News From Nigeria
Two established families in the Niger Delta Region on Thursday heaped praise on the Late Chief Executive Officer of Oghene Ochuko Motors, Chief Veronica Ikpeerha Ebireri.
They described her as a woman of great personal integrity, courage, good character and wealth.
‘’History has been good to Chief Veronica Ikpeerha Ebireri. The Niger Delta people, regardless of their orientation, think highly of her’’
The families of Ebireri and Umukoro spoke at the 25th remembrance of the persistent and methodical entrepreneur in Okpara Waterside, Ethiope East Local Government Area.
They applauded Veronica Ebireri for creating positive change and supportive space, leading by example, caring for the poor and offering sound counsel and teaching.
The tribute of the Okpe and Agbon families was read to the press by a prominent Nigerian journalist, political communication expert and strategist, Henry Ovie Ebireri.
The families commended Veronica Ebireri for lavishing inexhaustible love on the brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren.
‘’Chief Veronica Ikpeerha Ebireri was a kindhearted woman and moral leader. She gave hope for the future to many people’’
Tall, beautiful, energetic and generous, Veronica Ebireri was praised for drilling honesty, hard work and empathy into the children
‘’Words cannot express the joy we feel in our hearts as we recall your life of exemplary dedication to humanity and business’’.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ikpeerha Sawmills and Oghene Ochuko Motors was an influential trader, a leader of great stature and significance and a woman of humble origins.
‘’Hard work, humility, discipline and honesty brought her fame and fortune’’
The honest woman, employer of labour and meticulous achiever, according to the families, impacted in people’s lives at her own discomfort and sponsored many to higher institutions in Nigeria and abroad.
‘’Your impact on our lives is immeasurable. We continue to be grateful for the love you showered upon us. We continue to benefit immensely from your hard work, honesty, love, foresight and deep sense of humour which you shared with us. Continue to rest in perfect peace’’ the families said.
The families expressed profound gratitude to all for the unalloyed support, words of comfort and expression of love following her transition on March 10, 2001
Similarly, the Ajamikarawa, Egbeku, Igbimidaka-Elume, Eku, Okpara Waterside and Kokori families also celebrated the late Sapele lawyer, public administrator and businessman, Barrister Victor Okpako Ebireri for his firmness and good actions.
The former staff of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) died on Wednesday, November 7, 2012.
They described Victor Okpako Ebireri as a great motivator, caring father, dependable friend, lovely brother and exemplary leader.
The families highlighted Okpako Ebireri’s open mindedness, love for clearness and precision, self-control and serenity.
They also stressed his generous nature, sympathy, model of friendship and reverence for others’ individuality.
‘’Victor Okpako Ebireri was polished, grave, funny, thoughtful and intelligent’’
Particularly, the families praised his honesty and bravery.
Born on February 4, 1972, Victor Okpako Ebireri attended Okotie-Eboh Grammar School, Sapele, Mater Dei College, Ashaka, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and the Nigerian Law School.
Nothing exemplifies more about the ad-hoc system than the altercation that took place between the Minister of the Federal Capital, Nyesom Wike and Lieutenant A. M. Yerima a few days ago.
Some persons familiar with the theatrics of Wike may condemn his method but you can see that his heart is in the right place.
A lot of Nigerians suffered damage from ad-hoc military rule and the lack of respect for citizens and the rule of law. This military induced cognitive dissonance makes them accept military abuse as normal. This cognitive dissonance is the reason a lot of people are focusing on the wrong elements in the interaction of the duo.
What took place in Abuja is a microcosm of what Nigerians suffer daily from the hands of soldiers in Nigeria. Ad-hoc system leads to the breakdown of the rule of law and personalization of power.
The prick waving between the officer and Mr. Wike is the result of the imposed military ad-hoc culture. Instead of following the due process of law, it became a competition of who is more important. Instead of legal questions, the arguments become personal.
If Wike was not a minister, the officers would have assaulted him and locked him up in some military guardroom. This is the Nigerian reality. This is why that officer must be prosecuted for being in that place unlawfully.
If Wike was not a minister, the story would have been different and buried.
The years of military rule and their ad-hoc system of governance led to unprofessionalism of the Nigerian soldier and the total disregard for the rule of law.
The average Nigerian soldier seems to think he is above the law. They violate traffic regulations all the time and cause a lot of misery to citizens. They seem to think they have the legal right or duty to arrest civilians.
They should be made to understand that they are not superior citizens, and they are not above the law.
They must stop using their military positions to take laws into their own hands.
