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Yar'Adua Orders Minister's Arrest

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest a serving Minister for allegedly flouting a presidential directive on returning unspent funds in the last days of 2007 to the public treasury and for partaking in sharing in the proceeds of contracts awarded illegally.

Sources also told The Guardian that the female Minister might be among those to be shown the way out in the "looming sweeping changes in several areas of the Executive, including top officials of the administration." The sources also added that the President, buoyed by recent court reprieve, has made it known to some of his aides that many of the Ministers, who emerged through unavoidable political process, "do not have the requisite capacity for their assignments."

The Minister, currently facing interrogation by the EFCC, is accused of awarding contracts without following due process in the last few days of 2007 and sharing in the proceeds of the contracts. The President gave the directive for the arrest last Monday, a day before he left Nigeria for his four-day visit to China. Last December, President Yar'Adua had directed that all unspent money by Ministries, Departments and Agencies be returned to the treasury. This was after he had given an earlier directive that no contract should be awarded in the last month of the year. The directives had not gone down well with some of the Ministers.

The Guardian investigations reveal that in February, the President ordered preliminary investigations to ascertain compliance with the directives, following reports that some Ministers found a way to keep part of the money. In public service escape route, officers call the device "ware-housing the fund" to be spent later. That explains the spate of travels and frivolous workshops that have marked the beginning of the year in Abuja even when budgets had not been approved. It is the 'ware-housed' appropriated money that some smart Ministries, Departments and agencies (MDAs) spend unchecked.

As a public servant explained at the weekend, "even the judicial arm of government is involved in this ancient practice of beating government directive at the end of the year..." Though the final report of the presidential directive has not been turned in, preliminary investigations show that in one Ministry, contracts worth about N300 million were actually awarded without due process in the last few days of the year. Besides, most of the money was shared, with the Minister in charge taking a cut.

The preliminary investigations also show that the Minister of State in the Ministry, an architect, declined his portion of the contract proceeds, which was labeled, "Christmas welfare." Since only the Federal Executive Council can award contracts above N50 million, the said contracts were allegedly broken into smaller pieces of slightly above N40 million each and the contract dates backdated. Investigations also reveal that there was disagreement in the sharing of the loot from the contract. So, some officers, who were reportedly not favoured in the sharing of the loot, alerted the EFCC.

It was learnt that early this year, an Abuja-based newsmagazine was rocked by an attempt to "investigate" an alleged scandal in the ministry at issue. The phantom investigation resulted in the suspension of two of the magazine's top editors, who allegedly collected some money to kill a story linked to the minister being investigated. But the highpoint of the "investigation" was that the magazine's editor, who sanctioned the two editors for failure to brief him on the deal in the ministry, was himself enmeshed in the bargain and collected about N3.5 million to kill the story.

However, the current whistle blowers did not contact the magazine this time, as they earlier did. Instead, they wrote to the EFCC. Subsequently, trouble began last week when the EFCC moved into the prime ministry and invited two directors and some of the special assistants to the minister, whom the petitioners said were accessories after the fact of the graft, for questioning. According to one of the sources, it was when the President heard this last Monday that he directed the EFCC to arrest the Minister, who is currently facing interrogation. Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Osita Nwaja, declined to speak on the issue, telling The Guardian on phone, "I don't have anything on it (arrest or interrogation of the Minister) yet."

The President, the source added, has also asked the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to be free to carry out interrogation or arrest of any suspect without seeking his clearance first. Said the source: "(President) Yar'Adua has told Mr. Lamorde that he doesn't have to be contacted any time the EFCC sees the need to invite any government officials, whether Minister or head of agencies, on issues bordering on allegation of corruption."

The source noted that the President is pleased with the work of the EFCC chairman since his assumption of office especially as "he is working assiduously behind the scene. This is because he does not practice trial by the media. He doesn't reveal too much to the media. He has been working quietly but effectively. This President sure likes his method."

Special Adviser to the President (Communications), Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, in an SMS response to The Guardian inquiry on telephone, noted: "I am aware there are some issues concerning a Minister and the President is on top of the situation. His disposition is that the law will have to take its course." Adeniyi, however, pleaded to be given time to speak with Lamorde (acting EFCC Chairman) first and "I promise you the details when we return (from China)."

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Sacking of Two Ministers: Yar'Adua Now in Comfort Zone

Nigeria Today
3/27/08

Umaru Yar'Adua, Nigeria's president, has sacked two ministers on suspicion of stealing public funds, a sign he is adopting a more assertive style after surviving a legal challenge last month to his election victory. The ministers were the first to be forced out since Yar'Adua appointed his cabinet in July, three months after winning elections so badly flawed that many Nigerians believed they barely merited the name.

