Those indicted for corruption will be confronted with the documents that incriminated them - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says that he is not losing any sleep over accusations that he has been selective in his anti-corruption war because those indicted will be confronted with documents that incriminated them.

He said that some powerful Nigerians are constituting stumbling blocks to his government's anti-corruption crusade in order to derail the project. 

His words ;
“I cannot tell you offhand how much we have recovered (in looted funds) but those who said we have been selective, if they have not been involved in corruption, they would not mind; they will even encourage us to get whoever has compromised his position in the trust given to them.

“So, I see it in the papers, I watch it on the screen but I have never lost sleep over it because those who are not corrupt should only encourage us to even do more.

“But those who are interested, those who have abused the trust will go to any length including bribing people to give false information.

“I have not been selective. Whoever is caught, the documents that incriminate him or her will be used to prosecute him (or her) for Nigerians to know really who has abused trust.

“The stumbling blocks are big, corrupt Nigerians that have the capacity to compromise the integrity of a lot of people, either the law enforcement agencies or journalists to make sure that they discourage the government from pursuing them and recovering public funds from them or punishing them. Those who aspire to public office, we will make sure what they are going to get is service and not looting.”

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Not all nominees will be ministers - Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has indicated that he plans to have a lean cabinet.

Speaking from New Delhi in an interview with NTA and Channels Television, President Buhari said that because of lack of funds, his government may not appoint more than 21 ministers as opposed to the 42 that operated under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Buhari was in New Delhi to attend the third summit of the India-Africa Forum.

The president said that he only sent 36 ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation to meet the constitutional requirement that each state of the federation must have a representative in his government.

He said that not all the 36 nominees would be ministers as some would only sit in the cabinet to fulfill the constitutional provision of one representative from each state.

“Yes, there used to be 42 ministers, I think we will be lucky if we can have half of that now because we cannot afford it.

“Others may not be substantive ministers but they will sit in the cabinet because that is what the constitution says and we cannot operate outside the Constitution,” he said.

When asked pointedly if he would be appointing less than 42 ministers, he retorted,
“Of course! Unless you can volunteer to be paying them (ministers).”

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29 More Senior Officers Retire From Nigeria Customs

Barely 24 hours after five Deputy Comptrollers General of Customs (DCGs) voluntarily retired from the Service, another 29 senior officers have toed the same line, bringing the total to 34.

The Nigeria Customs Service has described the retirements as part of its current reorganization process but LEADERSHIP reports an inside source as attributing it to irreconcilable differences between the senior officers and
the new Comptroller-General, Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd).

The five DCGs who kick started the voluntary retirements include John Atte, in charge of Finance Administration and Technical Services , Adewumi Akinade, in charge of tariff and trade; Austin Nwosu, strategic research and policy; Musa Tahir, Enforcement , Investigation and Inspection and Ibrahim Mera,  Human Resources Development.

LEADERSHIP WEEKEND quotes the inside source as saying that Col Hameed Ali has not had a smooth relationship with the top cats at Nigeria Customs Service since his assumption of office as Controller General.

“Being that the new CG is not a career Customs officer, I believe his ideals about the workings of the agency, is at variance with that of the DCGs.

“I'm not surprised they took this step, they must have strongly disagreed with the CG regarding some issues and decided it was time to take a bow,” the unnamed source said.

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The Pastor, the Minister, the Tribunal and the N70m bribe

The Federal Government has dragged the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe before the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja on four-count charges bordering on false declaration of assets and bribery.

Orubebe whose trial commences at the CCT on November 9 was recommended for trial by the Code of Conduct Tribunal through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The charge sheet signed by Mr Peter Danladi, a senior lawyer at the CCB reads;

“That you, Godsday Peter Orubebe, while being a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Niger Delta Affairs, on or about June 29th 2011 did make a false declaration in your asset declaration form by failing to declare plot 2722 Kyamu District Abuja on assumption of office on 26th September 2007 and on leaving office (at the end of your tenure), on June 29, 2011and you thereby committed an offence under section 15 of Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act Cap C15 and as incorporated under paragraph 11(1) & (2) of Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the Constitution  and punishable under section 23(2) of the CCB & T Act.“That you Godsday Peter Orubebe, while being a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, on or about June 29, 2011 did make a false declaration in your asset declaration form by failing to declare plot 2059 Asokoro district, Abuja on assumption of office on September 26, 2007 and on June 29, 2011 and you thereby committed an offence under section 15 of the CCB & T Act, and punishable under section 23 (2) of the CCB & T Act.

