The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced that it would soon publish the list of most corrupt ministries, department and agencies in Nigerian.
It also announced the ongoing arrest of civil servants who live beyond their means.
The Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who made these known when was addressing participants of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies at the Abuja headquarters of the agency said: “we are developing scorecard like Transparency International which rates countries as to the level of corruption of countries.
“We have developed one for ministries departments and agencies. Hopefully, we know those who will take the first prize.”
Nta added that once the 2016 Budget is passed, the ICPC would begin to monitor how monies are being spent.
Speaking on the theme, ‘The role of the ICPC in the War Against Corruption: Mandate, Strategies and Challenges’, the ICPC boss said that the commission had started prosecuting public servants that live beyond their means.
“From one of the employees of one of the organisations, we seized about 61 or 62 houses in an estate. The matter is in court so I can’t say too much but I want to say that the officer was not a man. We do prosecution but also try to seize the assets acquired (through corrupt means) so that apart from prosecution, we can strip you of the assets within and outside the country.”
Nta said that the ICPC is also investigating university lecturers who demand sex from female students in return for good grades.
He said that even though it is the role of the police to investigate cases of sexual harassment and rape, it is also the role of the ICPC to investigate cases bordering on abuse of office.
“We have special teams that investigate universities here. Quite a number of students that have spent more than the statutory period, like young girls who have spent eight years for a four-year programme because they refused to do what should not be done. We got involved and they have graduated and we are still looking at the possibility of prosecution.” [myad]

A Federal High Court in Abuja has accused the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, of abusing court process, saying that Saraki’s fears that he would not get justice at the Code of Conduct Tribunal was speculative, misplaced and had no place in law.

Saraki had challenged his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal as a breach of his fundamental human right.
In his judgment today, Friday, Justice Abdulkadiri Kafarati, said that he based his decision on the preliminary objection of the Federal Government against Saraki’s suit.
He agreed that it was too early for Saraki to have brought the issue of fundamental rights to fair trial when the tribunal had not concluded its findings on the falsification of assets charges brought against him.
Kafarati also held that the applicant was wrong in raising the issue of fundamental rights to seek nullification of trial when in the real sense his case did not fall within Chapter 4 of 1999 Constitution.
According to the judge, the CCT is a competent tribunal, which derives its powers from the CCT Act and it has the powers to try criminal matters.
He said that the prayer four which the plaintiff said was politically motivated was sentimental, adding that sentiments had no basis in law.
The judge also held that this court would not interfere with the constitutional duty of the respondents in the case as doing so would amount to ruling the constitution.
Kafarati agreed with the submission of Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) that Saraki’s case constituted a gross abuse of court process.
He said this was so because he had already taken the same case to the Federal High Court, Lagos, Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court, where decisions were made against him.
Kafarati, therefore, upheld the preliminary objection of the Federal Government to the case and he subsequently dismissed the case, saying there was no need to go into the substantive matter.
Saraki was arraigned by the Federal Government on a 13 count-charge bordering on false assets declaration and money laundering before the CCT.
Saraki, through his lawyer, Raphael Oluyede, claimed in the suit that he could not get justice from the tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar, because he was being investigated by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. [myad]

The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State asked the federal government to charge Governor Ayodele Fayose for sedition as he reportedly wrote to the Chinese government not to grant President Muhammadu Buhari’s request for a $2 billion loan for development purposes.
The party which argued that President Buhari’s initiative is in tandem with other countries of the world that are engaged in bilateral arrangements for development purposes, insisted that Fayose’s conduct amounted to national sabotage and seditious conduct that must not be allowed to go unchallenged.

In a statement, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, called on the security agencies to check Fayose treasonable and seditious activities. He urged them to open their books to address the party’s claim that the governor was a security risk to Nigeria.
“We also urge the Nigeria Medical Association to conduct medical check on Fayose for psychosis because no other science can explain why he is conducting himself in a manner that suggests that he has lost his sanity.”

