welcome to Adegokblog: 07/16/17

Police Detain Nigerian Journalist Over Facebook Post

The Police in Katsina State have detained a journalist in the state, Danjuma Katsina, over alleged “injurious comments” on a newly elected member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives from the state, Mansur Mashi.

A colleague of the journalist, Zaharadeen Umar, said Mr. Katsina was invited to the state’s Police Command around 8 p.m. on Saturday to explain himself over a complaint filed by the lawmaker.
However, the police detained the journalist after taking his statement.
Mr. Katsina had posted a comment on Facebook in which he analyzed the outcome of the Mashi/Dutsi bye-election conducted in May, wondering why Mr. Mashi was allowed to contest the polls despite facing court action on alleged corruption.
The journalist was detained overnight despite efforts by the Katsina state branch of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, and officials of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, to secure his release.
There have been increasing cases of arrests and harassment of journalists and bloggers in Nigeria, often on the orders of politicians.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported many cases of harassment of journalists and blogger, this year alone. Last month, a reporter in Kaduna state was brutalized and arrested at his point of duty.
In September, a blogger was detained for 22 days for criticizing the Bauchi State governor.
The Katsina Police spokesperson, Gambo Isah, said he was unaware of the journalist’s arrest but promised to find out and get back. However, he neither got back nor picked subsequent follow-up calls put through by this reporter.

US Department of Justice Seeks Recovery Of Almost $150M Corruptly Obtained By Ex-Oil Minister Alison-Madueke, Kola Aluko And Jide Omokore From Nigeria’s Oil Industry

Officials of the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) yesterday announced that they were filing a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture and recovery of approximately $144 million in assets that were allegedly the proceeds of foreign corruption offenses and were laundered in and through the U.S.

The announcement was jointly made by acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, Assistant Director Andrew W. Vale, who heads the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI), Assistant Director Stephen E. Richardson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Don Fort of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Details of the legal complaint assert that, 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. According to US authorities, in return for the improper benefits, Ms. Alison-Madueke used her influence to steer lucrative oil contracts to briefcase companies owned by Mr. Aluko and Mr. Omokore. The complaint alleges that the proceeds of those illicitly awarded contracts were then laundered in and through the U.S. and used to purchase various assets subject to seizure and forfeiture. The assets in questions include a $50 million condominium located in one of Manhattan’s most expensive buildings—157 W. 57th Street—as well as a yacht, the Galactica Star, valued at $80 million.

“The United States is not a safe haven for the proceeds of corruption,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. He added: “The complaint announced today demonstrates the Department’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners around the globe to trace
and recover the proceeds of corruption, no matter the source. Corrupt foreign officials and business executives should make no mistake: if illicit funds are within the reach of the United States, we will seek to forfeit them and to return them to the victims from whom they were stolen.”
In his remarks, Assistant Director Vale stated, “Business executives who engage in bribery and illegal pay-offs in order to obtain contracts create an uneven marketplace where honest competitor companies are put at a disadvantage.”
The DoJ officials further stated, “Along with the Department of Justice, international law enforcement partners and other U.S. federal agencies, the FBI is committed to pursuing all those who attempt to advance their businesses through corrupt practices.”
Assistant Director Richardson stated that yesterday’s announcement “would not have been possible without the remarkable work conducted by a group of dedicated investigators, attorneys and international partners who were committed to leaving no stone unturned in this case targeting international corruption. This case demonstrates that the FBI will not tolerate American institutions and property being used to launder proceeds of foreign corruption and today’s filing is an important step towards recovering identified funds. This should serve as a warning to other corrupt foreign officials that the United States is not open for their business.”

According to Mr. Fort, the DoJ’s actions “are the direct result of our agents following the money and unmasking corruption and greed.” He vowed that, “Working with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI will continue to investigate and unravel these complex financial transactions.”

