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With five days to the end of President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure, the President, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, 29 governors and 42 ministers have been asked by the Code of Conduct Bureau to declare their assets, SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports.
Also on the list of public officials who must declare their assets before leaving office are the country’s 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives.
The bureau, last week, issued the Completed Assets Declaration Forms to them with a 30-day deadline to return the completed forms. The deadline countdown starts from the day of the receipt of the forms.
Apart from the outgoing government officials, the forms have also been made available to incoming public officers, particularly members of the states and National Assembly.
The officers that will be assuming office in the incoming dispensation also have to return the completed forms within 30 days of receiving it.
The CCB, in an advertorial by its Acting Secretary, Kolade Omoyola, in some newspapers last Tuesday, had reminded “political office holders to declare their assets on assumption and vacation of office in accordance with Paragraph II of the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”
According to the law quoted by the CCB, failure of a public officer to declare his or her assets in line with law “shall attract on conviction any or all of the following: (a) Removal from office (b) Disqualification from holding any public office, (c) Forfeiture to the state any property acquired in abuse of office or dishonesty.”
Jonathan had, last year, rejected calls on public office holders to declare their assets openly, before and after office. According to the President, public declaration of assets is “playing to the gallery.”
The President said this during his third presidential mediaCHAT
in Aso Villa, Abuja. The President emphasised that no amount of pressure would make him declare what he owned. He argued that making his assets public knowledge would not change the economy or solve the challenges in the security, power and agriculture sectors.
in Aso Villa, Abuja. The President emphasised that no amount of pressure would make him declare what he owned. He argued that making his assets public knowledge would not change the economy or solve the challenges in the security, power and agriculture sectors.
He added that as Vice-President to the late President Musa Yar’Adua, he declared his assets then because Yar’Adua forced him to.
Yar’Adua is the only Nigerian President known to have declared his assets.
Jonathan had said, “The issue of public assets declaration is a matter of personal principle. That is the way I see it, and I don’t give a damn about it, even if you criticise me from heaven. When I was the vice-president, that matter came up, and I told the former President (late Musa Yar’Adua) that let’s not start something that would make us play into the hands of people and create an anomalous situation in the country.
“The law is clear. A public officer should declare his assets, and if there are issues, then the relevant agencies would have a basis to assess whether you have amassed wealth or not. When it is said that people should declare their assets in public, it is not only the president or the vice-president; it includes everybody, including ministers.
“When I was a governor in Bayelsa State for about a year before becoming vice-president, I was investigated thoroughly. I have nothing to hide. But because I was under somebody and it was becoming an issue, because of the media, and because my boss had declared, it was said that the vice-president must. I declared, not because I wanted to.”
“Initially, I said they can talk about it from morning to night, I will not. It is not proper. If one amends the law to say that only the president and the vice-president should declare assets publicly, fine. But, presently, everybody who is holding political office is expected to and I say it is not right.”
SUNDAY PUNCH further gathered that so far, only seven senators and 40 House of Representatives members in the outgoing 7th National Assembly have submitted their forms to the bureau as required of them under the law.
Our correspondent also learnt that two of the 42 ministers have also completed and submitted their forms.
It could not be confirmed on Friday whether President Jonathan, Sambo and the governors had submitted their completed forms.
Identities of those who had complied with the provisions of the law under Paragraph II of the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria could not be ascertained as of press time.
The Governors of Rivers and Kogi states, however, confirmed receipt of the declaration forms.
The Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Mr. Tony Okocha, told SUNDAY PUNCH that Governor Rotimi Amaechi would soon submit his assets declaration form to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
Okocha said he was aware that his boss received the form.
“The Governor Rotimi Amaechi that I know will submit his form to the bureau very soon. He has no skeleton in his cupboard and has nothing to hide anywhere in Nigeria and anywhere in the world,” Okocha stressed.
The Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, on Media and Strategy, Mr. Jacob Edi, also said the governor, his deputy, commissioners and all political appointees in the state had submitted the forms they collected to the bureau.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on Saturday, he said, “Regarding the submission of the assets declaration form, the governor is not at fault; the commissioners and all other relevant political office holders are not at fault.”