But the sackings, coupled with a series of moves that have challenged the standing of his predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, suggest Yar'Adua is starting to shake off the legacy of the way he came to power. "He's getting into his comfort zone," said one lawmaker in Yar'Adua's ruling People's Democratic party. "Clearly, he's feeling much stronger." The dismissals of Adenike Grange, the health minister, and Gabriel Aduku, the junior health minister, have fuelled expectations that Yar'Adua will reshuffle his cabinet before May 29, the one-year anniversary of his swearing-in.

Investors are keen to see the president appoint a more heavyweight team, concerned he has been slow to solve a chronic power crisis, tackle an insurgency hurting the oil industry and attract investment. Yar'Adua will also need a strong political hand if he wants to succeed in doubling oil output in Africa's biggest producer by raising new investment in joint ventures with majors such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.

The presidency issued a statement saying the two health ministers had resigned so they would be able to clear their names of corruption charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, an anti-graft agency. Despite the statement's reference to "voluntary resignations", a source said the president had told the pair to step down. Fourteen senior health ministry officials were suspended. The presidency said the officials were being investigated over allegations they had not followed a presidential directive to return unspent budgets at the end of 2007. Newspapers have reported that health ministry officials spent 300m Naira ($2.7m, 1.7m, £1.3m) on contracts and Christmas gifts.

Mrs Grange issued a statement saying she was not guilty of any wrongdoing but would, as the minister in charge of the ministry, accept responsibility for the episode. Mr Aduku made no immediate comment. The sackings will provide some reassurance to campaigners who say the government has made scant progress on fighting graft since an unprecedented wave of arrests of powerful former state governors last year. "It's a step in the right direction," said Dapo Oyewole, executive director of the Centre for African Policy and Peace Strategy in Lagos. "But a real strong indicator would be if the president would go so far as to take down some of the sacred cows that have been left untouched."

Supporters of Yar' Adua say he has gained a freer hand since judges quashed an attempt to overturn April's elections last month, although the rival candidates who brought the case are appealing. Yar'Adua has also mounted a growing challenge to the influence of Obasanjo, a former general who anointed him as successor. The president's supporters say they thwarted attempts by Obasanjo to install his preferred candidate as head of the ruling party at its convention this month.
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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Opposition Seeks Sanctions Against MPs Over 300m Naira Scandal

Nigeria Today
3/27/08

Nigeria's most vocal opposition party, Action Congress (AC), has called for sanctions against federal legislators involved in the 300-million-naira, money-sharing scandal in the Ministry of Health (117 Naira=US$1). The call, contained in a statement made available to Nigeria Today Online yesterday, came a day after the federal government forced two Health Ministers to resign and suspended over a dozen top officials of the Ministry. The officials, as well as MPs from the Senate Committee on Health, were said to have shared among themselves the 300 million naira in unspent budget, instead of returning same to the public treasury.

"While we are delighted at the 'resignations' and the suspension of the key officials involved by the Presidency, we will like to warn that the Senators who were said to have joined in sharing the money should not be let off the hook - if indeed it is proven they are liable,'' the party said. "Newspaper reports have said the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, and her counterpart in the House of Representatives reportedly shared a part of the booty with members of their committees.

To the best of our knowledge, this report has not been denied. "It is therefore necessary for the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure that their members who are involved in the scandal do not escape punishment, unless the anti-corruption fight is meant for the executive arm of the government alone,'' AC said. The party said the government should go further by investigating other government ministries and agencies to determine the pervasiveness of the money sharing culture by top government functionaries.
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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

'I am Innocent' Says Former Health Minister Grange

Former Health Minister Mrs Adenike Grange says she is innocent of any wrongdoing. Grange, who admitted that the Ministry of Health was stinking, said she decided to quit as a matter of honour. "I want to clearly state that while I am not the chief accounting officer of the ministry; the fact is that the recent episode involving 'contracts and welfare packages' happened under my leadership for which I accept responsibility but not the blame. However, my acceptance of responsibility should not be misconstrued as an admission of guilt but rather a path of honour for lapses and intrigues under my watch for which I unfortunately was not well versed in".

Grange went on further: "As a professional and a technocrat, I must admit that the level of decay and corruption within the ministry and the whole Nigerian system as we all know glaringly need to be decisively tackled and purged. I saw my invitation to serve in this cabinet as an opportunity for professionals to join in the extirpation and re-engineering of the whole system to move this great country forward expediently"

"Finally, I am leaving this cabinet because I consider my dignity, reputation and legacy, values that I have worked hard for and hold dearly. I am returning to my unblemished career which I have assiduously laboured for over the years with resounding success nationally and internationally and to the business of which I am familiar with, saving the lives of mothers and children across Nigeria and the world in general. I wish Mr. President God's guidance, strength, courage, will power and wisdom to put this country on the path of greatness again," she said.

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm