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CACOL COMMENDS THE DECISION OF A UK COURT NOT TO QUASH THE CONVICTION OF JAMES IBORI

The Executive Chairman of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, has appreciated the decision of a court sitting in the United Kingdom not to quash the conviction of a former governor of Delta state, Chief James Ononefe Ibori, in spite of the evidence presented which indicted a British police officer in case of bribery.
 
The media recently reported the decision of the UK to ensure that Ibori, a former governor of Delta State who is currently serving a 13-year jail term in a British prison after pleading guilty to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering serves out his jail term.
Speaking on behalf of CACOL, Adeniran said, “we remain one of the foremost civil society groups that have been in the fore-front fighting and demanding for the prosecution of James Ibori, and so we appreciate this decision,”
 
Continuing, he said, “regardless of the revelation from this case, which indicts a British police officer, Ibori must be made to pay for his crimes. For as far back as 2009 we at CACOL had been protesting and advocating for the prosecution and conviction of the former governor only to be met with hindrances deliberately put in place to facilitate the former governor’s escape from justice in Nigeria”
 
Speaking further, Adeniran reiterated the Coalition’s stance on the extradition of James Ibori back to Nigeria to face justice for his several corruption crimes; he said “corrupt elements such as Ibori and others like him have to pay for their crimes to serve as deterrent to others like him. In the fight against corruption, there must be no sacred cows.
 
In concluding, Adeniran called on the Federal government to be more pro-active in its fight against corruption. “All the anti-corruption agencies and other relevant agencies must also fulfill their constitutional duties, irrespective of whose ox is gored. Madam Patience for instance have publicly laid claim to the $15m frozen in four company accounts and dared the anti-graft agency to invite her for questioning. She was just a civil servant, so as a civil servant, how did she manage to acquire such properties and stupendous amount found in her accounts? Yet, she is walking free and has even gone ahead to sue EFCC! It is time for our anti-corruption agencies to walk their talk within the ambit of the rule of law.
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
September 21, 2016
 
 
 
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THE TIME TO INVITE DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN FOR INTERROGATION IS NOW; CACOL TELLS EFCC

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately invite the wife of the immediate past President, Goodluck Jonathan for questioning over the allegations of money laundering involving herself, her aides and some Skye Bank officials.

 
The Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Debo Adeniran said, “it is beginning to appear like the EFCC is disposed to ‘pampering’ some suspected corruption criminals in our country even though the Act that established the Commission gives it constitutional powers to carry out its duties without fear or favour.”
 
“The case of the wife of former President Jonathan epitomizes this reality. With the whole lot of confusion, allegations and counter-allegations, media war etc. that are attendant to the Mrs. Jonathan’s case, what else does the EFCC need to invite the person who is at the epicentre of the whole episode, even if just for questioning and clarifications?”
 
The renowned anti-corruption Crusader added that, “we are impressed by the efforts of the EFCC so far on the Mrs. Jonathan’s case including the arrest and ongoing prosecution of some the aides and the bankers involved. Yet, we cannot help but ask whether indeed the EFCC is being hindered from using the shortest cut to resolve this corruption imbroglio involving the wife of the immediate past President by inviting/summoning her?”
 
“The truth is that, Madam Jonathan is a Nigerian, like every other one, that must abide by the constitution of the country. What are the fears of EFCC? Does the EFCC handle ‘lesser’ Nigerians in one corruption case or the other in this mode? If we are serious about fighting corruption, we must not consider some people as ‘untouchables’, particularly when such people have been ‘cornered’ like the woman in question as long as the rule of law is not violated!”
 
Reiterating CACOL’s position on the saga, Adeniran continued, “Like we said when the news broke out that Madam Jonathan had openly laid claim to the $15m frozen in four company accounts and dared the anti-graft agency to invite her for questioning. We ask, how did she get the money and even the ones stacked in her account? That is what we Nigerians want to know, as far as we can understand, she was just a civil servant, so as a civil servant, how did she manage to acquire such properties that worth such stupendous amount, because she would have earned less than 10% of the amount even if she had been a Director or Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa Civil Service all of the entire years she has spent on earth!”
 
