Crime
Lawmakers, EFCC challenges public officials on anti-corruption
From Adeko Ukpa, Abuja
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Hon. Ginger Onwusibe and the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, have warned public officers in the country to shun corruption.
Hon Onwusibe and Olukoyede made the call in their separate speeches during the opening session of a three-day workshop on: “Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency” organised by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Crimes in collaboration with the EFCC in Abuja.
The workshop which was facilitated by Barclays Global Consult Nigeria Limited, was attended by over 100 state and local government officials from Jigawa State.
Hon. Onwusibe who was represented at the event by the Acting Clerk to the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Austen Tolu Adesoro, noted that the country has been battling public sector corruption, money laundering, illicit financial flows, and various types of fraud for some decades, despite the current legal and institutional measures in place.
He encouraged state governments to domesticate and implement statutory laws against financial crimes as well as sensitise staff, citizens and stakeholders at all levels to promote ethical reorientation and change societal tolerance for corrupt practices.
He added that the promotion of ethical whistleblowing and respect for public funds and property must be intensified, while personal responsibility and professionalism should be encouraged and rewarded to stimulate staff commitment to work.
In an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the session, Onwusibe, through the Clerk of the Committee, Adesoro, said: “The objective of this training is to equip state and local government officials with the do’s and don’ts that will help save us all from the hydra-headed monster of corruption in the country.
“The 10th House of Representatives under the Speaker, Rt. Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, through the House Committee on Financial Crimes, apart from the oversight function of overseeing agencies, we believe in going an extra mile in the fight against corruption, which one institution cannot effectively do. We believe that fighting corruption should be a joint task.
“It is on this note that we are also working in line with the Chairman of EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, in applying more preventive measures. We don’t want to limit ourselves to exposing and prosecuting offenders alone, we want to apply preventive measures.
“It is part of this preventive measure that has geared the committee to this approach of organising seminars for government officials at the state level.
“We are not also stopping there, permit me to use this opportunity to mention that we are also looking forward to amending the EFCC Act in order to give more powers, to ensure that the EFCC Act is completely embedded in the Nigerian constitution in order to make it more effective.”
The Chairman of the EFCC, Olukoyede, who was represented at the workshop by the Acting Commandant of the EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja, Chinwe Ndubueze, noted that fiscal responsibility is at the heart of accountable governance and efficient public service delivery.
He said: “You will all agree with me that 70 per cent of the problem that Nigeria faces in the public sector is down to poor fiscal transparency. In every budget cycle trillions of Naira are appropriated to cater to the nation’s pressing infrastructural, social and economic needs.
“Were these resources applied in accordance with laid down rules, Nigeria’s fortune would be different today. Instead, we have had the terrible fortune of rules being circumvented and funds diverted or out rightly stolen through various sharp practices in the procurement value chain, while the rest of us suffer the consequence of the indiscretion of a few corrupt public officers.
“We cannot continue to play the game of ostrich, pretending to be interested in accountable governance while perpetuating practices that undermine accountability.
“Let me remind you all that as public officers, you occupy a vantage position to determine the fortune of this nation. Nigeria with all its human and natural resources has no business being poor.
“Corruption is the albatross that has held this nation captive. The current generation of public servants have a duty to shake off the decadent past and help Nigeria achieve her dream as a great and prosperous nation. We can only achieve this if we shun corruption in all forms.”
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), Hajiya Hafsat Abubakar Bakari, represented by the Director of legal Services of the agency, Barr Kingsley Amaku, described the training as timely and necessary intervention, “particularly at a time when financial integrity and accountability must be at the forefront of governance at both federal and state and local government levels.
“The fight against corruption requires not just enforcement but also a well-informed public sector that understands the legal and institutional frameworks designed to promote transparency.
“Bridging the knowledge gap in the provisions of our laws is essential to curbing corrupt practices, and this workshop serves as a crucial step in equipping you our government officials with the tools needed to uphold accountability in the public service at all levels.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Barclays Global Consult, Nigeria Limited who is the immediate past Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Matthew Kolawole, said the programme was meant to educate government officials at all levels on how to manage finances and funds that are coming to their state.
“You understand that a lot of money is going to the state and local governments, but most local governments’ officials are just newly elected. They are not acquainted with the laws that guide the utilisation of their finances,” Kolawole said.
The Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), in Jigawa State, Hon. Abdulraman Lawal, and the Director of Local Governments in Jigawa State, Ismail Yusuf, in their separate remarks, said they expect to be better equipped with the necessary knowledge on how to apply and manage local and state government finances in line with extant laws and financial regulations after the training.
