Solomon2day

  At a point in Nigeria's history, former President, Chief(Dr.)Olusegun Obasanjo stated ''it is a matter for regret that most public servants tend to subdue their political discipline in the face of personal aggrandizement''. When Chief(Dr.) Obasanjo was in the saddle as President, he set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to rein in fraudsters, money launderers, corrupt government officials and several others. At a point in Nigeria's history, former President, Chief(Dr.) Olusegun Obasanjo stated ''it is a matter for regret that most public servants tend to subdue their political discipline in the face of personal aggrandizement''. When Chief(Dr.) Obasanjo was in the saddle as President, he established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) to rein in fraudsters, money launderers, corrupt government officials and several others. Perhaps, the EFCC, was to strengthen the activities of the Nigeria Police Force, while t...

  The Oronsaye report was influenced by the corruption web woven around its author. This assertion was made by a former chairman of the Oyo state council of Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''Stephen Oronsaye had long before putting up the report together, being contending with corruption allegations before he left the civil service. Corruption cases are hanging on his neck. This, to a great extent, influenced the content of the report,''Comrade Emelieze stated.

Corruption is the major factor impeding development in Nigeria. This assertion was made by Prophet Timothy Arabambi of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC) Ile-Atunse, Olunloyo-Akanran road, Ibadan, Nigeria. ''God blessed us with men and women of intellect and integrity. This country is blessed with natural resources that can lift our economy, but the greatest problem we have in the country is corruption.'' ''Corruption is the elder brother of Nigeria and Nigeria is dancing the tune of her elder brother. I can say that the people in government are trying, but they don't have good people to implement government policies. If Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria,'' Prophet Arabambi warned.

Justice Department Recovers Over $53M in Profits Obtained from Corruption in the Nigerian Oil Industry The Justice Department announced today the final resolution of two civil cases seeking the forfeiture of various luxury assets that were the proceeds of foreign corruption offenses and were laundered in and through the United States. With the conclusion of the cases, the department has recovered roughly $53.1 million in cash – constituting the net liquidated value of the defendant’s assets – plus a promissory note with a principal value of $16 million. According to court documents, from 2011 to 2015, Nigerian businessmen Kolawole Akanni Aluko and Olajide Omokore conspired with others to pay bribes to Nigeria’s former Minister for Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who oversaw Nigeria’s state-owned oil company. In return, Alison-Madueke used her influence to steer lucrative oil contracts to companies owned by Aluko and Omokore. The proceeds of those illicitly awarded contr...

Chinese Real Estate Developer’s L.A.-Based Company Found Guilty of Paying Over $1 Million in Bribes to L.A. Politician José Huizar LOS ANGELES – Based on the actions of its agents, including its billionaire Chinese real estate developer owner, a downtown Los Angeles-based company was found guilty today of paying more than $1 million in bribes – including luxury trip expenses, casino gambling chips and a sham loan – to then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar to obtain city approval to build a 77-story skyscraper. After the jury deliberated for less than three hours, Shen Zhen New World I LLC was found guilty of all eight counts it faced: three counts of honest service wire fraud, four counts of interstate and foreign travel in aid of bribery, and one count of bribery. The owner of Shen Zhen – Wei Huang, 57, a resident of Shenzhen, China, who also maintains a residence in San Marino – is also charged in this case, but he has yet to make a court appearance in ...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-graft agencies have been called upon to prosecute some labor leaders who have cases to answer. This call was made by an Ex-Officio of the Oyo state Council of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), who is also a former chairman of the union in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze. ''The EFCC, ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies should prosecute some labor leaders, such as those of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria for corruption, since the cases have been reported to them. There is massive corruption in these unions; they deduct outrageous amounts as check off dues from workers' salaries and there is nothing to show for it. All those who were invited, detained and released should be charged in court. So many workers have promotion arrears of between 6 months and three years, they have not been paid and these unions are doing nothing about this. The EFCC AND others should make their findings public and ...

Caution has been thrown to the winds and Those-in-Charge in Nigeria today have gone into an external borrowing spree. Presently, the country's external debt is about N39.56 trillion and at the end of the present administration, it shall be more. In 50 Bc, Pubilius Syrus opined that debt is the slavery of the free. Syrus further asserted that a debtor is not only in perpetual bondage to his creditors until he returns his debts, but the debtor also breathes the air of insecurity characterized by harassment. The activities of the present administration revolve around the above-mentioned, even as the administration continues to cope with the creditors' domination of its affairs. Several months to the 2023 general elections, the government is yet to achieve a more diversified economy away from the oil sector, public debts are on the increase, the worrisome deterioration of education and health services, the absence of potable water, and erratic supply of electricity, food insecur...

