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Halliburton Scam: Nigeria Has Enough Evidence To Act – US …Findings ‘ll Be Made Public Soon – EFCC
United States has said the Federal Government of Nigeria has “enough information” to act on the Halliburton bribery scandal in which some top Nigerian government officials and politicians were fingered.
Speaking at the Foreign Press Center in Washington D.C., Wednesday, US Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Rene Sanders said it was not true that her country did not give necessary information to the Nigerian Government to enable it prosecute those involved in the bribery scandal.
Sanders said: “We have been cooperating fully with the Nigerian authorities on all of those cases”.
The engineering subsidiary of Halliburton Co., Kellog Brown & Root (KBR) Inc. of the US, had pleaded guilty to five federal charges that it paid $180 million as bribes to some high profile Nigerian officials in the Executive branch, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in respect of a contract worth $6 billion.
The Federal Government had said $150 million of the bribe money had been traced to an unnamed account in Zurich, Switzerland.
But the real identities of the Nigerian government officials that received the bribes have not been officially released.
The Federal Government had also said it formally requested the US government to assist Nigeria by de-classifying the information of the court proceedings in the US in respect of the scandal but that, that government had failed to do so.
In 2008, the Federal Government put in place an inter-security agency committee headed by former Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro to investigate the Halliburton bribe-for-contract scandal.
At the press conference jointly addressed by the US envoy and her Nigerian counterpart, Professor Adebowale Adefuye, Sanders said: “Nigerian government and ministers have that information and they have enough information to act on their own as there are other countries that are involved and they have the same degree of access to those countries as we do.
“We know that that information has been with the Nigerian government for quite sometime and with the previous ministers that have held that ministerial position. So that information is there and is there for you to act on as your laws and your nation deems fit.”
Sanders, however, announced US endorsement of the ongoing banking reforms, saying it forms part of the framework to tackle corruption.
She said US hopes that those who compromised their positions in the sector would be taken through the nation’s judicial process.
”I like to seize this opportunity to talk about the banking reforms and we are hoping that Nigeria still moves forward on the banking reforms as part of your corruption framework or part of your anti-corruption framework. And secondly, those individuals who took advantage of shareholders, in the context of their positions, we hope that those individuals are taken through the judicial process as part of Nigeria’s commitment to rule of law and anti-corruption efforts,”
On what US is doing to help strengthen Nigeria’s anti-corruption crusade, Sanders said the US embassy in Nigeria has been providing training programmes for all the law enforcement agencies on money laundering, suspicious transaction reports and handling of currency confirmation evidence.
She said her country has also been providing technical assistance to the nation’s anti-corruption agencies with a view to enhancing their capabilities.
Commenting on the fears about the next general election and how US intends to assist Nigeria, Sanders said her country had been expressing the view that it does not see the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as presently constituted as laying the foundation that can produce fair and credible elections in 2011.
Sanders said US would like to see an electoral body that has a clear dedicated leadership that would ensure that Nigeria has transparent elections in 2011.
She noted US would be working with Nigeria under the bi-national commission signed last Tuesday between the two countries to strengthen the election process that would ensure transparent, free, fair and credible polls.
This, she said, involves a number of changes including better leadership in INEC and transparent voters’ register, among others.
Responding to a question on the image crisis Nigeria is experiencing as a result of advance fee fraud and emails scam, Adefuye said such allegations are unfair to Nigeria.
The Nigerian envoy said there were instances when the embassy had been informed of criminal cases affecting ‘Nigerians’, only to later discover that those involved are blacks from other African countries.
He noted that the population of Nigeria is more than that of all the countries in West Africa put together, and as such, the world should realise that with such a huge population, it is not unusual for Nigeria to have its own share of miscreants.
Adefuye said this does not, however, take away the fact that the larger population is made up of responsible, hard-working, intelligent and enterprising people.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri, in Abuja, on Wednesday, disclosed that investigation was ongoing in the Halliburton bribery scandal and findings would be made known soon.
Former heads of state, presidents and top government functionaries in Nigeria had been fingered in the $180 million bribery scandal which had seen some of the company’s executives jailed in the United States of America.
Waziri was reacting to a statement credited to the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, that the probe had been stalled.
Akeredolu had, at the fifth Business Law conference organised by the Section on Business Law of the NBA, on Monday, said it was a shame that one year after the panel was constituted to investigate the scam, no report had been submitted and no prosecution initiated.
Waziri, while receiving the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in her office, said the committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the scandal had been working hard at unravelling the facts of the case and would soon make its findings public.
According to her, “the committee, headed by the Inspector General of Police, is leaving no stone unturned to get to the bottom of the case and it is my belief that it will not be long before a definite pronouncement is made on it.”
She also lambasted Nigerian leaders for being selfish, adding that they had failed their generation, while urging the students to stop the leaders from compromising their future through corrupt practices.
“Let me remind you that as youths and future leaders, Nigeria’s hope of a better tomorrow lies in you, because quite a large number of our present leaders have failed the nation.
“So if you have been disappointed by our leaders, you can’t afford to disappoint yourselves so that your own generation won’t be as wasteful and wasted as ours.
“It is obvious; not many of our leaders seem to be interested in working for your future, as the level of decadence and infrastructural decay in our institutions pin-points.
“All of us, as stakeholders, must ensure that we do all that is possible to fight this cankerworm to a standstill,” she said.
