Jojo
The Monday Discourse

Last Sunday, President Goodluck Jonathan held another edition of the presidential media chat, where he responded to questions on pressing national issues, including insecurity, power, the 2015 elections and the cost of governance. But of all the issues addressed, the president’s position that corruption in Nigeria was “tolerable” generated the most reactions from the public. He blamed the local media and the civil society for what he described as the exaggerated perception about corruption in the country. Perhaps, he was right! What then is tolerable corruption? In this discourse, Shola Oyeyipo and Ojo Maduekwe seek more understanding of this concept

Time and time again, corruption is generally described as one of the nation’s major problems and the root cause of its stunted growth.  The corruption perception index rating of the country by Transparency International has however lent credence to the growing belief that Nigeria is neck deep in corruption that has seeped into all strata of its political, economic and social life.
Particularly instructive, albeit worrisome, about the corruption perception of the country is the fact that it did not start with this administration. Indeed, some often posit that corruption in the country is as old as Nigeria itself. But the disturbing angle to this is that the much touted fight against graft has made little impact.  Efforts by successive administrations to fight graft have been stalled by the endemic corruption in the system. Continue reading “Jonathan Stirs Fresh Debate on Graft”

PeaceinNigeriablog

2 Oct

CACOL demanded in the petition that the EFCC should investigate the alleged deal between the minister and other oil companies as well as the rate of oil theft, which happened under her as minister.

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders on Tuesday marched to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ikoyi, Lagos State demanding for the probe of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke.
The group, with hundreds of supporters, stormed the office of EFCC around 9.45am. Continue reading “Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) to EFCC: You must probe Allison-Madueke.”

Culled from Mydailynewswatch

September 07, 2013

WALE AKINOLACoalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged corrupt activities levelled against the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke without delay.

In a peaceful protest to the EFCC Lagos zonal office, the group’s Chairman, Debo Adeniran, said that commission should prove to the world that it has not lost its integrity by diligently investigating the allegation against the Petroleum Minister and adequately prosecute her if she was found culpable of the offence. Continue reading “EFCC must investigate Allison-Madueke – CACOL”

Culled from The PUNCH
October 3, 2013 by Comfort Oseghale and Sodiq Oyeleke

Civil societies under the aegis of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders on Wednesday, staged a protest at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission office in Lagos State, seeking the probe of the Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.

The Executive Chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adediran, who led the protest, submitted a three-page petition to the Lagos Head of Operations, EFCC, Mr. Ilyasu Kwarbai.

In the petition, he asked the EFCC to investigate the alleged deals between the minister and other oil companies as well as the high rate of oil theft under her tenure. Continue reading “Group demands probe of petroleum minister”

Nigerian Eye
at Monday, September 30, 2013

Foremost political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, and civil rights groups have faulted the alleged 600-man Nigerian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in the United States.

The groups are the Campaign for Democracy and the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders.

There were reports that about 600 persons, including Jonathan, his wife, Patience; two governors, public servants, ruling Peoples Democratic Party chief and ex-Niger Delta militants, were in Nigeria’s delegation to the 68th edition of the assembly last week.

The Presidency had, however, denied the reports.

While speaking to our correspondent in an interview on Thursday, Utomi said, “I am not sure of who is paying for it because when the British Prime Minister (Gordon Brown) travels, all the businessmen that go with him pay their bills.

“I hope that is the case here. If not, it will be a disaster, given the state of the economy; states can’t even pay salaries. It will be tragic, if they (members of the delegation) are not footing their bills.”

National Coordinator, CD, Joe Okei-Odumakin, described the trip as “needless, outrageous and a colossal waste of our resources.”

She said the expenditure on the delegation came at a time when the government could not reach an agreement with the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities.

She added that while the rate of poverty, maternal mortality and insecurity remained high, the country could not afford to waste national resources on such a huge entourage.

Okei-Odumakin said, “Anyone who wants peace, progress, stability and dividends of democracy to be actualised in the life of the citizenry will not engage in such needless waste and ventures.

“This is a wake-up call to Nigerians to be ready for harder days ahead.”

In his reaction, the Executive Chairman, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said such a large entourage was a sign of government’s insensitiveness to the plight of the masses.

He noted that the display of wealth by the Nigerian contingent before participants at the meeting contradicted the country’s claims on its finances.

“Apart from the cost of transport and accommodation, which would run into billions of naira, it has shown to the world that we are improvident,” Adeniran added.

While denying the reports through a statement last Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said, “The truth is that less than 30 persons arrived in New York with the President as members of his entourage.”