The Legislature at all levels of government have from time immemorial depended on the executive for their survival. To this extent, the lawmakers are always exposed to the arm-twisting tactics of Those-in-Charge. Read-Helplessness in the Face of Dirt Several instances abound wherein the committees on public accounts and other committees discover irregularities in the budget preparation and implementation of a sizable number of Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDA)in the course of carrying out their oversight functions. The committees usually send out notice of invitations to the Ministers and other heads of the MDAs, sadly, such invitations were ignored without consequences. Indeed, all those in this dispensation are witnesses to the promotion of impunity and double standards, even as the suggestion is that Those-in-Charge are now preoccupied with preparations for life after governance. The suffocating security situation across Nigeria and the priorities of certain heads of l...

The importance of the Local Government revolves around the need to attend to the expectations and welfare of the people at the grassroots. In addition, the Local Government plays a vital role in Federal schemes of education, housing, transport among others, nationwide. It adopts the mainline of policy to local conditions. Sadly, the Local Government, under the present dispensation in Nigeria, is not independent. Interestingly, a number of Chairmen and Councillors elected from their neighborhoods, now focus on recruiting cultists and other categories of criminals to intimidate, terrorize and attack residents of several communities, as social services continue to remain a mirage. Indeed, these elected officials are not known by the vast majority of the populace at the grassroots, while development is only on the pages of newspapers and speakers of radios. Curiously, the character of growth to meet the needs of the poverty-stricken people come with lies, half-truths, and promises, ev...

A good government ought to be able to muster enough strength to enforce obedience, in addition to carrying out the duties of governance efficiently. Justice, perhaps, will flourish when the people who are expected to obey the laws express their opinions on these laws. A rule of good government, revolves around the fact that aside from the State, nobody else should be equipped to secure obedience and conformity. In 1934, Austria was plunged into civil war, partly by the failure of its government to prevent political parties from recruiting armies. Political partiers are already recruting non-state actors. The prosperity of this country is under the overbearing influence of its natural resources, the politics of its neighbors and the conduct of those in government. Take note that the goodness of a Government depends on its fitness to solve the myriad of problems confronting it. Sadly, those in Government have set their personal advantage against and above that of the people, sho...

Nigerians have for several years embarked on the journey to promote a just and equitable society without encouraging results. This is regardless of the countless number of prominent citizens, who belong to the private and public sectors, including the civil society community at home and in diaspora. Sadly, most of the innovative ideas and policy options of governance have failed woefully to serve as springboard for the country's social, political and economic emancipation from the vicious circle  of underdevelopment. Of note, is the fact that Nigeria is yet to attain the status of a free, dynamic and knowledge based economy, this is just as there are no genuine signs of commitment  to fairness, equity and justice. The foregoing stems from bad and improper  governance at all levels of government.  Decisions and policies of government are guided by self-centered ideals and obsessive greed.  Most political office holders lack ideology and prin...

A s Nigerians continue to knock the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration’s selective fight against corruption, the Founder  and spiritual Head   of Shafaudeen worldwide, Wakajaiye, Ibadan, Nigeria, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke, in this interview with, says that the present administration’s corruption fight,  has the traces of  the corrupt class who funded its emergence. Excerpts: Nigerians are expressing worries  over the present administration's continued selective corruption war, what do you think is wrong ? It is unfortunate that the All Progressives Congress(APC) was formed on the basis of looking for credible people, they were able to get that in President Muhammadu Buhari, but how to win the election depended mainly on who could fund the party. Unfortunattely, most of those people, who have the strenght to do it,  belong to the corrupt class of the nation. It happened in Singapore, when Lee  Kuan Yew wanted to moun the reign o...

The present administration in Nigeria intends to anchor its policies on transparency, integrity and honesty. For several years successive administrations in the country have failed to incorporate the aforementioned in national the life. Rather, activities and actions have been channeled towards stagnancy, retardation and underdevelopment. At the inauguration boards and parastatals in Oyo state, on 24 June, 1999, the then Governor of Oyo state, Alhaji Lam Adesina, of blessed memory, stated : ”We took our time in ensuring that men and women of integrity and probity are chosen among innumerably qualified men and women. We don’t like to be proved wrong and this is why we implore you to rise up to the challenge and improve the lot in your work place. ”We are very serious when we promised our people that probity and public accountability will be our watch word, most of the areas, you have been posted to, are afflicted and already grounded by financial impropriety and sq...