You may say the minister insulted the soldier. That is not the point. You may say the soldier was polite, that is also not the point. The question to ask is: why was the soldier there with other soldiers who were armed? Who gave the order for the officer to be there with other soldiers? Why did they go there armed? What was their rule of engagement? Was that the proper method to seek resolution in a dispute between two parties? Why was officer Yerima taking orders from a retired general? What does the uniform code of military justice say about this? Can retired soldiers command active-duty officers to carry out military exercises? Who was paying for the time that officer Yerima was using to do private security for his retired General?
The answer to these questions will tell us how unprofessional and lawless the Nigerian soldier is.
The reason the officer went to that site is to use intimidation to stop the workers from their legitimate duties. This is an illegal act that should have resulted in the arrest and prosecution of that officer.
He left his duty post under unlawful command to assault citizens engaged in their lawful duties.
Due to successive military governments in Nigeria, the average soldier thinks he has the right to arrest civilians. He thinks he is above the law. This is very wrong. They should be disabused of this notion.
They must subordinate themselves to civilian authority. The soldier is not a prosecutor, and he does not have the power to arrest any civilian.
Due to lack of knowledge, soldiers have been engaging in these activities. Some would arrest and detain civilians in military guard rooms which is illegal.
The general who sent officer Yerima does not think he is subject to the rule of law in a democratic society. That is why he decided to take the law into his own hands and intimidate the civilians involved.
We should review the unified code of military justice and see if a retired officer has the right to give order to a serving officer. If the answer is no, then Officer Yerima should be prosecuted for abusing his position.
He carried out an unlawful order from an officer who is no longer in service. He does not have the authority to interfere or interrogate any civilian in their place of work.
We as a nation must condemn what has happened and use this as a teaching moment.
The army must subordinate themselves to civilian authority. They work for us.
While I may be uncomfortable with Wike’ s theatrics, he should never apologize to Yerima. Yerima was there unlawfully and also in breach of military protocol. He should be arrested and prosecuted.
This will serve as a deterrent to soldiers who think their uniform is an emblem to intimidate and harass Nigerian citizens.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON, TEXAS
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
In honour of President Bola Tinubu’s determined global push to aggressively attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria, the world’s second largest stock exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ), on Wednesday in the world’s financial capital, invited President Tinubu to ring the closing bell, making him the first Nigerian President to ever receive the honour.
The President, surrounded by Nigerian business leaders and officials of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, in trademark fashion, did not fail to seize the opportunity presented by the historic moment to boldly advance his foreign investment push as he stood, live, in front of financial markets at the famous stock exchange.
“It’s a great honour for me to be here. I am happy to bring Nigeria to your doorsteps and I am honoured that we are here today with a bubbling Nigerian stock market that will evolve in the West African sub-region. The greatest economy in Africa is Nigeria, there is an immense opportunity in Nigeria where you can invest your money without fear,” the President said.
The President noted that his government continues to address longstanding problems and impediments, such as his work to restore and unify the foreign exchange rate market to a stable and trustworthy level, allowing new investors to seamlessly bring their money into the country, free of worries about whether or not they can take their money out at any point in time.
“You’re free to take in your money and bring out your money. I count on you to invest in Nigeria,” the President exclaimed under the lights.
At the Nigeria-U.S. Executive Business Roundtable held just after the closing bell, President Tinubu assured prospective investors that while he recognizes that investment capital is cowardly in nature, he intentionally brought successful Nigerian industrialists and public officials to share their experiences and operational plans respectively, in addition to all that he has already done to boost the confidence of the global investment community in Nigeria’s presently reforming fiscal, monetary, regulatory and tax policy environment.
“Nigeria is an opportunity that is impossible to replicate or find elsewhere in any part of the world. We have brilliant young people who both innovate and consume at a large scale. Our entrepreneurial spirit is a major part of what makes our market totally unique, aside from demography. Nigerians build businesses and Nigerian businesses partner with other businesses to conduct larger business. There is enough value to spread around. Be careful of what you hear about Nigeria. You may be dissuaded out of a major opportunity that others will take up. We are here for you. We will give you all the support you need to succeed and succeed abundantly,” the President assured the roundtable as he pointed out cabinet officials.
On behalf of the U.S. Government, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary, Wally Adeyemo, told U.S. business leaders that he was just a few hours removed from arriving in New York from Lagos, Nigeria, where he was on an official visit that later became a fact-finding mission.
“In Lagos, I saw first hand some of the major reforms you implemented as the Governor of Lagos and the transformative effect it has had on Nigeria’s commercial capital. People have attested to the fact that the reforms you have put in place as President are quickly enhancing confidence. American business is paying attention to that and from what we have seen for ourselves, Nigeria is proving to be a new frontier for investment. We will encourage our companies from our end as those reforms continue to deepen,” Mr. Adeyemo said.
