SERAP writes Buhari, 36 governors, seeks disclosure of spending on ‘security votes’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent Freedom of Information requests to President Muhammadu Buhari and the 36 state governors in Nigeria requesting them to use their “good offices and leadership positions to urgently provide information on specific details of spending of appropriated public funds as security votes between 2011 and 2019.”

In the separate requests sent to Mr Buhari and the governors, SERAP said: “Given the current security realities in the country, we need the information to determine if public funds meant to provide security and ensure respect and protection of the rights to life, physical integrity, and liberty of Nigerians have been spent for this purpose. Our request is limited to details of visible, specific security measures and projects executed and does not include spending on intelligence operations.”

In the FOI requests dated 12 April 2019 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “’Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.’ It is the security of the citizens that is intended and not the security of select individuals in public office. SERAP believes that transparency and accountability in the spending of security votes are critically important to fully implement this responsibility imposed on both the federal and state governments.”

SERAP said: “We are concerned that rather than serving the citizens, the appropriation of public funds as security votes over the years would seem to serve high-ranking government officials at all levels—federal and states. We are also concerned that the practice of security votes entrusts discretionary powers to spend huge public funds on certain elected public officials who may not have any idea of operational issues on security matters.”

The requests read in part: “SERAP urges you to open-up on the matter and provide information and documents as requested. This will be one step in the right direction. Unless the information is urgently provided, Nigerians would continue to see the appropriation of public funds as security votes and the institutionalization of this cash in ‘Ghana Must Go bags’ practice as a tool for self-enrichment.”

“We would be grateful if the requested information is provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, the Registered Trustees of SERAP shall take all appropriate legal action under the Freedom of Information Act to compel you to comply with our request.”

“The most general purpose of State power is to provide security for citizens and other residents and to enable them lead a life that is meaningful to them. However, the growing level of insecurity, violence, kidnappings and killings in Zamfara State and other parts of Nigeria suggest that successive governments—at both federal and state levels—have been unwilling or unable to satisfactorily implement this fundamental constitutional commitment.”

“SERAP believes that there is a strong link between corruption and insecurity, violence, kidnappings and killings in several parts of the country. Available evidence would seem to suggest that many of the tiers of government in Nigeria have used security votes as a conduit for grand corruption rather than spending the funds to improve and enhance national security and ensure full protection of Nigerians’ rights to life, physical integrity, and liberty. In fact, former governor of Kano State Musa Kwankwaso once described security votes as ‘another way of stealing public funds’.”

“The huge financial resources budgeted for ‘security votes’ by successive governments—at both federal and state levels–have not matched the security realities, especially given the level of insecurity, violence, kidnappings and killings in many parts of the country. The current security realities in the country would seem to suggest massive political use, mismanagement or stealing of security votes by many governments.”

“SERAP believes that the Federal government and state governments ought to push for transparency and accountability in the spending of security votes both at the federal and state levels, if any such funds are to be properly spent to promote and ensure sustainable peace and security for the people of Nigeria.”

“SERAP believes that by providing the information, your government would help put an end to any insinuation that security votes are spent on political activities, mismanaged or stolen. This would in turn contribute to better opportunities for citizens to assess the level of spending and commitment of successive governments to ensuring the security of lives and property of the people.”

“Democratic societies function best with a high level of trust. Corruption, opacity and lack of accountability undermine that trust, and thus undermine the very foundation of democracies.”

“We note that the obligation to provide security and protect people’s rights to life, physical integrity, and liberty ought to be a shared responsibility of the federal and state governments, and not just for the federal government, as state governors also appropriate huge public funds each year as security votes. Many governors reportedly hide the security votes in their budgets as the funds are not expressly stated in their appropriation acts.”

“By Sections 2(3)(d)(V) & (4) of the FOI Act, there is a binding legal duty to ensure that details of spending on specific security measures and projects are widely disseminated and made readily available to members of the public through various means, including on a dedicated website. The information being requested does not come within the purview of the types of information exempted from disclosure by the provisions of the FOI Act.”

“As revealed by a 2018 report by Transparency International (TI), most of the funds appropriated as security votes are spent on political activities, mismanaged or simply stolen. It is estimated that security votes add up to over N241.2 billion every year. On top of appropriated security votes, governments also receive millions of dollars yearly as international security assistance.”

“According to TI, security vote spending exceeds 70 percent of the annual budget of the Nigeria Police Force, more than the Nigerian Army’s annual budget, and more than the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force’s annual budget combined.”