In concluding, Adeniran said, “we are calling on the EFCC to invite Madam Jonathan for questioning with immediate effect. This ‘beating around the bush’ approach is not going to strengthen the anti-corruption war, it can only weaken it. Name, Shame and Shun Corrupt Leaders, anywhere, anytime!”
 
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
September 17, 2016
 
 
 
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PATIENCE JONATHAN HOW DID ARIOLF RESORT WELLNESS AND SPA CAME TO BE? CACOL DEMANDS

The Coalition against Corrupt Leaders, (CACOL)demands that the wife of the Ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan should explain how she came about owning a property worth N10bn even as a civil servant without holding any government position.

This came on the heels of a media report According to a UK business newspaper (The Financial Times) that the hotel, Aridolf Resort Wellness and Spa,  which was lunched towards the end of Goodluck’s tenorin Yenagoais said to have imported state- of -the-art furniture, can rank with other luxury hotels In the world.

Reacting to the news through the Coalition’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran, the group asked the wife of the Ex-president to explain to Nigerians how she came about allegedly owning a luxurious hotel that is worth N10bn and also some funds allegedly traced to her bank accounts.“How did she get the money and even the ones stacked in her account? That is what we Nigerians want to know, as far as we can understand, she didn’t hold any government position, she’s just a civil servant, so as a civil servant, how did she manage to acquire such a luxurious property that worths that amount, because she would have earned less than 10% the amount even if she has been a Director or Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa civil service all of the entire years she has spent on earth!” Adeniran averred.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies has been conferred with the jurisdiction and also empowered to probe any past or current public officials living life above their legitimate earnings; hence it would be negligent of the EFCC if it wastes time ant further in commencing prosecution of the former first lady who has by her action in court confessed she possess an amount of cash and property she couldn’t have legitimately earned”, Adeniran concluded. “We commend so far the efforts of the Federal Government and the anti-corruption agencies for their efforts in probing those Publicly Exposed Persons found wanting. We also call on the government to exhibit pro-activeness towards creating the enabling environment for the fight against corruption by facilitating the emergence of enabling laws that will remove encumbrances on the path of the anti-corruption drive.” Adeniran added.

 

Abiodun Rabiu

Acting Media Officer, CACOL

08141121208

cacolc@yahoo.com,

cacol@thehumanitycentre.org

September 9, 2016

 

For more press releases and statements, please visit our website at

www.corruptionwatchng.com, www.cwatch.thehumanitycentre.org

 

 

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MR. PRESIDENT, NIGERIANS EXPRESSED THEIR WILL FOR CHANGE WHEN THEY VOTED FOR YOU AND APC IN 2015; THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT! – CACOL

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL has frowned at the slogan of the national re-orientation campaign tagged, ‘Change Begins With Me’ launched in Abuja on Thursday, also expressed disappointment while saying that it represents blaming Nigerians who are only victims of the mode of governance perpetrated by the incurably corrupt political class that has held on tenaciously to political power in the country till date.

 
Mr. Debo Adeniran, the Executive Chairman of the Coalition, said, “it’s disappointing to hear government’s attempt to transfer the blame of its daily unveiling failure on the victims of its apparent incompetence and seeming cluelessness in the face of a very challenging time. One would have expected that by now, with the precarious state of country, the government should take full responsibility for the roles required of it by leading with example and boldness instead of blame-shifting and expressions of frustration.”
 
“Yes, there is the dire need for Nigerians collectively to understand the background to the present  situation of the country and the attendant sacrifices required of Nigeria and Nigerians to wade through the storm, but the present government’s excuses and false pretences belie its so-called change agenda, to put it bluntly.”
 
“The task to rebuild our country is very daunting, no doubts about that, but the present regime knew this before it got to power. To continue to insult the collective intelligence of Nigerians with narratives that are apparently designed to disguise the lack of political will needed to abandon the ways of the old by the political class is totally provoking and unacceptable.”
 