In the same vein, Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Media, Dr. Festus Adedayo, told our correspondent that Ajimobi had no intention of hiding his assets from the CCB. He said the governor had demonstrated uprightness and honesty as a public servant and that having declared his asset before he became a governor, he would not shy away from doing it again.
He said, “He certainly will. Don’t forget that Ajimobi was one of the few public office holders who declared his assets publicly in 2011.”
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Peter Okhiria, said the form had been submitted by the governor prior to his swearing in, as stipulated by law.
“In fact, before the governor was sworn in, he submitted the form,” Okhiria told one of our correspondents on the telephone.
In Akwa Ibom, Governor Godswill Akpabio’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anietie Ukpe, refused to disclose if the governor had collected the form.
He said, “If my boss filled the assets declaration form, is it supposed to be made public?”
Jumia has brought to you the Mobile Week Megathon which will be going on in the month of June starting from 1st of June to 6th of June...
This mobile week enables user to buy all products at a very cheap price as there will also be exclusive launching of new phones and all will be at a very discounted price..
So people, start marking them on your calendar and wait for June as the mobile week holds for first 7 days of June.. Share it to other of your friends.. It's Gonna Be fun so enjoy..
Thanks
His comments below:
Too bad you threw the bomb at yourself on this. You are my friend but the truth must be told.
Question 1. Name a single soul you’ ve ever helped?
Question 2. Why did your fellow childhood friends deserted you?
Question 3. What have you given back to the society that made u?
Infact lets go deeper.
First of all, OJB produced you and brought you to limelight and even gave you a song for free without you paying a dime. But you threw your back at him when the world were rallying round to save his life. Not even a dime from you when lesser musicians gave their widows mite.
No any Idoma sons could say he’s on your scholarship list yet you have the mouth to talk back at the people that you helped in eating from their states’ funds.
You ate the resources meant for Benue State during Akume days in PDP as a governor when he bought you a Camry.
How about Donald Duke when he was the PDP governor of cross Rivers State? He lavished the state resources for you and still paid 20 million naira just to reunite the plantation boiz yet you have the guts to say PDP did nothing? Better still, you for reject all the money.
Akwa-Ibom state governor under the PDP-led government lavished the money meant for the state to sponsor your wedding. Why didn’t you kick against it when he gave you eight jeeps and sponsored several people to Dubai just to attend your wedding?
Jolly Nyame wasted th state resources on you and you practically abandoned Lagos for Taraba just because you began to taste the juicy side of unmerited resources from government coffers.
Don’t forget… when you sang ” I de feel like so so so and so person… because you de spend for me.” Over 70% of the names you mentioned were PDP people you joined in eating away the future of their states.
Brother man, sorry to say this… you don’t even stand the moral ground where conscience speaks to talk about PDP.
I would love Banky W, the little Davido that just started, Ice Prince, Don Jazzy and so many others to talk because they don’t dine with the PDP and their states’ funds yet they’ve given a whole lot to the society.
On your wedding day, you took away the pleasure of the eyes from Nigerians to Dubai so that dem no go fit benefit even small thing from you. Stingy life.
Oyine, abeg le klachi fa.
The Nigerian Air Force on Wednesday said Muhammed Shuaibu suffered in the hands of four of its officers because he broke the rule.
“He, however, refused, claiming that he was a member of staff of FAAN. He is a protocol officer and I expect him to know better, considering the security challenges in the country.
“Shuaibu struggled with our men and acted violently in an attempt to retrieve the number plate of his vehicle that was removed, which is a usual practice to serve as deterrent to other motorists who park indiscriminately.
“Contrary to the report that he was beaten to a coma, it was in his attempt to retireve his number plate that he sustained injury in his nostrils. He was later taken to the 445 NAF Hospital, Ikeja, for medical treatment before he discharged himself on Monday.
“However, a thorough investigation will be carried out and if any of our men is found culpable, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against them as the Nigerian Air Force does not condone any act of indiscipline and brutalisation of innocent citizens.”
