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January 11, 2024 Olu Agunloye Remanded in Kuje Prison Over Mambilla Power Project
IFMUYONEWS

Olu Agunloye Remanded in Kuje Prison Over Mambilla Power Project

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the former Minister of Power and Steel, Mr Olu Agunloye, before Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High court, over allegations of fraud.
Mr Agunloye was brought before the court on Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty to the charges read against him.

The Judge ordered that he be remanded in Kuje Correctional center, pending when the bail would be granted.

The EFCC in December 2023, declared Agunloye wanted on an alleged case of forgery and corruption. In a communique shared by the Commission on X and its website, the former minister’s image was displayed with a message urging the public to provide information that could lead to his arrest.

Shortly after the EFCC’s alert, Agunloye was apprehended and detained.

The minister who served under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government (1999-2003), was being quizzed in connection with the Mambilla hydro power project.

Obasanjo had accused him of fraudulently awarding the contract for the project without the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval, an allegation which Agunloye denied rather claiming the former president was distorting facts.

Meanwhile, Agunloye’s travails has generated a lot of reactions from Nigerians. Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka while weighing-in on the matter, questioned the EFCC’s action.
In his statement titled – “In pursuit of justice, productivity, under the rule of law,” Soyinka argued that the practice of citizen detention at the whim of either religious blackmail or secular arrogation demands curtailment at source, most especially when exercised in defiance of the law, and the pronouncements of its agencies.

“The immediate provocation for these reflections is the ongoing predicament of a former Minister of Power, Dr. Olu Agunloye, currently detained by the EFCC, in total contempt of sense and justice, or indeed, basic humane considerations. We shall not go into the merit or demerits of the charges raised against him over a 16-year-old project that bears the name Mambilla. –that is the business of the law courts,” Soyinka wrote.

“Our concern at this moment is however only partially on the basis of individual fundamental human rights. Most fortuitously, the detention of any former public servant under circumstances such as Agunloye also provokes the question: how is public interest – such as the pursuit of justice – served by such an arbitrary exercise of power?’’

January 10, 2024 Atiku Commends Tinubu Over Betta Edu’s Suspension, Demands More
IFMUYONEWS

Atiku Commends Tinubu Over Betta Edu’s Suspension, Demands More

Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has commended President Bola Tinubu on the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu.

In a statement released by his Special Assistant, Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Tuesday, Atiku noted that the suspension of the minister was commendable but not enough.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, directed the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, to investigate all financial transactions involving the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

Edu came under criticism after a leaked memo on December 20, 2023, revealed that she directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, to transfer N585 million to a private account owned by one Oniyelu Bridget, who the ministry claimed currently serves as the Project Accountant, Grants for Vulnerable Groups.

The former Vice President noted that it was unfortunate that a programme that was designed to lift over 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty had allegedly become a cash cow for successive All Progressives Congress governments.

He said, “While Tinubu deserves commendation for suspending Edu, we believe this is a belated move. First, he had no business appointing her as a minister of such a sensitive ministry in the first place. Tinubu put politics ahead of competence, hence this scandal.

“What experience did Betta have in the development sector? How was Imaan Ibrahim, with her wealth of experience, overlooked? How did the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, stand as Betta Edu’s referee during her clearance at the Senate?”

Atiku who called for reform of the ministry, alleged that it was not only Betta Edu that was involved in the transactions.

“Betta Edu should not be the fall guy. Others who have remotely and wickedly benefitted from money that was meant for poor Nigerians ought to be fished out, probed, and prosecuted too. It is demonic and tendentiously wicked to steal in the name of the poor.

“There is a need for the government to reform the humanitarian affairs ministry and other interventionist programmes that had become an ATM and POS for those in power,” he said.

He noted that the fact that the previous Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Umar Farouq, is also being probed for N37bn fraud was evidence that immediate and urgent actions need to be taken to reform the ministry.

The statement added, “Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, Farouq continued to implement the school feeding programme. She ridiculously claimed that the food would be delivered to the students at home since schools were shut.