“Nigerians had expressed and in a very ‘revolutionary’ manner for that matter, on March 28, 2015 when they voted massively for President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressive Congress, APC, in the Presidential elections their will and readiness for real change! Need we remind the government that reality before it realizes that the ball is in its court to bring the change Nigerians voted for to bold relief? What fundamental change has the government demonstrated beyond mere sloganeering and governing on the basis of false pretences? Adeniran queried.”
 
“For crying out loud the Presidential Fleet of about 11 aircrafts that was being maintained by the former regime which the present regime promised to reduce is still intact in spite of the humongous costs it takes to maintain them, yet it is the poor that must pay to maintain the unnecessary fleet that has been argued to be the most expensive to maintain in Africa! And this is in a country where the political class keeps convoys of expensive vehicles just to move an individual around; own choice properties all over the country and outside, where the political class’ dogs enjoy better humanism than the poor majority who are the real humans.” He continued.
 
The anti-corruption crusader, concluded, by advising the Government to move beyond excuses, rhetorics and repeated failed promises, he said, “that is the only way that government can lead by example and express in reality its claim that it understands the pains of the masses. The ordinary Nigerians in their majority are the sole victims in the subsisting scenario; they want their country to be salvaged and are ready to play their part in achieving that, transferring blame on them is unfair. It represents serious un-seriousness on the part of government in terms of its responsibility. Therefore we say, “Mr. President, the change begins with you and your government, Sir!”
 
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
September 9, 2016
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ECONOMIC RECESSION; GOVERNMENT MUST CUT DOWN THE OUTRAGEOUS ALLOWANCES OF ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIALS – CACOL

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, has reiterated the need for the slashing of allowances and salaries of elected Public officials as the economic situation bites harder with its attendant pains on the people.

 
Media reports recently revealed that members of the National Assembly alone have received a total of 6.78bn naira as salaries and allowances in the past one year even as the economy nose-dives into recession.
 
The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran described the remuneration packages which include annual salaries, accommodation, vehicle maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities allowances as outrageous considering the present the prevailing situation. He said “as a matter of fact, their remunerations had hitherto been outrageous and unfair, and that is why the strident calls to slash the bogus remuneration of elected public officials as a way of reducing the cost of governance has been a public outcry for long.”
 
The allowances include constituency allowances, annual leave allowance, hardship allowance, wardrobe, newspapers and responsibilities allowances etc. The reports show that Senators receives of 2.02m naira annually, while a member of House of Representative gets 1.98m naira the basic salary of the Senate President is 2.48m naira etc.
 
Mr. Adeniran said, “these bogus allowances are being enjoyed by not just the National Assembly members but also by all other elected public officials with minimal differentials in what accrue to them generally. The unfairness and insensitivity to the majority that are wallowing in economic pangs in the country is clearly reflecting in the unwillingness of those in political office to abandon greed and selfishness, and to also self-deny as required by the state of the economy.”
 
“Some other countries like Senegal, in 2012, following economic challenges and expediency of the social needs of the people of the country in terms of priorities, Senegalese lawmakers, who were divided between a 150-seat National assembly and a 100-seat Senate, voted to do away with the Senate and passed a law which dissolved the institution in order to save an estimated $15 million. This was a decision intended to curb government spending and spend more on the ordinary Senegalese.” Adeniran said in drawing comparison between Nigeria and Senegal to back CACOL’s position.
 
He concluded saying “If truly Nigeria is in serious economic crisis, it is then the right time to cut the cost of governance at all levels. Government must demonstrate that; truly the interest of the poor masses is a priority beyond personal ostentatious living of a few amidst a vast majority who are living in penury. Government must move beyond excuses, rhetorics and repeated failed promises. That is the only way that government can lead by example and express in reality its claim that it understands the pains of the masses.”
 