But Shuaibu, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, explained that it was not the first time that airport workers would be intimidated and beaten by the air force officers.
He said he wanted his attackers to be punished and his case to serve as a deterrent to other security officers who abuse the privilege of power.
Narrating the incident to our correspondent, the victim said his friend had come to the airport to pick him up when the air force officers on duty at the time removed the vehicle’s number plate.
He said when he challenged the four gun-wielding officers, they pounced on him, torturing him with their guns until he became unconscious.
A senior official of FAAN, who pleaded anonymity, condemned Shuaibu’s torture, saying brutality was never a way of enforcing the rule.
Shuaibu, a Protocol Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, was tortured by some officers of the air force at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on Sunday.But the Command Public Relations Officer, Logistics Command, NAF, Joel Abioye, said Shuaibu suffered for breaking the rule and seeking to use his position to outsmart the officers.
“The incident happened at the Departure wing of the International Airport, Ikeja, on Sunday when one Muhammed Shuaibu, a protcol officer with FAAN confronted our men on duty for challenging him for parking in a wrong place, thereby obstructing free flow of traffic.This same man had earlier been cautioned to stop allowing motorists park indiscriminately for security reason. He was instructed to move his vehicle to the designated car park at the airport.
“He, however, refused, claiming that he was a member of staff of FAAN. He is a protocol officer and I expect him to know better, considering the security challenges in the country.
“Shuaibu struggled with our men and acted violently in an attempt to retrieve the number plate of his vehicle that was removed, which is a usual practice to serve as deterrent to other motorists who park indiscriminately.
“Contrary to the report that he was beaten to a coma, it was in his attempt to retireve his number plate that he sustained injury in his nostrils. He was later taken to the 445 NAF Hospital, Ikeja, for medical treatment before he discharged himself on Monday.
“However, a thorough investigation will be carried out and if any of our men is found culpable, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against them as the Nigerian Air Force does not condone any act of indiscipline and brutalisation of innocent citizens.”
But Shuaibu, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, explained that it was not the first time that airport workers would be intimidated and beaten by the air force officers.
He said he wanted his attackers to be punished and his case to serve as a deterrent to other security officers who abuse the privilege of power.
Narrating the incident to our correspondent, the victim said his friend had come to the airport to pick him up when the air force officers on duty at the time removed the vehicle’s number plate.
He said when he challenged the four gun-wielding officers, they pounced on him, torturing him with their guns until he became unconscious.
“It was on Sunday and a friend of mine came to pick me. Before he even got there, I was already waiting for him. As I got out, I discovered, the officers had removed his number plate. It was a common practice at the airport to extort strangers who did not know the rules.“I went to meet them and identified myself as a FAAN official. But they said it was none of their business. I told the driver to let us go, that I would get it later. But he said he would not go because he could be arrested by the police.
“I went to meet them again and begged. They said if I didn’t leave the place, they would shoot me. One of them suddenly came from behind to attack me. He hit me with the butt of his gun and others joined him. They did not stop until I became unconscious.”Shuaibu, who reportedly suffered internal bleeding, was later taken to the Aviation Clinic at FAAN headquarters, before being referred to the Air Force General Hospital on Monday after his condition worsened.
A senior official of FAAN, who pleaded anonymity, condemned Shuaibu’s torture, saying brutality was never a way of enforcing the rule.
“If people parked wrongly, their cars are deflated and they are made to pay a fine of N50, 000. Beating has never been part of enforcement. Removing of number plate has also never been part of the rule. The air force officials do it to extort money from people.”Shuaibu appealed to the government to put an end to the assault, saying he wanted his case to be the end of such incidents.
“I appreciate the efforts of the media, but this is just a single case out of many others which never get any mention.“I have no plan to personally pursue a legal case, I am leaving everything to FAAN.
“But I want the government to intervene and let these assaults end with my experience.“It has to stop and the only way to do that is to punish officers who attacked me.”
Mr. Anenih had earlier resigned his position citing the current state of affairs in the party as his reason.