-PM NEWS

kidnapping : How we Kidnapped, killed American soldier in Imo - Suspects

A seven-member notorious kidnapping gang have recounted how they killed an American soldier in Okigwe area of Imo State in 2017.

The deceased, a Nigerian, who is serving in the US Army, identified as Chuks Okebata, was holidaying in Okigwe when he was abducted and killed by the gang.

Two Ak-47 rifles and six magazines loaded with 127 live ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

The suspects, Sunday Igwe, alias School Boy, Michael Ahmefula, Oyebuchi Echefule, Ndubusi Isaac, Victor Dagogo, Chima Okoro and John Edet were arrested last week by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari.

In their confessional statement to the police, the suspects admitted being members of a deadly armed robbery and kidnapping gang terrorizing Imo, Abia and Rivers States.

School-Boy, who is the leader of the gang, said that they never knew that the deceased was an American soldier.

“He tried to disarm me and in the process was killed. If we had not killed him, he would have killed us. He is strong with tough muscles and the only way to save our lives was to kill him,” he said.

School Boy further said that they never knew that the deceased, had a pistol with him at the time he was kidnapped.

He said: “We bundled him into the boot of our operational vehicle after he was kidnapped. We didn’t know who he was. While we were heading to our camp where we hope to keep him until ransom is paid. He pulled out his gun and started shooting at us from the boot and the bullet hit me on the leg and the driver on his hand.

“Realizing the danger, I asked our driver to stop the vehicle. As soon as the vehicle came to a halt we disarmed him. He was killed right there on the spot. We dumped his body inside a gutter and left. I want everyone to understand that I have no intention of killing him but he forced us into doing it,” he stated.

29-year-old Schoool Boy, who is a native of Bende Local Government Area of Abia State and a secondary school dropout, also narrated how he went into crime.

On his part, Michael Ahamefuna, 28-year-old, who is the second in command in the group and married with two children, said: “I reside in Port Harcourt. I am from Abia state. I am a trader. I met School-boy in a smoking joint where we smoke drugs and he used to come and smoke drugs.

“He had injury on his leg then and he took me to his village and we met one KC. We formed a kidnapping gang. We kidnapped a man who paid us N1.5million and we went to another business that paid us N15million. We also picked someone in Owerri and we took the person to Iteam in Abia State.

We got N10million from two victims, the last one that got us into trouble occurred in October 2018 and we lost our leader in that operation.”

- DAILY POST

What John Obi Mikel said after captaining Middlesbrough to second win

Nigeria midfielder, John Obi Mikel has revealed how it feels captaining English second tier side, Middlesbrough to the successive victory.

Middlesbrough are still in contention for the playoffs after beating Hull City 1-0 at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

It was their second successive win in the Championship with Mikel captaining the side.

The Super Eagles midfielder was at the right place at the right time, clearing off the line as the opponents searched for an equaliser towards the end of the game.

Speaking post-match, Mikel told BBC that he has enjoyed the captaining the team in their last two matches against Bolton Wanderers and Hull City.

”’It is always nice to be the captain, to lead the team,” he said.

”Great team, great players, great lads too, so it is always nice, it is always positive. I am really honored to have captained the team in the last two games.

”Hopefully we can keep winning games, I think that is the most important thing.”

In the provisional standings, Middlesbrough are seventh and have garnered 64 points from 42 matches.

- DAILY POST 

I have no house outside Nigeria – Dangote

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has declared that he has no personal house outside Nigeria.

The business mogul said this at the 2019 Mo Ibrahim Forum.

Dangote hinted that he avoids luxury things “because they distract and take time”.

Dangote said: “I don’t have any holiday home anywhere. I don’t have a house anywhere but I know people who are working for me…they have houses in London.”

“But you see, a lot of people, even the younger ones, we need to be very careful because one of biggest issues with us as Africans is that we spend our projected incomes.

“Once you start doing business [and] it starts doing well, but rather than for you to invest more in the business, you start spending thinking that profit will continue to come.

“There are ups and downs in business so you need to be very focused.”

Asked of his opinion on areas young entrepreneurs should invest in, Dangote replied: “The sectors to focus on now are ICT and agriculture. These are the 2 promising sectors.”

- DAILY POST 

UNICEF: Armed groups recruited over 3,500 children in north-east

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says between 2013 and 2017, more than 3,500 children were recruited and used by non-state armed groups in the north-east.