“That you Godsday Peter Orubebe while being a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs on or about September 19, 2012 asked for and accepted the sum of fifty million naira from one Pastor (Dr) Jonathan Alota, as bribe for the contract awarded in favour of his company, Chemtronics Nigeria Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 10 of the CCB & T Act, and punishable under Section 23(2) of CCB & T Act.

“That you Godsday Orubebe, while being a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in charge of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, on or about 2013 asked for and accepted the sum of twenty million naira from one Pastor (Dr.) Jonathan Alota as additional bribe for the contract awarded in favour of his company Chemtronics Nigeria Limited  for the construction of skill acquisition Centre at Edo State for the sum of one billion seven hundred and ninety nine million, nine hundred and fourteen thousand two hundred and fifty naira eighty eight kobo only (₦ 1,799,914,251.88K) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 ofCCB & T Act”.

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Nobody Can Say When Insurgency Will End - Gowon

Former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon has said that the deadline given to the military to defeat Boko Haram and end terrorist activities is not sacrosanct.

He spoke in Abakaliki on Tuesday during a working visit to Gov Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.

His words;
“I can tell you this; nobody can really talk about when any particular operation is going to end. And as a (former) commander-in- chief, I know this.

“Yes, you can say you target a particular time, but it may finish before that time or it may go slightly beyond. To end it, that is the most important thing.

“I assure you that I have absolute confidence in our military that they are going to really deal with the situation as they are doing at the moment.

“May the spirits of these poor little children who are being brainwashed to carry out such heinous crimes rest in peace."

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Air Force Bombs Boko Haram Facilities In Sambisa Forest

Nigerian Air Force jets have destroyed workshops, vehicles, fuel and ammunition dumps belonging to terror group Boko Haram in Sambisa forest.

NAF’s Director of Public Relations & Information, Air Commodore Dele Alonge who made this known in a recent statement said that the strikes were made possible by the use of drones and the ATR-42 aerial surveillance aircraft.

He assured that the success of the strikes would enhance the achievement of the December deadline for ending insurgency in the country.

The statement ;
“In a renewed drive to further degrade the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) assets, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha jets have successfully carried out air strikes and destroyed the sect’s vehicle workshops, fuel and ammunition dumps all within the Sambisa forest.

“This feat by NAF came as a result of a painstaking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts by the NAF’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and ATR-42 platforms.

“The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, wishes to assure all Nigerians that with these successful strikes on the insurgents, their capabilities have been further degraded to pave the way for the final onslaught by the land forces to meet the Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives to bring insurgency in the Northeast to an end."

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FG's Fresh Charges Against Dasuki.

The Federal Government on Monday filed four fresh charges against former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki.

The new charges bordering on
retention and concealment of funds, which are alleged to be “part of proceeds of an unlawful act” contrary to sections 15(2) (a), (d) and (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) are in addition to the earlier one count charge of illegal possession of firearms.

The charges allege that on July 17, 2015, various amounts of money comprising $40,000, N5m and $20,000 as well as illegally possessed firearms were  recovered from Dasuki’s house at 13, John Khadiya Street, Asokoro, Abuja,

It is also alleged that $150,000 and N37.6m were recovered during searches on Dasuki's houses at Sultan Abubakar Road and Sabon Birni Road, Sokoto, on 16 July 2015.

The firearms said to have been recovered from Dasuki include
five Tavor assault rifles; one Macro Uzi rifle with serial number 60244; 20 magazines (ammunition); one packet of Ministry of Defence APG calibre gun; and a Luger gun with number, 033373, a small magazine containing 16 rounds of ammunition; a bigger magazine containing live rounds of ammunition; one magazine with 16 rounds of live 9mm ammunition and 36 rounds of live ammunition.

Dasuki is accused of acquiring the firearms without requisite licence,  contrary to the provisions of section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted bail on self recognition and seizure of his international passport.

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