 
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
 
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THE INCREMENT OF THE POOR MAJORITY’S SUFFERINGS MUST STOP; GOVERNMENT MUST FULFILL ITS SOCIAL CONTRACT WITH PEOPLE.

‘Rationality ends where hunger begins’, so said Dr. M.E Kolagbodi, the present APC-led federal government needs to be told that without any equivocation.

 
The insensitiveness of the present government to the pains of the masses at this extremely harsh time is clearly unimportant to the government as the economic situation bites harder. This is what is manifesting in the; blame-shifting, denials of electoral pledges, flimsy excuses and attempts to rationalize irrationality. The ‘Nigerians voted for us to do the impossible’, ‘we are not magicians’ and the ‘I understand your pains’ utterances from the political class in the face of the reality of about over 100 million people wallowing in hunger, homelessness, unemployment and deprivation is defeatist and shameless.   
 
Inflation, recession, stagflation and all the jargons in the books cannot explain away the failure of government in playing the role it was instituted for. A government that tells the governed that it is helpless in handling what it was instituted to do is not only admitting failure, it is also demonstrating irresponsibility. Such a government is not worth its salt!
 
The task to rebuild our country is very daunting, no doubts about that, but the present regime knew this before it got to power. To continue to insult the collective intelligence of Nigerians with narratives that are apparently designed to disguise the lack of political will needed to abandon the ways of the old by the political class is totally provoking and unacceptable.
 
Yes, there is the dire need for Nigerians collectively to understand the background to the present so-called recession and the attendant sacrifices required of Nigeria and Nigerians to wade through the storm, but the present government’s excuses belie its so-called change agenda, to put it bluntly.
 
The poor majority continue to bear the brunt of government’s failure, and this in spite of their hitherto existing excruciating conditions of living. It is the poor majority that is being forced to sacrifice and to self-deny at these trying times even though the political class and public officials rollick in stupendous affluence and has not and apparently does not want to sacrifice anything in the bid to rebuild our country, Nigeria.
 
From taxing the over-taxed poor to the astronomical costs of existing, from lack of job opportunities to insecurity and absence of social welfare, it is the poor majority that is being forced to pay for the ineptitude in government and governance.  
 
The government appears to have adopted the attitude of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’, to put it aptly! The truth is that the ‘we are helpless’ excuse, is a cracked record, that has been overplayed by government from the topmost level to lowest.
 
A government that pleads for understanding must demonstrate practically that it is also ready to sacrifice. For crying out loud the Presidential Fleet which the present regime promised to reduce the number of aircrafts that was being maintained by the former regime is still intact in spite of the humongous costs it takes to maintain them, yet it is the poor that must pay to maintain the fleet that has been argued to be the most expensive to maintain in Africa!
 
The government at the Federal, state and local levels have not paid workers for their legitimate earnings for months, in fact some have gone ahead to slash salaries of workers while the allowances, salaries and other remunerations of government officials remain in their intact humongous forms. In Nassarawa State, workers were killed by the state’s agents for demanding for their legitimate earnings.
 
This is in a country where the political class keeps convoys of expensive vehicles just to move an individual around; own choice properties all over the country and outside, where the political class’ dogs enjoy better humanism than the poor majority who are the real humans. This is the contradiction that stares at us so boldly in the face and that is what the apparently deceitful regime is pleading for poor to continue to cope with! The plea is insensitive, diabolic, illogical and unacceptable, we dare to say.
 
The people in government see the poor majority’s pains from their comfort zones therefore they prescribe very warped solutions that increase the poor’s sufferings while avoiding any form of sacrifice or pains on their part.
 
Nigerians in their majority have been sacrificing for their country on all plains, but it is unfair and wicked to continue to call for their ‘understanding’, patience etc. while the ruling class is not ready to sacrifice an iota of their unjustifiable affluence and undeserved comfort.
 
Coming to equity, takes coming with open hands, if Nigeria and Nigerians have to sacrifice to rebuild our country, let the sacrifice be collective. As a matter of fact the ruling class should sacrifice more, it takes wearing the shoes to know where it pinches!
 