The government alleges that Aluko, Omokore and others funded a lavish lifestyle for former Oil Minister Alison-Madueke, who remains in the UK ostensibly for cancer treatment. US officials allege that the Nigerian-born businessmen conspired to purchase millions of dollars in real estate in and around London for Alison-Madueke and her family members, and then renovated and furnished these homes with millions of dollars in furniture, artwork and other luxury items purchased at two Houston-area furniture stores at the former minister’s direction.
According to the US government allegations, Ms. Alison-Madueke then used her influence to direct a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to award Strategic Alliance Agreements (SAAs) to two shell companies created by Aluko and Omokore, Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Ltd. and Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd. (the Atlantic Companies) respectively.
Under the SAAs, the Atlantic Companies were required to finance the exploration and production operations of eight on-shore oil and gas blocks. In return for financing these operations, the companies expected to receive a portion of the oil and gas produced. However, according to the complaint, the Atlantic Companies provided only a fraction of the agreed upon financing or, in some instances, failed entirely to provide it. The companies also failed to meet other obligations under the SAAs, including the payment of $120 million entry fee.
Nevertheless, according to the allegations, the companies were permitted to lift and sell more than $1.5 billion worth of Nigerian crude oil. The Department of Justice contends that the Atlantic Companies then used a series of shell companies and intermediaries to launder a portion of the total proceeds of these arrangements into and through the U.S.

A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime. These allegations are not proven until a court awards judgment in favor of the U.S.

The FBI’s International Corruption Squads in two cities, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, as well as the IRS-CI are investigating the case. Trial attorneys Stephen A. Gibbons and Michael W. Khoo of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section have been named to prosecute the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs is providing substantial assistance.

This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.
This initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorney’s Offices, to obtain forfeiture of the proceeds of foreign official
corruption and, where appropriate, to use those recovered assets to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.

In 2015, the FBI formed International Corruption Squads across the country to address national and international implications of foreign corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the U.S. should
contact federal law enforcement or send an email to kleptocracy@usdoj.gov (link sends e-mail) or https://tips.fbi.gov/.

Diezani Alison-Madueke

Kola Aluko Getty images

Poverty in Nigeria Poverty Within Opulence: Water Crisis At The Heart Of Nigeria’s Capital By Mercy Abang

Miracle, age 9, lives in Gishiri, has a daily routine of fetching from a nearby pond. “My mom asked me to come fetch and bath,” she said, standing beside her was her friend who was bathing from the unclean water with her uniforms on.

Both girls reside in a community located in the heart of Abuja between Maitama and Wuse 2 district of the Municipal Area Council within the growing metropolitan city of Nigeria. In Gishiri, children are often responsible for collecting rainwater to help their families after school.
Like Miracle, Deborah, 10, her friend also tells me that their drinking water in that community comes from wells, hand-pumped water boreholes or even the small stream where they were bathing.
Leading me through a garbage heap of human feces in polythene bags, she smiles at me and adds that she wants to become a medical doctor. The unhygienic condition of her environment stands in sharp contrast to the well-planned roads and flyovers that demarcate her community from Ministers Hill in Maitama District - Most people who live in Maitama are diplomats, ministers, influential Nigerians and the Ministers hill end of the area is the exclusive preserve of Nigeria's money bags. Miracle is the third child in a family of five.
Nigeria is ranked third after India and China among countries whose major population lacked access to potable water and for Deborah, it is more about her parent’s inability to afford well water, which in itself is not so potable. “This is the only water my mom can afford, the other one sold in jerrycan is expensive for us”, Deborah a Primary 5 student from the local school said.
Pointing to what looks like a water pond covered in grass, she said, “I have to come here and bath – last year a 10 – year-old boy drowned in this water”.
Deborah also depends on the stream for her water needs – the poverty stricken slum located amidst opulence is a reminder of what life looks like for residents of these communities who work in neighborhoods with trimmed lawn, air-conditioned offices but can only afford Gishiri.
Because of its location in the heart of Abuja, one bedroom apartment in Gishiri costs between $1,500 per annum to $1,800 – the location of the community estimated to host about 500,000 residents is regarded as Abuja most sought after location for civil servants and low-income earners.
Leading cause of child death is diarrhea, a majority of which is water-related, and according to the World Health Organisation, diarrhea disease is the second leading cause of death in children and is responsible for killing around 525 000 children every year. As Miracle hopes to become a medical doctor someday, the stream she visits almost on a daily for her water needs will likely end that aspiration – and the aspiration of many other kids forced to survive in inhuman conditions while they watch their peers live in luxury.
A recent report by Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Healthy estimated that 63 million Nigerians lack access to potable water - undeniably residents of Gishiri and importantly, Miracle and her friend Deborah IF captured by that report fall under the number of the vulnerable in the Nigerian society that are likely to die as a result of preventable water-borne diseases.