The agency said most of children have been used in the ongoing armed conflict in north-east.

It noted that “these numbers are only those that have been verified, while the true figures are likely to be higher”.

This was contained in a statement issued ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Chibok girls abduction. The girls were abducted on April 14, 2014.

According to UNICEF, in addition to the  number mentioned above, 432 children were killed and maimed, 180 were abducted, and 43 girls were sexually abused in north-east Nigeria in 2018.

It said the anniversary of the abduction is a grim reminder that widespread abductions of children and grave violations of children’s rights continue to take place in the north-east.

“More than 3,500 children, most of whom were aged 13 to 17, were recruited by non-state armed groups between 2013 and 2017 and have been used in the ongoing armed conflict in north-east Nigeria,” the agency said.

“In addition to these children, 432 children were killed and maimed, 180 were abducted, and 43 girls were sexually abused in north-east Nigeria in 2018.

“Meanwhile, more than 100 of the abducted Chibok girls remain missing.

“The anniversary of the abduction, marked on 14 April, is a grim reminder that widespread abductions of children and grave violations of children’s rights continue to take place in the north-east.”

Mohamed Fall, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, called for children’s right protection, saying the parties involved in the conflict should end the violation against children.

“Children should feel safe at home, in schools and on their playgrounds at all times,” he said.

“We are calling on the parties to the conflict to fulfill their obligations under international law to end violations against children and to stop targeting civilian infrastructure, including schools. This is the only way we can begin to make lasting improvements in the lives of children in this devastated part of Nigeria.

“Since 2012, non-state armed groups in north-east Nigeria have recruited and used children as combatants and non-combatants, raped and forced girls to marry, and committed other grave violations against children. Some of the girls become pregnant in captivity and give birth without any medical care or attention.

“UNICEF continues to offer its support to the Government of Nigeria in its strong efforts to protect the country’s children. UNICEF works with the Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and other partners to support children who have been rescued or escaped from captivity.

“In 2017 and 2018, UNICEF and its partners provided community-based reintegration services to more than 9,800 people formerly associated with armed groups, as well as vulnerable children in communities.

“These services help to trace children’s families, return them to their communities, and offer psycho-social support, education, vocational training, informal apprenticeships, and opportunities to improve livelihoods.”

- THECABLE

States put pressure on us to spend all the money instead of saving in ECA

Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, says representatives of states often put pressure on the federal government to spend all the income realised when some could be set aside in the excess crude account.

The minister made this known on Friday while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group.

“The ECA is an account where we put our savings from excess crude sales,” she said.

“We are supposed to be making these savings as a matter of routine but over the years we have not been able to do that.

“But we will try to start saving in the ECA routinely.

“The NSIA is supposed to be funded from the ECA but unfortunately because the build-up is very slow, we have only increased our investment in the NSIA periodically.

“So we want to change that to make it as a matter of routine that every FAAC once we pass a certain threshold, we save.

“We need the cooperation of the states as well because often times we see the states putting pressure, that they want all the funds to be used for the running of their states.”

The excess crude account is supposed to hold funds when oil prices are sold above the budget benchmark.

Abebe Selassie, head of the African department at IMF, had described Nigeria’s excess crude account as one of the worst managed sovereign wealth funds in the world.

In 2016, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance, had said that there was no political will to save during her second term as finance minister.

“In my second time as a finance minister, from 2011 to 2015, we had the instrument, we had the means, we had done it before, but zero political will,” she said.

“So we were not able to save when we should have. That is why you find that Nigeria is now in the situation it is in. Along with so many other countries.”

- THECABLE

Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya wins UFC Middleweight championship

Few gave him a chance, but Nigerian-born Israel Adesanya has beaten Kelvin Gastelum to claim the Interim UFC Middleweight Championship by unanimous decision.

Adesanya, who is a citizen of New Zealand outlasted Gastelum in a monumental battle, winning a unanimous decision by scores of 48-46 on all three judges’ cards, completing a meteoric 14-month rise to the top of the division.

The Nigerian-New Zealander grew up idolizing Anderson Silva, and the UFC middleweight did a lot of Silva-like things in his bout with Kelvin Gastelum for the interim title Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 236 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

But Adesanya created his own legacy with a brilliant performance in which he had to dig down deeper than he had at any point in his career. The win was his sixth in just 14 months in the UFC, but by far the biggest and most significant.