A sensitive and responsible government should at this period be thinking of succour for the poor majority. Whether, it is recession, melt-down, inflation, stagflation or whatever, the government must assume its full responsibility as a government. No excuse is good enough when what is at hand is about existentialism. Nigeria is not the only country on the planet is passing to the capitalist-imposed economic hardship, but the other countries are not compounding the problems of the poor like is been done in this country.
 
America, Europe, Asia etc. have had and are still having their fair share of economic pains. They waded through their storms including 1929 depression and economic melt-down of 2009. It is not rocket science to salvage our country if political will is applied. It is time cut down the cost of governance; kill the avarice associated with those in power and deploy resources to the very basic needs of the vast majority. The environment for empowerment and self-realization must be created by government for the citizenry to enjoy their true humanism.
 
The communication tax; the outrageous bank taxes, the hike in tariff for electricity, the Value Added Tax, the impending increment in the prices of petroleum products targets and impact more the poor majority than the over-fed few members of the political class and elites. This is the equation that must be changed for government to wear a human face, but the sad reality is that, apparently this is the equation the present regime intends to maintain like the previous ones.
 
The recent report released by the United Nations paints a scary present and future for Nigeria, the reports is so damning that any responsible government will think and act to avoid the tragedy being foretold. According to the report, the country’s economy, the development and social indices in the country were below acceptable standards.
The report read, “Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world. Her population will be approximately 200 million by 2019 and over 400 million by 2050, becoming one of the top five populous countries in the world. Nigeria is one of the poorest and most unequal countries in the world, with over 80 million or 64 per cent of her population living below poverty line.”
What else or what other index does the government need to see to realize the urgency of taking emergency steps now? Government must act with alacrity now; it must move away from giving unacceptable excuses by being creative, innovative and be objectively focused on putting the people’s interest before selfish and mundane interests. The jargons of economists and the deceit of the political class have clearly failed; finding succour to the pains of the poor majority must now be prioritized!
 
Debo Adeniran
Executive Chairman, CACOL
08037194969
September 6, 2016
 
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Opening Remarks by Comrade Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL at the Exploratory Conference on the Lagos Open Parliament (Part three), LOP-3

Opening Remarks by Comrade Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL at the Exploratory Conference on the Lagos Open Parliament (Part three), LOP-3, held on 30 August, 2016 at the RIGHTS HOUSE, 48, Adeniyi Jones Street, Off Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos

 

On behalf of the entire members of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, and the Board of Governors, I welcome you all. We deeply appreciate the honour bestowed on us, demonstrated by the presence of everyone here today for this Exploratory Conference; a component part of the process that culminate into our periodic Publication called the ‘Lagos Open Parliament, LOP’. We say, a big thank you, to all for coming.

 

Majority of us here today, are conversant with the LOP and can simply aver that, ‘there goes CACOL again doing what they know how to do best’, but some are probably just getting to know about the LOP as a Project of our coalition for the first time. It thus becomes imperative to give a background on what the LOP is all about, I therefore crave your indulgence to do so very briefly.

 

The Inaugural LOP which was tagged ‘Lagos Open Parliament: True State of Lagos by Lagosians held in 2013. It led to a number of claims made by the supporters of the Lagos state government then. Many of them claimed we were sponsored to rubbish the ‘achievements’ of the Babatunde Raji Fashola-led Lagos State Government which they claimed were ‘visible to the eyes’.

 

This prompted us to go to town to inspect the so-called improvements in infrastructural development in the State. Our study showed that some aspects of the rot in infrastructure in some places mentioned in our earlier study had been improved on, whereas most of the other issues were yet to be addressed.

 

Our findings revealed dismal governmental failure especially in the area of the execution of the capital side of the budget and we discovered that Lagos had largely been governed by false pretences.

 

We thus deployed more tools in our research and field work following the lessons drawn from the inaugural LOP and have continually empirically modified our methods in scope and size in terms of research and strategy which have made the LOP what it is today.