Abuja’s development has remained non-inclusive for even those within its reach - Abuja is named among the 20 most rapidly expanding cities (in terms of population) with at least five million residents, according to the United Nations 2010-2020 rates (data supplied by demographia.com).
Amidst that growth is the absolute disregard for its rural dwellers “we don’t think we are in Abuja – we watch the big men rise along with their skyscrapers” - Godiya Shem, 33, a primary school teacher in Gishiri.
For those who can afford it, “we depend on Maruwa (well water sold in Jeri cans) and others go to the stream for their water needs as you can see”.
For residents of a community situated within same location as Maitama and Wuse 2 to be dealing with water challenges, it tells of the growing inequality between the poor and the wealthy within Nigerian societies.
When questioned when he was the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, now governor of Kaduna state was widely quoted to have said Abuja was "not a city for the poor". The 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey report revealed that 97,000 children die yearly from diseases due to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
For Mr. Shem who moved into Gishiri five years ago, the need for government to build infrastructure for the elites, the middle class and the poor should be the priority of Government – “the responsibility of the poor taking care of themselves seems to have been left for the poor”. He questioned how a system that pays civil servants 18000 Naira ($50), as minimum wage wants such an individual to afford the high rents costs the luxury apartments of Maitama.
***
Mercy Abang is a Freelance Journalist, focusing on development Journalism – She doubles as a media fixer with Sunday Times of London, BBC, Aljazeera and a former Stringer with the Associated Press – She tweets at @abangmercy. She is the 2017 United Nations Journalism Fellow and budgIT Media fellow for 2017

Name Of Area Commander Divisions in lagos state

According news From Lagos State Police

Lagos State Police as Realis The name of AREA Police Commander in Every Divisions in Lagos State

The Lagos State Police Command has disclosed to the general public the Direct Phone Numbers of High Ranking Police Officers and telephone directory of the command headquarters Ikeja, Area commands and their divisions for easy access whenever the need arises.

A press statement issued on Sunday, by The Command?s spokesperson, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said it was important to inform the residents about need to get in touch with the Police whenever they want to report criminal activities in their neighbourhood.

"It has become imperative that the Lagos State Police Command makes available the Telephone Directory of the Command Headquarters Ikeja, Area commands and their Divisions to the General Public.

?This information is to serve as a preventive method for members of the public to report criminals & criminal activities as well as report emergency incidents in the state. Members of the public can also reach us on the 767 / 112.

Area commands and divisional police telephone numbers in Lagos are also as follows:

Commissioner of Police - 07019014800

Deputy Commissioner - 07019014786

Deputy Commissioner, Operations - 07019014799

Deputy Commissioner, SCIID, Panti- 07019014754

Police Public Relations Officer - 07019014743

Control Room - 07019014808

Rapid Response Squad - 07019014333

IKORODU

Area ?N? Command, Ijede- 07019014702/08036480686

Shagamu Road Division- 07019014843/08032879790

Ikorodu Division - 07019014842

Ipakodo Division - 07019014853/08072404936

Agbowa Division - 07019014830/08034031054

Owutu Division - 07019014829/08151946420

Ijede Division - 07019014828/08033328658

Owode Onirin - 07019014826/08037183741

National Assembly Moves To Curtail FG's Powers

Drastic changes to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly are on the way, with the federal government looking likely to be stripped of some of the powers it currently wields.

