The United States government on Friday
indicted the President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government of
massive and widespread corruption.
According to the United States
Department of State, government officials and agencies frequently engage
in corrupt practices with impunity.
This was contained in the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 2012, which was released on Friday evening.
In the report, the judiciary and security agencies, especially the police, were said be lacking in transparency.
It read in part,“The law provides
criminal penalties for official corruption; however, the government did
not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in
corrupt practices with impunity. Massive, widespread, and pervasive
corruption affected all levels of government and the security forces.
The constitution provides immunity from civil and criminal prosecution
for the president, vice president, governors, and deputy governors while
in office.
“There was a widespread perception
judges were easily bribed and litigants could not rely on the courts to
render impartial judgments. Citizens encountered long delays and alleged
requests from judicial officials for bribes to expedite cases or obtain
favourable rulings.
“Police corruption remained rampant.
Reports of checkpoint bribery and shooting incidents decreased in
February after newly appointed Inspector General of Police Mohammed
Abubakar announced the closure of all police checkpoints across the
country; however, illegal checkpoints remained common in some regions.
Police routinely stopped drivers who did not commit traffic infractions,
refusing to allow them to continue until they paid bribes,” it stated.
Highlighting events that occurred in the
country in last year that portrayed lack of transparency and probity,
the US government listed the escape of the suspected mastermind of the
Boko Haram 2011 Christmas Day bombing from custody, noting how the
police commissioner, who aided the suspect went unpunished; the
conviction of former Delta State governor James Ibori in the Southwark
Crown Court in London of charges of money laundering and other financial
crimes totaling N12.4bn, after he was acquitted by a Nigerian court;
and the N1.067trn fuel subsidy fund lost to “endemic corruption and
entrenched inefficiency” as examples.
It stated that, “In July, the government
released a list of those who had benefited illegally from the subsidy
program, which included relatives and colleagues of key government
officials. In late July, the EFCC began arraigning suspects, first with a
group of 20 indictments, including six oil companies and 11
individuals. By year’s end, the EFCC initiated prosecutions of
approximately 50 cases related to the subsidy scam. The majority of
these cases involved companies and individuals who had fraudulently
received subsidy revenue. Investigations and trials had not produced any
convictions by year’s end.”
The US document also faulted the refusal of public officials to declare their assets as stipulated by law.
It stated that in June 2012, the
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and other groups
demanded that President Jonathan should disclose his assets from 2007 to
2012 but that Jonathan refused.
The report also rated the anticorruption
efforts of the Independent Corrupt Practises and other related offences
Commission and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as “largely
ineffectual,” adding that despite ICPC’s wide mandate, it had only
achieved 60 convictions since its inauguration in 2000.
It also listed a number of cases being
handled by the EFCC that have remained inconclusive, including the case
of alleged misappropriation of one N1bn against former Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and N40bn against his deputy
Usman Nafada; and the cases against four former governors Gbenga Daniel,
Adebayo Alao-Akala, Aliyu Akwe Doma, and Muhammed Danjuma Goje, for
allegedly misappropriating N58bn, N25bn, N18bn, and N12.8bn,
respectively.
Apart from corruption, the US accused the Federal Government of numerous unlawful killings.
It decried frequent abduction of
civilians and lack of press freedom, highlighting cases, where
journalists were harassed and beaten up.
It also noted widespread discrimination against persons with disability.
The Presidency, however, described the report as an incorrect assessment of the situation in the country.
Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, warned Nigerians to be wary of
such assessments which he described as “parachute researches.”
He said contrary to the picture the
report painted, the present administration has remained the most
transparent government since the return of democracy to Nigeria.
He said it was in the spirit of
transparency that the present administration exposed the scam in the
downstream sector of the petroleum industry and passed the Freedom of
Information Bill.
He said, “In 2012 that the report is talking about, the EFCC alone got more than 200 convictions. This is in public domain.
“This government did an audit to eliminate waste and leakages in the system.
“On the checkpoints they talked about,
it is important that they identify the difference between checkpoints
and stop-and-search operation which is required especially in tackling
security challenges.
“Nigerians should be wary of these
external assessors that jump into conclusion. What are the parameters
used in arriving at their conclusion? How scientific are the analysis?
“They assess Nigeria based on the
instinct of a parachuter who jumps put of an aircraft without a fair
knowledge of where he is landing.”