 

And indeed, our findings confirmed the reality that Lagos State was being governed under false pretences. We discovered and established the ‘cosmeticism’ in government and governance in Lagos state as at then. Our empirical deductions from our findings were what we published as Lagos Open Parliament 2, LOP- 2.

 

The LOP, as a Project of our Coalition was conceived to be done annually, it is basically a Project targeted at; monitoring government performance and policies, promoting transparency and accountability and enhancing healthy interface between the civil society and government in the overall interest of the development of Lagos State as an entity.

 

Our research strategy utilizes different tools to carry out our self-assigned patriotic task to monitor government activities; including questionnaires, interviews, news analysis, visual investigations involving usage of videos and photographs etc.

 

Our Coalition published our findings in 2013 in the first edition which we tagged ‘Lagos Open Parliament, LOP 1’ in 2014 and have ever since continued to monitor Lagos state government’s activities on annual basis.

 

Generally, the LOP is a process with several events embedded in it, these include administering of questionnaires; compilation and analysis of data and news items (TV, radio, newspapers, online news and social media). Three interactive conferences are also held within the process of the LOP i.e. Exploratory, Validation and Public Presentation Conferences. The Public Presentation marks the end of the annual process.

 

The analysis and reviews in each LOP cover only for one year as specifically chosen by us, but at most times our work begin May 29th of each year preliminary activities such as this Exploratory Conference. For example, the next Publication i.e. LOP3 will capture May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2016 as the period under review.

 

THE STATE OF LAGOS STATE

Without preempting what our end-point findings and deductions from the ongoing LOP process will be, it is important to comment on the state of Lagos state from the point of verifiable and objective analysis.

 

Arguably, the present regime appears to have begun on a good note given the avalanche of praises it has received so far from Lagosians based on what can apparently be seen by them physically.

 

That the government commenced the construction/reconstruction on 114 roads within its first 100 days in office is public knowledge; the Light-Up Lagos, the pedestrian and fly-over bridges under constructions; the improvement in government openness etc. are undeniable and commendable.

 

The recent launch of the first Helipad in the country is a hallmark achievement plus an improved environment in terms of security and some social services.

 

We, however strongly condemn some obviously anti-poor policies of the government as the negative effects of the policies definitely diminish the gains of the so far celebrated achievements of the government. So while commending the Ambode regime for some noticeable developmental projects being implemented across the state and encouraging the government not to relent, the regime must avoid snatching with the left hand what it has offered the poor Lagosians with the right hand.

 

These policies include the illogical move to enforce a ban on street trading and hawking; the over-taxing of the poor, the under-employed and unemployed considering that the conditions of existence of these categories of citizens have hitherto been painful. A life characterized with penury and deprivations; a situation which remain unchanged and as a matter of fact deteriorating rapidly.

 

The ban on street trading represents the increasing of the sufferings of the poor and toiling people who ordinarily are trying under the present extremely harsh economic conditions to fend for themselves. Majority of Lagosians and Nigerians have had to resort to self-help almost on every facet of life consequent upon the gross failure of government to fulfill its constitutional role of provisioning for the welfare and social security of the citizens. We question the logic behind the ban when those affected are largely already impoverished consequent upon the failure to facilitate gainful employment opportunities on one hand and failure in service delivery by the government on the other.

 

We affirm that the people are basis of governance, and government is a social contract. The reason government is instituted in the first place is to harness the resources of society for the social welfare of the people as enshrined in Chapter 2 of the Nigerian constitution. If government has failed in doing this, it is unfair and wicked for government to compound the pains of the impoverished who are engaged in self-help for their survival and existential issues by imposing unwarranted taxes policies that disrupt their source of existing.

 

Again, we question the rationale and the legality of the decision recently made by the Lagos state government to replace the hitherto existing unconstitutional Executive Secretaries with equally unconstitutional Sole Administrators considering that elections for Local government leadership had been long overdue.