More power will devolve to the states under the proposed amendments, some of which were adopted at the annual joint retreat of the Senate and House of Representatives Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution which ended yesterday in Lagos.
The lawmakers believe strongly that the constitution now requires fundamental reforms in the interest of the nation’s development.
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu told reporters at the retreat yesterday that some of the contentious issues in the document would be reviewed to meet the yearning of the generality of Nigerians.
One of the major reforms in the offing is the removal of railways from the exclusive list, he said.
It will be transferred to the concurrent list to allow states with the means to provide rail services.
He said: “We have broken all the issues into specific bills. Between yesterday (Friday) and today (Saturday) we have looked at about 23 separate bills with separate issues.
“The idea is to ensure that by the time we vote, each of them succeeds or fails on its own. When we conclude the work, we’ll send it to the house to approve.
“We will collate and ensure that the provisions of the constitution have been fulfilled regarding the alteration, and we will send it to the president for his assent. And the president will decide which one to assent to or not to assent to.
“The implication therefore is that if he assents to some, then those one become part of the constitution. And the one he refuses to assent to, then we might decide whether to override the veto.
“So, we want each of them to have a separate life of its own. And this is based on our own experience in the last exercise where everything was in one single bill and when the president withheld his assent, all of them collapsed.
“This is just an improvement on what we did last time. It is something we innovated based on our experience in the last exercise.”
The Constitution review committee, according to him, also considered the time frame within which the president or state governor has to assent to a bill and the issue of restructuring.
His words: “You know we have been talking about the restructuring of Nigeria. One of the components of restructuring is that they are saying that there is too much power in the hands of the federal government and we need to strip some of them from the federal government.
“What we have done is to look at the issue. Some items will be removed from the exclusive list to the concurrent list where the federal and the states can make laws regarding some of those items.
“And where there is a conflict, the laws of the National Assembly will prevail.
“So, things like railways will have to be moved to the concurrent list. The idea is that states can build railways within their territory and then a couple of states can even decide to build railways across their states.
“The federal government can also build railways across the country and make policy around it.”
There will continue to be a minimum wage applicable to the public and private sectors.
“There should be minimum wage for both the public sector and private sector, that is to say, that if it is N5000 don’t pay any person less than N5000 but can be increased
“If Lagos has more money, it can pay beyond the minimum wage. All those who don’t have money cannot pay below the minimum way no matter how poor they are.
“So, in that way we have a minimum standard for workers in Nigeria.”
The committee plans to hold more consultations on the possibility of scrapping the joint local government account.
“The challenge there has been how do you take care of the issue of teachers’ salaries because it is from the joint local governments/state account that primary school teachers’ salaries are paid,” he said.
“So, we want to be sure that if we remove the joint local government- state account we will not jeopardize the payment of teacher salaries.
“That is a very contentious issue, so we said we have to do further consultations with the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and other stakeholders before we can take a decision on that to be sure that we don’t create more problems when we are trying to solve and existing problem. “So, that is not part of what we are going to present to the National Assembly when we get back.
“We believe we have done sufficient work. This is an incremental approach that we have adopted in the amendment of the constitution. So, what we are saying that after we have finished with this, if we still have more time before election, otherwise maybe the next assembly will decide what to do.”

Two Injured As Sen. Omo-Agege, Wife Escape Assassination Attempt

At least two persons have sustained life threatening injuries when armed youths attacked Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central at the National Assembly, his wife and some top members of the All Progressives Congress during an empowerment programme in Effurun, Uvwie council area of Delta State.

The attack which occurred on Saturday is believed to be an assassination attempt on the senator when he visited the Effurun Market located along the popular PTI road during the second phase of his constituency empowerment programme in Effurun, Ekpan and Ugberikoko areas of Uvwie.
The incident created panic as market women and motorists left their vehicles and scampered for safety when the gunmen opened fire on the senator’s entourage.
Recounting details of the incident, Senator Omo-Agege said, “There is Igho Majemite. There is Wilson Oki. These are all known thugs in Uvwie. I don’t know who sent them to assassinate me. But I was lucky because the bullet grazed through my right ear. If I was not lucky I would have been dead. Two bullets were shot at me; one was shot by Ayeye and another bullet was shot at me by Ngozi and also, my brother was shot.
“Also, we have one of my supporters who was almost killed at Ekpan market all in the presence of police officers who could not even effect any arrest. I have taken a first step by filing a report with the Ekpan Police Division. I have equally spoken with the State Commissioner of Police.
“I will take it to the highest level. All I seek is that these undesirable elements who are out to assassinate people are removed from the system. And I will go to any extent to see to this. You cannot attempt to kill a sitting Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I refuse to read any political motivation to this. I’m not in any way saying that there is none.
“For those who were beaten and those who were equally shot at, like me, I can assure them that we will get to the very bottom of it. Everybody who is involved in this attempted assassination, we will bring them to face the wrath of the law.”
The Police Commissioner, Mr Zanna Ibrahim, confirmed the attack on Senator Omo-Agege when contacted on Sunday.
Ibrahim added that preliminary investigation into the incident has commenced.