“Our expectation for this training is that we will go home better than the way we arrived because we are before the experts to lighten us and show us the nitty-gritty on how we can be more careful in way and manner we manage our finances in our individual local governments,’ Lawal said.
On his part, the Jigawa State Director of Local Governments, Ismail Yusuf, said: “Our expectation is that, we have newly elected local government chairmen and there is need for us to give them a capacity building on how to carry out their jobs so as to avoid any kind of financial mismanagement and be excellent leaders that will carry and manage the public funds in a proper manner.”
Other heads of anti-corruption agencies who were present at the opening session of the workshop, included the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Dr Usman Bello Abdullahi, who was represented by a member of the board of the agency, Juwariya Badamasi, Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related offences Commission, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, represented by Hassan Salihu.
Crime
Timi Frank urges Tinubu to sack Service Chiefs, commends Trump, others over concern for Nigeria’s security situation
Adeko Ukpa, Abuja
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately sack the nation’s security chiefs following the unabated killings of Nigerians across the country.
Frank, in a statement in Abuja, in reaction to the fresh killing of soldiers in Borno state by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, expressed deep concern over the rising wave of insecurity, banditry, and kidnappings, describing the situation as a national tragedy that requires urgent executive action.
According to Frank, Nigerians are being killed “like chickens” daily across the North, South, East, and West, a clear indication that the country’s security architecture has collapsed under the current leadership.
“Our soldiers and policemen are dying in large numbers due to poor funding and lack of proper equipment. Despite massive budgetary allocations to the security sector, the funds do not reach the men and women on the front lines, nor are they used to purchase the right equipment needed to combat insecurity,” the statement read.
Frank stated that the continuous killings have attracted international attention and commended U.S. President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz, for their advocacy on behalf of Nigerians, especially their condemnation of the incessant killing of Nigerians in parts of the country.
“We commend President Donald Trump for his concern and moral courage in speaking against the killings of Nigerians. We equally commend Senator Ted Cruz for lending his voice to these injustices. Their actions have helped to break the silence of our political class, especially those in the ruling party,” the statement added.
Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, also urged the United States government, under the leadership of President Trump and other international partners, to intensify pressure on the Nigerian government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“This administration cannot continue to negotiate with terrorists while detaining innocent and peaceful Nigerians. We therefore call on the international community, especially the U.S. government, to intervene and pressurise President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu immediately,” he said.
Thumps Up for Trump, Senator Ted Cruz
The statement further commended President Trump for his leadership in facilitating negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, urging him to “show the same compassion and leadership” by lending his voice to the call for Nnamdi Kanu’s release.
He also lauded activist Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), for boldly leading the call for Kanu’s unconditional release from detention.
Nigeria’s Bilateral Relations with U.S.
On Nigeria–U.S. relations, Frank emphasised the importance of preserving the historic friendship between both nations.
“Nigeria has always maintained a cordial relationship with the United States. We will not allow any government or individuals to destroy that friendship. As Nigerians, we remain committed to strengthening our ties with the U.S. in the interest of peace, democracy, and global security,” he said.
Scores Nigerian Senate Low
He lambasted the Nigerian Senate for criticising Ted Cruz over his comments about killing of innocent Nigerians describing them a as a “disgrace and disappointment.”
“If the Senate and by extension the National Assembly had faithfully and diligently carried out their constitutional mandate of oversight and representation in checkmating executive recklessness like the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu and getting the security chiefs to act in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, Senator Ted Cruz would not have picked on Nigeria as a good example of unwarranted attacks,
killings and intimidation of innocent citizens by deadly gangs.
“Look at how they took their time to respond to Senator Ted Cruz’s comments, while they failed over the years to stand for justice by calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu or to ensure through their oversight powers that the security chiefs live up to their mandate to protect defenceless Nigerians from horrific attacks and killings,” he said.
END
Crime
Timi Frank condemns killing of Charlie Kirk, condoles with Trump, USA, family
By Adeko Ukpa, Abuja
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has strongly condemned the assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, describing it as a painful and irreparable loss to the global youth movement and the democratic community at large.
In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, Frank said: “Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a big loss to this generation – not just to the United States of America, but to young people all over the world. At only 31, he had already begun to shape political discourse beyond America’s borders.
“Kirk was a rising star, a passionate patriot, and a man whose love for God, country, and humanity was evident in everything he stood for.”
Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, called on Governor Spencer Cox of Utah and the United States Government to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident.