It is disappointing and anti-democratic for Lagos State to illegally run Local Government Councils through the imposition of Sole Administrators as against the letters of the constitution.

 

We demand therefore that government must tow the path of true and constitutional democracy by organizing elections in the Local government councils to correct the aberration and illegality left behind by preceding one. Appointing Sole Administrators is akin to replacing illegality with illegality and it abuses the Constitutional status of Local Government Councils as an independent tier of government.

 

We call on Governor Ambode, not to pander to the dictates of political expediency or opportunistic political leaders to pollute his positive ratings occasioned by popular projects he is currently implementing across the state with anti-democratic dictatorial tendencies like the one under review.

 

Any government that lacks a vibrant and solid social base exists only in the air, because government and governance is all about social inclusion. Any government that develops policies without the consciousness for social inclusion will always fail. The only way the government can demonstrate the campaign mantra of ‘change’ upon which it rode to power to the people of Lagos state in particular and Nigeria is to generally and characteristically alter the hitherto existing situation and positively too.

 

I conclude by thanking you all again for honouring our invitation. Please we encourage us all to participate in the deliberations which promise to be very incisive. We shall also be administering questionnaires at this conference; we therefore seek your contribution to this process by filling a questionnaire on infrastructure and other government activities in your part of Lagos State.

 

Long Live, Lagos State

Long Live, Nigeria

 


 

Debo Adeniran

Executive Chairman, CACOL

dadnig@yahoo.com

www.deboadeniran.com

0803-7194-969

 

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CACOL HERALDS LAGOS OPEN PARLIAMENT, LOP- 3 WITH AN EXPLORATORY CONFERENCE

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, is set to herald its Lagos State periodic governance performance assessment Project tagged  LAGOS OPEN PARLIAMENT, LOP,  with an Exploratory Conference as part of the events embedded in the process of the LOP.
 
CACOL is an aggregate of human rights, community based, and civil society organisations with an anti-corruption agenda across Nigeria. It is a non-political, non-religious, non-sectarian, non-profit Coalition. CACOL sets for itself the task of using any available means to cause relevant authorities to probe and bring to book all corrupt leaders both in public and private institutions. We also strive to protect interest of persons or groups found to be victims of potential victims of corrupt practices or processes of manipulation. The decision to embark on the journey he was taken in the year 2007 in view of the need to confront, once and for all the monster that is ravaging all facets of our national life in Nigeria – Corruption.
 
The LOP is a programme of CACOL focused on the periodic analysis of government’s general performance in Lagos state. The programme utilizes Public and Media assessments’ of governance performance including field work (empirical and practical assessments). The research strategy deploy different tools to carry out our self-assigned patriotic task of monitoring government activities with the goal of ensuring transparency and accountability; including questionnaires, interviews, news analysis, visual investigations involving usage of videos and photographs etc.
 
As part of one of the main events in the process of the LOP, CACOL will be holding an Exploratory Conference to herald the commencement of the LOP3 to the General Public, the Lagos state government, the Civil Society organization and our partners in the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
 
The Conference shall witness, apart from Keynotes Addresses, administration and distribution of questionnaires. There would also be sessions on updates from all the Local government Areas in Lagos state, testimonies, complaints, questions and answers etc. all of which will culminate in the publication of the third edition of Lagos Open Parliament: The change we can see.
 
Details of the Conference schedule are as follows:
 
Date: August 30, 2016
Venue: RIGHTS HOUSE, 43, Adeniyi Jones Street, Off Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos
 
Keynote Speakers:
1.      Mr. Steve Ayorinde, The Honourable Commissioner,
Ministry of Information and Strategy, Lagos State.
Topic: One-Year of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on the Saddle in Lagos State: What Change; What Prospects?
2.      Dr. Niran Malaolu, Former Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Ogun State.
Topic: One-Year of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on the Saddle in Lagos State: What Change; What Deficits?
 
Time: 11 00AM
 
Signed:
Wale Salami
Media Coordinator, CACOL
08141121208
 27 August 2016
 
 
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