“Today, Betta Edu claims that over three million households got N20,000 each during the Yuletide. Sadly, there is no evidence of millions of Nigerians getting such money. This shows that money has just been going into private pockets.

“The scandal that we are contending with is not about Betta Edu, nor about Halima Shehu, or any other person for that matter.

“It is about a problem of systemic corruption through which the APC continues to bleed the treasury, ironically, asphyxiating the poor and vulnerable segment of the country, all in the name of caring for them.

“The APC has weaponised poverty and hunger to control the minds of the vulnerable masses, and it is even worse that they have devised a method to use poverty as an instrument of official corruption.”

January 10, 2024 EFCC Bares Fangs, Says Nobody Too Big to be Investigated
IFMUYONEWS

EFCC Bares Fangs, Says Nobody Too Big to be Investigated

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has warned that nobody is too big to be investigated.

Olukoyede issued the warning in Abuja when the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, paid him a courtesy visit in the wake of the probe of Betta Edu, suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

A leaked memo had exposed how Edu directed the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the sum of N585 million meant for vulnerable people into a private account of one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.

Following the outrage by Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu suspended Edu while ordering the EFCC to carry out a thorough investigation into the financial misappropriation.

The EFCC Chairman said there is no hiding place for corruption under Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement by EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, Olukoyede said: “Tinubu is offering the right atmosphere for anti-graft activities, both for the EFCC and ICPC and no Nigerian is immune to investigation for any corruption allegation.

”We believe that with the kind of President we have, who is ready and willing to do the right thing and from what we have seen in recent times and in the last 48 hours, it is clear that he has provided leadership and created the atmosphere for us to work.

“So there is no hiding place for the corrupt. We must give our best, we must be committed and give the President the right support he needs.

“Nobody is too big to be investigated in this country. Once you are not playing according to the rules, we will investigate you.”

January 8, 2024 SDP Sues for “Truly” Independent INEC
IFMUYONEWS

SDP Sues for “Truly” Independent INEC

The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Malam Shehu Gabam has advocated for true independence for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to add credibility to Nigeria’s elections.

Gabam said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He appealed to the executive, judiciary and legislature to act within the law to strengthen the electoral processes in the country.

He said that the commission did it best in the conduct of 2023 general election and the off-cycle election, especially in area of logistics delivery during election.

Gabam, however, said that INEC’s performance was still being affected by the huge influence of the executive.“Let me tell you the honest truth INEC is not independent. A lot of people do not understand it when I raise these issues.

“There is nothing INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu can do. He is completely handicapped in conducting elections.

“What he can do is to produce election materials, deliver them to every state and polling unit, deploy INEC or ad hoc staff to supervise the election?’’ Gabam said.

He said that by law, the executive, under Mr President, was responsible for appointing INEC chairman, national commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).

He added that the executive was also responsible for funding INEC and creating conducive environment needed for deployment of logistics and conduct of elections.

“If the environment is not conducive, INEC cannot deploy election materials. It is in the law. Every deployment of every security officer is under the approval of Mr President.

“Who is responsible for securing the environment it is the executive. Who is the person for escorting INEC materials? It is the executive. So, where is the independent of INEC to fully control the election?

“Naturally, people don’t look at critical issues. They go after the person who is at the helm of affairs in INEC.

“But, if we are to tell ourselves the truth, there’s no independent INEC. It is the executive and INEC that conduct election in Nigeria,’’ he said.

Gabam said that for INEC to be truly independent, the power to appoint INEC Chairman and commissioners must be withdrawn from the president.

He added that for INEC as a democratic institution to be strengthen, it also required the neutrality of security personnel and support of all stakeholders.

“If you continue to weaken the system, we’ll continue to be victims of the system.

“We are the one weakening the system- politicians, security agencies, including the media that are under report issues. That is why we are where we are today.

“Unless we agree that we have a nation, and that we have to work for that nation. The institutions of nations must be strong and be above any parochial interest.

“The executive must resist themselves from interfering in INEC’s elections. The power to appoint any chairman and RECs must be off the executive. That is the only way to have free, fair and credible elections,’’ he said.

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