“It is important that justice is served swiftly and decisively, not only to bring closure to his family and supporters but also to send a strong message that such cowardly acts of violence have no place in any democratic society.
“I commend both the U.S. Government and the Government of the State of Utah for the progress made so far in the investigations and for keeping the public duly informed,” he said.
Frank further described Kirk as a role model whose life embodied the ideals of democracy.
“Charlie Kirk represented the truth that young people are indeed the future of politics and governance. While many may not have agreed with all his political opinions, there is no doubt that he lived for what he believed in – freedom of speech, freedom of association, and the pursuit of democratic ideals. His life and work will remain a source of inspiration to generations of young leaders worldwide,” he added.
Expressing his deepest condolences, Frank said:
“I commiserate with the Kirk family, his followers, and supporters both in the United States and across the world. I also extend my heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of the United States and to President Donald Trump.
“May Charlie Kirk’s gentle soul rest in perfect peace with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”
He concluded with a call for unity and reflection: “Let Charlie Kirk’s life remind us all that no matter our political differences, violence and the taking of human life remain cowardly acts that run contrary to the ideals of democracy and humanity.
“May his teachings and his example continue to inspire a world where dialogue, freedom, and respect for differing opinions thrive.”
Crime
Timi Frank to Tinubu: Call Oyetola, APC thugs in Osun to order
From Adeko Ukpa
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola and his APC thugs to order in Osun State.
Frank in a statement in Abuja, said the call has become necessary to restore peace in Osun state following clashes between APC and PDP faithful in the state over control of local government areas in which many lives have reportedly been lost.
Violence erupted on Monday in Osun State as the battle for the control of the local government secretariats between the PDP and the APC turned bloody.
A Court of Appeal judgment was interpreted differently by the APC and the PDP.
Adeleke and Oyetola, who is the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy have strongly disagreed over the alleged reinstatement verdict of the Court of Appeal.
Governor Adeleke had insisted that the sacked council chairmen cannot return to office, citing security reasons.
However, Oyetola said the Appeal Court judgment would be implemented through the instruments of law.
He added that the council executives should resume yesterday.
Frank said: “Intelligence at our disposal has revealed that the present strategy and plan by Oyetola is to make the state ungovernable for Governor Ademola Adeleke, so they can hide under the guise of crisis in the state to declare a state of emergency in Osun State.
He lamented that following the crises orchestrated by Oyetola and his APC thugs, the National Secretary of the APC, Dr Ajibola Basiru, who is from Osun State, had on live television on Monday evening urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state to curtail further violence.
He quoted Basiru to have said that: “I will suggest that perhaps it will be necessary for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency. It has gotten to that stage where hapless people coming from farms are attacked by uncontrollable PDP thugs.”
Frank said: “Their major target is to declare a state of emergency because they know that if the elections are allowed to hold today, Governor Adeleke will still win.
“So they want to abort his second term through crisis and violence to pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency.
“The President is hereby called upon to break his silence in spite of the fact that Osun is his State of Origin and home town but the state is being ruled by the PDP and Governor Adedeké is the people’s choice.
“Therefore, we are using this medium to let him know that if the present crisis is allowed to degenerate beyond what has already happened, both Oyetola and himself, as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria would be held responsible.
“Presently, Oyetola is using Federal Might to engineer evil and anarchy in Osun State and this nonsense must stop with all urgency.”
Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, called on all well-meaning Nigerians to speak up to save the nation’s democracy “because what is happening in Osun state is sheer impunity, dictatorship and arrogance on the part of the APC that is trying to capture every part of the country at all cost – not through the ballot but through impunity and criminality.
“We call on the people of Osun to stand strongly with Governor Adeleke in the face of this aggression being fueled by Oyetola and the APC.
“They must not be intimidated but resist the rascality of federal might that the ex-Governor and his party are using the way they have always done.
“Come to think of it, Oyetola was governor for four years without any developmental projects to show for it but Adeleke has been there in the last two years and has done so much which has profoundly impacted the lives of the people.
“Despite the intimidation we encourage the people of Osun State to stand firm in support for Adeleke, to prevent any form of distraction in rendering good governance in the state as part of his electioneering promises.
“They must equally rise up against every plot to declare a state of emergency in the state courtesy of Oyetola and APC through which they intend to destabilize the Adeleke’s administration take over the state by all means because they know that Oyetola or any other APC candidate cannot win an election in the state to unseat Adeleke.
“So, that’s why Oyetola and APC are very desperate to take the state by force because they believe that that is the President’s home town.”
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