsejafor), Bishop David Oyedepo and myself (Pastor Bosun Emmanuel) received N7 billion from the Jonathan administration to mobilise ministers of the gospel nationwide to campaign for his re-election.”

jideflash:
we are still in darkness, God Help Us.