The American Business Council President, Mr. Sops Ideriah, said that the extensive turnout at the roundtable by American Business Chief Executives served as a testament to the degree to which confidence is rising in response to the actions and words of President Bola Tinubu’s administration with respect to ease of business, investment promotion, and his willingness to personally intervene where required to ease the historical concerns of American business people about doing business in Nigeria.
“Having all the stakeholders in the room, His Excellency the President of Nigeria being here, from government actors at the federal and state level to ministers and tax authorities present, as well as private sector industrialists in Nigeria. We are very positive about the potential of Nigeria and we are just reinforcing to our colleagues the message about the economic opportunities that exist there,” Mr. Ideriah said.
Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, assured the American Captains of Industry that under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, the nation’s apex tax authority will be focusing its efforts not on taxing the seed, but only on the proportionate taxation of the fruit of fully formed industry, through efficient policy synergy with Nigeria’s sub-national authorities.
“The President is a business enabler, not a handicapper. Everything we do will be geared toward making your tax assessment and payment processes as digitally efficient and transparent as possible. We are not after the seed, but the fruit and we will keep to this commitment,” Nigeria’s new tax boss affirmed.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 21, 2023
Probe missing $15bn, N200bn of oil revenues, SERAP tells Tinubu
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to “set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over US$15 billion of oil revenues, and N200 billion budgeted to repair the refineries are missing and unaccounted for between 2020 and 2021, as documented by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).”
SERAP urged him to “name and shame anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing and unaccounted for public funds and to ensure their effective prosecution as well as the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.”
SERAP also urged him “to fully implement all the recommendations by NEITI in its 2021 report, and to use any recovered proceeds of crime.”
In the letter dated 23 September 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. Taking these important measures would end the impunity of perpetrators.”
SERAP said, “As President and Minister of Petroleum Resources, your office ought to be concerned about these damning revelations, by getting to the bottom of the allegations and ensuring that suspected perpetrators are promptly brought to justice, and any missing public funds fully recovered.”
The letter, read in part: “Any failure to investigate these grave allegations, bring suspected perpetrators to justice and recover any missing public funds would have serious resource allocation and exacerbate the country’s debt burden.”
“It would also create cynicism, suspicion, and eventually citizens’ distrust about the ability of your government to combat high-level official corruption, as well as deter foreign investment and limit growth and development.”
“We would therefore be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”
“The findings by NEITI suggest a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anticorruption laws, and the country’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.”
“The allegations of corruption documented by NEITI undermine economic development of the country, trap the majority of Nigerians in poverty and deprive them of opportunities.”
“Your government has a constitutional duty to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of the country’s wealth and resources.”
“According to the 2021 report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), government agencies including the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NNPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPDC) failed to remit $13.591 million and $8.251 billion to the public treasury.”
“The NNPC and NPDC failed to remit over 70% of these public funds. NEITI wants both the NNPC and NPDC to be investigated, and for the missing public funds to be fully recovered.”
“The report also shows that in 2021, the State Owned Enterprises (SOE) and its subsidiaries (the NNPC Group) reportedly spent US$6.931billion on behalf of the Federal Government but without appropriation by the National Assembly. The money may be missing.”
“The NNPC also reportedly obtained a loan of $3 billion in 2012 purportedly to settle subsidy payments due to petroleum product marketers but there is no disclosure of the details of the loan, subsidy and the beneficiaries of the payments.”
“The report also shows that N9.73 billion was paid to the NNPC as pipeline transportation revenue earned from Joint Venture operations but the money was neither remitted to the Federation nor properly accounted for. The NPDC in 2021 also failed to remit $7.61 million realized from the sale of crude oil.”
“The report documents that about N200 billion was spent on ‘refineries rehabilitation’ between 2020 and 2021 but “none of the refineries was operational in 2021 despite the spending.’ NEITI wants the spending to be investigated, as the money may be missing.”
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to ‘abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power’ in the country.”
“Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.’”
“Section 16(2) further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“Similarly, articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.”
“The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the country’s wealth and natural resources and hold public officials and non-state actors to account for any violations.”
“Specifically, article 26 of the UN convention requires your government to ensure ‘effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions’ including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption.”
“Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations.”
“Nigeria is also a participating state of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which aims to foster greater governmental accountability for the use of natural resource wealth through the creation of a set of international norms on revenue transparency.”
“EITI also aims to tackle corruption, poverty and conflict associated with natural resource wealth. Nigeria has the obligations to implement the EITI Standard, which sets out the transparency norms with which participating States including Nigeria must comply.”
Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director
24/9/2023
Lagos, Nigeria
Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org
Twitter: @SERAPNigeria
Website: www.serap-nigeria.org
For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202