In a one-page letter President Goodluck Jonathan, the leader of the party, Mr. Anenih said his decision to quit would enable the president to effectively assume the chairmanship of the BoT.
The letter dated May 20, 2015 and titled: “Notice of my decision to step down as Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Mr. Jonathan leaves office on May 29 following his defeat by his All Progressives Congress challenger,Muhammadu Buhari, in the March 28 presidential election.
The letter reads: “Your Excellency will recall that in a conversation I had with you a few weeks ago, I had offered to step down from the office of the Chairman of our party’s Board of Trustees and proposed to hand over to you as its new Chairman in a ceremony that would have taken place on the 23rd of May, 2015. I had also repeated this position in our subsequent meetings.
“As a follow up to the above proposal and in view of the current state of affairs in our party, I have decided to formally put my offer in writing to enable you effectively assume the Chairmanship of Board of Trustees or approve a process that will enable any other member of the BoT who is considered competent, to assume the position.
“Kindly accept therefore, this letter as notice of my decision to step down from the position of Chairman of the BoT of our party with effect from today, the 20th of May, 2015.
“I am happy to inform you that, I remain a loyal foundation member of our great party and will continue to pray for the prosperity of Nigeria, our party, and for you and your family.
“Your Excellency, kindly accept the expression of my highest regards,” the letter said.
Mr. Anenih’s resignation followed a similar decision by the party’s chairman, Adamu Mu’azu, who also stepped down on Wednesday as the ruling party faces its gravest crisis in its 16-year history.
The PDP has been in turmoil since it lost the presidential election which held March 28.
The party also lost most of its states especially in the north to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The APC has also snatched the majority number of seats in the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Top members of the party, including governors, have been calling on the NWC members to resign their positions for leading the party to its most disastrous outing since 1998.
Already, the party has ordered the investigation of one of its top members, Femi Fani-Kayode, for criticising its leadership.
In a sign the party’s crisis may be far from over, officials on Wednesday questioned why the PDP hastened to announce that it had accepted the resignation of Mr. Anenih, when the former BoT chairman’s letter was addressed to President Jonathan.
The disclosure by Mr. Anenih that President Jonathan would likely become the next BoT chairman, has a precedent in the party.
On the eve of his exit from office, former President Olusegun Obasanjo had caused the PDP Constitution to be amended to reserve the chairmanship of the party for past president.
The constitution was, however, altered in during the 2012 Convention to open the position for others.
Mr. Anenih, who had been the PDP BoT chairman before Mr. Obasanjo, was reappointed into the position when the former president resigned in April 2012.
The former president said he resigned to have more time to develop his Presidential Library and to mobilise and encourage investments in Nigeria and Africa.
He left the party in February this year.
If you could recall Mr. Robinson got the name The Village Headmaster for the role he played in the television series by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) by that title.
The news of his death was announced by his two sons Seun and Wole Robinson, on his facebook page in a message that reads...
“This is to notify you that we lost our father, Femi Robinson this morning – Seun & Wole Robinson (sons).”Although the cause of his death was yet to be ascertained, reports said he probably died due to old age related issues. May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, on Wednesday in Ado Ekiti, Fayose said, “We see it as a welcome development. When a political party loses an election, the moral thing for the leadership of that party is to quit office.
“Muazu and others ought not to have waited for the call for their resignation before doing the right thing. We hope others would follow his step. This will allow re-engineering of the party to make it a virile opposition party.”
“Fayose supported the call for his resignation in the interest of the party, Alh. Mu’azu also resigned in the interest of the party, so both of them are fighting for the interest of the party.
“We must all join hands to make PDP stronger because as May 29 approaches, the party would assume a new role as opposition party.”
Shell’s role in a $1.1bn corruption scandal in Nigeria poses significant hidden risks for investors, the international non-governmental organisation, Global Witness, said at the company’s 2015 Annual General Meeting.
The warning comes as the oil major is lobbying the United Kingdom and United States authorities to undermine the implementation of new transparency laws, which will consign such secretive deals to history.