It was a titanic struggle in which the men laid their souls bare and went after the victory with every ounce of strength and desire that was inside of them. Both were on the ground and both were bleeding and sweating profusely by the time it ended.

The fight was even on all three scorecards heading to the fifth, and Adesanya won it with an incredible striking display. He nearly finished the bout with a triangle choke in one of the many “I can’t believe that!” moments that occurred throughout the fight.

Adesanya won the round 10-8 on all three judges’ cards that cinched the belt and probably put it into the lead for the mythical Fight of the Year honour.

Gastelum, who gave up seven inches in height and more than eight inches in reach, did everything he said he’d do. He pressured Adesanya and gave as good as he got throughout the bout.

At times, it was like rock ’em, sock ’em robots, as Gastelum’s reach disadvantage forced him to wade into the pocket. He had plenty of success, but Adesanya’s short rights eventually took their toll. He dumped Gastelum multiple times in the fifth and nearly stopped him in the final 30 seconds.

“I was willing to give it all and leave it all in there,” Adesanya said. “He’s a Mexican warrior, but hey, I’ve got that Mexicano in me, too.”

Adesanya improved to 17-0 as professional and 6-0 in the UFC, while Gastelum (15-4, 1 NC) loses for just the second time since moving up to the middleweight division.

Up next, Adesanya presumably faces undisputed champion Robert Whittaker. If his post-fight swagger is any indication, he’s ready to show who is truly the top dog at 185 pounds.

“I’m the champion,” Adesanya said. “Let’s go.”

Israel Mobolaji Adesanya was born in Lagos on 22 July 1989. He is a professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and boxer.

He trained taekwondo for a brief time in his youth but was removed by his mother after breaking his arm.

At the age of 13, he moved to Rotorua, New Zealand and attended Rotorua Intermediate. He started training in kickboxing at age 18 after being inspired by the Muay Thai film Ong-Bak and went on to amass an amateur kickboxing record of 32-0 prior to moving and fighting in China.

At the age of 21, Adesanya relocated to Auckland, New Zealand, and began training at City Kickboxing with other established fighters such as Kai Kara-France and Dan Hooker.

Adesanya made his professional debut in 2012. Fighting in Hong Kong, Australia and China over the next five-and-a-half years, he amassed a record of 11-0 with all wins coming via KO/TKO prior to being signed by the UFC in December 2017.

- PM NEWS

Lagos prophet Cries Out for Help To Save Wife From Gun Shot Injury

A 39-year old prophet in charge of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, at Ishawo, Agric, Ikorodu, Lagos, Ojo Babatunde has appealed to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the Governor-elect, Mr. Babatunde Sanwo-Olu and kind hearted Nigerians to come to his assistance to save his wife from untimely death from gunshots fired by militants which shattered her two legs when they invaded his residence in April, 2017.

Ojo said he decided to cry out for help to save his wife, Bukola’s life, because he had spent all his savings, sold properties, borrowed from friends and church members to treat his wife, but that his wife had yet to recover due to lack of funds to continue the treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja, Lagos.

Ojo stated that a doctor at the Orthopedic Department of LASUTH, Ikeja said that bullets had affected the bones of his wife’s two legs and that an operation which would cost about N250,000 was needed to correct it.

Narrating the incident to PMNEWS, Ojo stated: ”I was at home with my family in April 2017, when scores of militants, armed with sophisticated weapons invaded Olorunsogo Estate, Yewa, Ishawo, Ikorodu, Lagos where I lived and started shooting, sporadically into residential apartments and abducting residents. They were protesting their dislodgment by the police and military from oil bunkering in the area

”And in the process, bullets shattered my wife, Bukola’s two legs. My three years old daughter, Ewa, was shot on her buttocks while my younger brother, Olorunmaye was also shot.

”Following the development, military personnel assisted me to rush my wife, daughter and junior brother to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTh, Lagos but that while my wife and daughter survived the gunshot injuries, my brother, Olorunmaye died.

”A doctor at the Orthopedic Department of LASUTH where my wife had been receiving treatment for the past two years said that bullets had affected the bones of her two legs and that an operation that will cost N250,000 is needed to correct it.

“I do not have the money to foot the bills, that is why I am now appealing to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Mr. Babatunde Sanwo-Olu and well meaning Nigerians to come to my aid and assist me to treat my wife to enable her stay alive.”

- PM NEWS