The party’s spokesman regretted that the governor got himself busy spending Ekiti State money on frivolities, while workers’ salaries remained unpaid for four months.
“As we speak, doctors are on strike and Ekiti people are dying while the governor gets himself busy with the activities that will lead to evasion of justice in his several alleged criminal cases so that he can protect his questionable wealth across the world. Even though he has the right to entertain himself being a jester as he has always been, this should not be taken to the extent of constituting a security risk to the Federal Republic.
“While other PDP governors, notably Governor Ayade of Cross River State, are always in Aso Rock on building relationship with the Federal Government for the development of their states, Fayose has made himself a lone enemy of the Federal Government as a self-appointed leader of the opposition to discredit Buhari’s development initiatives.”
Olatunbosun wondered why a governor that is borrowing money for capital projects with the backing and approval of the Federal Government was opposed to the Federal Government doing same for the same purpose.
The APC spokesman noted that all countries of the world had become inter-dependent, assisting one another in areas of their weaknesses to achieve their development goals and objectives.
Olatunbosun said: “All countries of the world borrow to finance their development goals, the US, UK, Japan, Germany and China are no exceptions.
“With the position of China as the second biggest economy in the world today, no country can ignore that Asian giant, and so it is in the interest of Nigeria to work with China in bilateral relations for development and technological issues that go with adequate funding.
“Unfortunately, Fayose sees nothing good in this initiative that has potential to grow our economy for the benefit of all Nigerians but prefers pursuing motives to amass wealth through misapplication of the state’s funds while Ekiti people suffer.”
Noting that he expected Nigerians in the southern part of the country to support all efforts that can make the Calabar-Lagos rail a reality, Olatunbosun expressed dismay that Fayose was opposed to a loan that would make that dream a reality to ease transportation burden among Nigerians, notably his South West people.
“It is regrettable that while Fayose is pursuing his personal interests and causing distractions over his sundry allegations of crimes in courts to evade justice, he is sabotaging Nigeria’s interests through seditious activities to compound Nigeria’s woes.”
Fayose had on Wednesday written to the government of China urging President Xi Jinping not to approve a $2 billion loan to implement development component of the 2016 national budget
He sent the letter through his emissary to the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, while he personally took a copy of the letter to Shanghai to be delivered to the Chinese President. [myad]

The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN), and human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), have described as a recipe for promoting corruption, the move by the Senate to amend the law setting up the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, with a view to whittling down the agencies’ powers.

The Senior Advocates of Nigeria said the commencement of the amendment of the Act, establishing the CCB and CCT by the Senate, had exposed the intention of the country’s legislators to encourage corrupt practices and shield corrupt leaders from prosecution.

This was even as the Senate, had on Thursday, passed for second reading, a bill for to amend the CCB and Tribunal Act barely 48 hours after its presentation by the sponsor, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, (Peoples Democratic Party, Delta North), on the floor of the upper chamber.

It has also set Tuesday next week to begin deliberation on another bill meant to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act that will remove the powers of the CCT to try criminal cases. Both bills were presented on the floor of the upper chamber and read for the first time on Tuesday.

Some observers wondered if the rush to pass the bill to amend the CCB Act was not a ploy by the red chamber to frustrate the current trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the CCT.

The Senate President is facing criminal prosecution for alleged false and anticipatory asset declaration during his tenure as the Kwara State governor between 2003 and 2011.

Saraki had instituted serial suits at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he had challenged the constitution of the CCT to try his case.

Professor Sagay said the move by the senators had exposed the level of lack of moral integrity on the part of the members of the red chamber.

“It’s a surprise to me, because I really don’t know that our mentality has degenerated to such a level of self-service that the people, who were sent to the National Assembly to make laws for the benefit of all Nigerians, have started a process that will allow a complete crisis; an Act that corruption cannot be prosecuted.

“To me, this is the highest level of shameless misconduct by the generality of the members of the red chamber. Obviously, there is no limit to the level of disgusting things they can do.”

Falana, in his reaction, described the proposed amendment of the CCB/T Act and the ACJ Act as an ill wind that would blow no good to those behind it.

He said that the proposed amendment amounted to a conflict of interest because it was being proposed because of one man.

He, however, pointed out that even if the amendment succeeded, by virtue of the provisions of the constitution, it would not have a retroactive effect, adding that it would not have any effect on cases already pending in court.

“Any amendment of the law under the constitution cannot and will not have retrospective effect. The amendment will not have any effect on pending cases in court.

“The excuse being advanced for the devilish agenda is jejune because the CCT, whose members are screened for appointment by the Senate, cannot be said to be under the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“The proposed amendment also amounts to a conflict of interest because you cannot, because of one man, amend the law of the land. It will amount to an exercise in futility.” [myad]