Pursuing Its Self-Serving Agenda, National Assembly Kills 'Not Too Young To Run' Bill

Reports emanating from the just concluded joint retreat on constitution review held in Intercontinental hotel, Lagos indicates that the Senate and House Committee on Constitution review have killed the Not Too Young To Run bill. The bill, though passed at 1st and 2nd readings, was not included in the final report that was considered and adopted by the lawmakers at the Lagos retreat which held on 14 – 15 July 2017. The mere fact that the proposed amendment was not included on the agenda suggests that the National Assembly members, particularly members of the committee were opposed to any move to open the political space for youth inclusion. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu publicly declared support for the bill. The House of Representatives even alluded to it as an achievement in its 2 years’ scorecard.

Over 25 State Houses of Assembly have publicly declared support and endorsed the bill following series of engagements with young people at the state level. This is the only bill with maximum support of the vast youth population in Nigeria. However, it seems the support is merely for camera sake and to look good before the youth and people.
Investigations revealed that at committee level, the bill was dropped for the following selfish reasons: that should the bill sail through, most of lawmakers would be unseated in 2019; Nigeria is not ready for younger leaders; ground can’t be ceded for young people as they have no place in leadership and politics.
This is worrisome because in the history of youth advocacy in Nigeria, there has not been any unanimity in organizing such as witnessed with the bill purportedly killed by the National Assembly. For instance, more than 7 thousand youth trooped out to canvass for the bill in insurgency ravaged states of Yobe and Borno
The question to ask from this self-serving senators is whose interest do they serve, who do they represent? The People or Personal Interest?
It is important to note that this development is completely not unexpected as investigations have revealed that the campaign has put several of them on their toes in their various constituencies. In fact, one formidable aspirant flying the flag in his campaign in Lagos was Dayo Isreal, in the local government campaign before he was dropped by the APC.
Investigations revealed that several honorables are said to be unhappy as each time they return to their constituency, there are young people planning on running in 2019 and in their words shouting “not too young to run” all over.
SaharaReporters put a call to the sponsor of the Bill Mr. Tony Nwulu representing Isolo/Oshodi Federal Constituency 11.
The online media also reached out to one of the members of the Not Too Young To Run Movement, Mr. Ibrahim Farouk who expressed disbelief that the bill did not sail to the harmonization and adoption stage.
This incident like several others brings the self-serving agenda of NASS into play. Our legislators have dropped, without a sense of shame, a bill which has been replicated in other climes and launched globally. The campaign was launched by the UN in November 2016 and January 2017 at offices in Geneva and New York and set for launch by the African Union in Addis Ababa. The National Assembly has also received commendation from the United Nations and African Union for providing leadership in the continent of Africa for considering the bill in the first place. But our disingenuous and self-serving NASS do not have the interest of the people at heart.
While the bill which has passed 2nd reading in the two houses did not make it to harmonization stage is better left for conjecture especially as the life pension bill for Principal Officers, which has received so much outcry from the masses was considered during the two-day retreat. In fact, investigations further revealed that the legislators dropped the electoral offense Commission recommendation in anger. The electoral offense commission is one of the most touted recommendations to deepen electoral reform in the last ten years. Nigerian legislators voted against this recommendation once again.
The Not Too Young To Run bill is a constitutional amendment bill that promote youth inclusion in politics through the reduction of age criteria for running for office. The bill promotes inter-generational dialogue and political mentorship as young people are encouraged to participate in electoral politics. The bill passed 1st and 2nd reading in both chambers of the National Assembly and committed to the Senate and House committee on constitution review. The committees must incorporate the amendment into its report before laying it at plenary. The bill dies a natural death if the committee fails to include the proposed amendment in its report. In the Senate, the bill is sponsored by Senator Abdulaziz Nyako while Hon. Tony Nwulu sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.