The corruption at the heart of the deal deprived the Nigerian state of over $1.1bn, triggered investigations by authorities in three countries and can potentially lead to Shell and its Italian partner, Eni, losing access to the oil block.
Global Witness, in a statement on Tuesday, noted that in 2011, Eni and Shell paid $1.1bn for Oil Prospecting Licence 245, one of the largest off the coast of Nigeria.
“The money should have ended up in state coffers, where it is badly needed – the amount in question is equivalent to two thirds of the Nigerian health care budget,” the NGO said.
Instead, the payment was made by Shell and Eni to the Nigerian government, who had a separate agreement to pay the same amount to Malabu Oil and Gas, a company controlled by a former oil minister, Chief Dan Etete, according to Global Witness.
It said as Etete had awarded the oil block to Malabu Oil and Gas while minister during the regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha, he had effectively given himself one of the most lucrative oil blocks in the country.
The Director of Global Witness, Simon Taylor, was quoted in the statement as saying, “This is a billion dollar bombshell; Shell’s shareholders deserve to know the stakes. This deal is being investigated in several countries and could be cancelled altogether.
“Such shady deals expose investors to risks they do not know about, entrench corruption and rob people in countries like Nigeria of money they badly need for things like schools and hospitals. So why is Shell blocking laws that would bring such payments into the open? What else have they got to hide?”
While noting that Shell and Eni denied paying any money to Malabu Oil and Gas, Global Witness, however, said High Court proceedings and other evidences seen by it revealed that both firms were aware and in agreement that the deal was for the benefit of Malabu.
Global Witness stated, “If Shell and Eni’s claim that they purchased the oil block from the Nigerian government are true; then under the constitution, the $1.1bn should have been paid to the Nigerian government’s ‘Federation Account’. It was not.”
Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, has been ranked the 18th best goalkeeper in the world in 2015 by United Kingdom newspaper, The Telegraph.
In a poll conducted by the media outfit on its website, votes were cast to determine who the best keeper in the world was and the Lille goalkeeper made the list of top 20 goalkeepers in the world.
Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer is in first place followed by Manchester United’s David De Gea and Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois. Joe Hart of Manchester City is fourth while Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus came fifth.
Other goalkeepers in the top 20 are Petr Cech of Chelsea, Keylor Navas and Iker Casilas of Real Madrid, Hugo Lloris of Tottenham Hotspur and Salvatore Sirigu of Paris St. Germain.
Victor Valdes of Manchester United, Pepe Reina of Bayern Munich, Diego Lopez of AC Milan, Samir Handanovic of Inter Milan, Wojciech Scezceny of Arsenal, Rene Adler of Hamburg, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Claudio Bravo of Barcelona and Southampton’s Fraser Forster complete the list.
Enyeama has had an astounding season in the Ligue 1 with English giants Liverpool reportedly scouting the Nigerian keeper ahead of a £3m deal at the end of the season.
The Reds’ scouts have been impressed with the 32-year-old’s performances after watching him in action.
Enyeama became only the second Nigerian footballer to attain the 100-cap mark, when he featured for the Eagles in the 1-0 defeat to Uganda in an international friendly in Uyo in March.
Meanwhile, Enyeama has said he is not disappointed by his club’s inability to win any trophy in the outgoing season.
Lille are eighth in the French Ligue 1 table thereby missing out on the chance to play in next season’s UEFA Europa League but the goalkeeper, who also missed out on the Best African Player in the French League, toldfootballlive.com that he was already preparing for next season.
“I didn’t win any championship or trophy but I want to thank God, it was an amazing year for me as a player,” he said.
“The planning for the next championship has to start now and I think that we are ready to start preparation for the forthcoming season.”
Enyeama has kept 16 clean sheets for Lille this season but has conceded 40 goals in 37 games. During the 2013/14 season, Enyeama kept 11 consecutive clean sheets, only conceding a goal after 1,062 minutes, which made him 114 minutes shy of equalling Gaëtan Huard’s Ligue 1 goalkeeping record of 1,176 minutes of clean sheets set in 1993.
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