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Mr Abbati should come to Kano and see that of police and army extortion of money and killing of civilians anyhow. their report is not just true but under-stated. The reason behind GEJ under-performance is just because he is surrounded by disillusioned supposed-to-be professionals like Abattis, Okupes, Labaran Makus, under the umbrella of "gangster" party called PDP.
ReplyDeleteOur leaders and their mouth piece will never learn. Only defending evil & corruption but figthting truth & transparency. What a SHAME!
ReplyDeleteAbati should shut up!! Ugly face. This is a man who was always criticizing government when he wasn't yet opportuned to be in government, we know him very well when he was always featuring in the program "Patito Gang", a program critical about governments poor performance, now he is 'chopping' so lost touch with the truth. He should be hiding his ugly face and should remember his tenure will soon be over.
ReplyDeleteDr.Reuben Abati,am so disappointed in you based on your response.Why hiding the truth when you know truely a american assessors were perfectly and absolutely right.You belong to the corrupt administration,it is a pity.Nemesis will catch up with the thieves robbing and depriving Nigerians good living despite the resources at our disposals.
ReplyDeleteThe blame lies squarely on the door steps of inept leadership in every facet of our national life. President Jonathan is completely out of his depths in managing our nation. He lacks the basic requirements for the position. His performance so far can at best be described as mediocre. To make matters worse, he has surrounded himself with grossly inefficient persons in very critical positions.
ReplyDeleteEven, if the opposite were to be the case, it is obvious that he lacks the capability to harness good advice from brilliant minds being himself a very daft fellow.
Nigerians must rise up and realise that unless we consciously elect the correct type of leader, we will continue groping in the dark! God save Nigeria should be our national mantra henceforth.
Abati? Dog that eat from his master dirty plate.your name alone is curroption
ReplyDeleteAbati or whatever you call yourself, do you think you can deceive us. Tell us what is not true in the report. The police have return to the roads in full force taking their task. The arm have joined them. Bankole case has died and many others. Prove the report false instead of talking rubbish.
ReplyDeleteThis so called Special Adviser, Abati frequently makes some stupid pronouncements without ever addressing the issues raised. How did he ever get a doctorate or even an ordinary degree without learning to address issues and questions raised. He must have bought it of the shelf!
ReplyDeleteInstead of calling the report stupid names like parachute researches he and his boss (Jonathan) should the issues raised.
1. Has Jonathan and all his officials declared their assets up to 2012 as stipulated by law of the land?
2. Was James Ibori acquitted by a Nigerian court on the same charges he was found guilty of and imprisoned in London?
3. When will the four former governors Gbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Aliyu Akwe Doma, and Muhammed Danjuma Goje face justice for looting their states treasuries?
4. When will the state start and the houses of Assemblies initiate the process of Amending the Constitution to REMOVE the offending and sickening IMMUNITY CLAUSE that makes some Nigerians above the law?
5. Is the Judiciary and the Law enforcement corrupt?
6. When can we expect convictions in cases of Fraudsters charged with fraudulently receiving subsidy revenues?
Mr Abati and his Boss can start to repair their reputations by answering above 6 questions posed by the Report.
Mr. Abati, what sort of transparency has your government shown regarding the indictments by US,(not just US but Nigerians) on the case of alleged misappropriation of one N1bn against former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, and N40bn against his deputy Usman Nafada; and the cases against four former governors Gbenga Daniel, Adebayo Alao-Akala, Aliyu Akwe Doma, and Muhammed Danjuma Goje, for allegedly misappropriating N58bn, N25bn, N18bn, and N12.8bn, respectively?
ReplyDeleteYou guys have institutionalized corruption and sold your conscience that you don't even have shame anymore.You travel out often and see how other countries are using their little resources to develop their countries in such a way that somebody from a poor background is happy and full of hopes, but here in Nigeria, it's a different issue entirely.
ITS A PITY THAT THOSE WHO RULE US IN NIGERIA PRETEND TO SUFFER SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS AND LOSS OF MEMORY.ABATI SHOULD NOT FORGET THAT POSTERITY WILL JUDGE US ALL AFTER WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE DONE WITH NIGERIA.HMMMM,I WEEP FOR OUR FUTURE.WHAT SHALL WE TELL OUR CHILDREN?
ReplyDelete