Explaining the purpose of the visit to the headquarters of the anti-graft commission, president of NANS, Jude Imagwe, expressed the student body’s willingness to partner with the EFCC to kick out corruption, not only in the education sector, but also in the society in general.
He asked the commission to commence its war against graft at the grass roots, adding that the commission could work its way to the federal level from there.
“NANS requests urgent investigation and subsequent trial of government officials who have diverted funds meant for public development into self-control funds, thereby increasing the level of poverty and crime in the country,” Imagwe stated.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged newly sworn-in chairman and members of the State House of Assembly Service Commission to achieve greater productivity, promote highest standard and insist on best practices in the discharge of Legislative services.
Governor Fubara also urged them to ensure that parliamentary staff are put through disciplinary conducts in the discharge of their duties in the service.
Governor Fubara gave the charge shortly after the chairman and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) Service Commission were sworn-in at the Executive Chamber of Government House in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
The Governor also sworn-in the chairman and members of the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission.
Hon Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, is the chairman of RSHA, with Dr Kennedy Ebeku, Hon. Soberekon Clark, Hon. Jones Ogbonda, and Hon Kingston Sylvanus as members.
For the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, Hon GoodLife Ben will serve as the chairman, with Chief Emmanuel G. Jaja, Ms. Betty Warmate, Barrister Jerome Chimenem, Hon Prince O. Ohochukwu, Barrister Philip Okparaji, and Christian Amadi as members.
Governor Fubara explained that the constitution and swearing-in of the respective commissions were delayed with the hope that all former members of the political block will come back together but quickly added that such expectation is dashed now as governance has to move on.
He said: “As it stands now, our position is very clear. The ship that we are onboard is clear, and the activities of governance have to continue.
“So, this swearing-in is to give these two units of government – particularly, the House of Assembly Service Commission, a formal commission so that you can start carrying out the activities of promotion, discipline and every other thing that has to do with the legislative staff activity.”
Governor Fubara emphasised: “This assignment is not business as usual. You have to take full charge, and you have to ensure that there is discipline in the service.”
Speaking on the Local Government Service Commission, Governor Fubara said an acting Chairman was previously appointed to hold brief while the situation was being studied but quickly added that as it stands now, a full fledged commission has to be constituted to steer affairs.
Governor Fubara stated that the various Local Government Councils have been mandated to commence payment of the N85,000.00 Minimum Wage to their workers.
However, Governor Fubara said that mandate had met with series of complaints about ghost workers or inflated payroll staff list, which required proper scrutiny in order to ensure that only genuine workers benefit.
He said, “You must ensure that you support the Local Government Chairmen to get rid of those fake names in the payroll, so that when they implement the N85,000.00 Minimum Wage, it will not be too much burden on them.
“I am not saying you should go and dismiss people who are genuinely employed. Hear me very well: there must be proper scrutiny to be sure that whoever is there must be a genuine civil servant employed by the commission, and must have met all the conditions.”
Governor Fubara also directed the commission to address the issue of staff stagnation on a particular grade level, which is an ugly practice, and make sure those due promotion truly benefit from statutory progression in the service.
He said, “The second side is, you have the issue of promotion, you must also ensure that they are adequately promoted so that they can start enjoying like their counterparts in the mainstream.
“There is too much dragging of their promotion, for somebody to be on Grade Level 4 for over 30 years is not good. It is not good news.”
Governor Fubara maintained: “I believe strongly that you will not allow yourselves to be corrupted like those stories that we used to hear. Make sure that there is acceptable level of discipline and standard in the Local Government Service Commission.
“I also believe strongly that you are already prepared for this assignment, and since you are prepared, I will charge you to go do what you know how to do best. Be assured that the government will give you all the necessary support.”
Governor Fubara noted that the task before them could seem Herculean but they should be assured of support from his administration to drive the assignment given to them to reckonable success.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the open dumping of wastes has to be replaced with a more innovative and efficient disposal method so that wastes can be taken off the streets and turned into income-yielding ventures.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while giving charge to the newly constituted Board of Directors of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and its Managing Director at Government House in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
The Board members included Engr. Edward Namiesimagh as the chairman, while Hon. Bishop Best, Dr. Ipalibo Sogules, Richard Mazi, and Civian Y. Nwibari are members, with Hon. Orukwem Amadi-Oparaeli as the Managing Director.
Governor Fubara said waste disposal and management have remained a major global concern, adding that over the years, successive administrations in the State had struggled to take wastes off the streets but ended up taking them to other dumpsites where they constitute nuisance and environmental hazards.
He said, “Today, I am here putting a team together to look at these challenges differently. Let it not be the regular pattern whereby at the end of the month, you come to collect money from me for payments.
“Don’t indulge in appointing your friends as sweepers, evaluators of debris, then you start building hotels, or buying big cars. Let us go beyond that and tap into the potentials of waste management.
“It is an area in this world that there is so much money in. It is an area that creates employment, and generates huge revenue. It is not just depending on what I will give to you. Consider what change you’ll bring to the work, that’s what I want to see in Rivers State.”
Governor Fubara told them that they were carefully selected because of the experiences they had garnered in their previous public assignments, and urged them to replicate their successes on a bigger scale with the new appointment.
The Governor advised them to work assiduously to bring back the beauty of Port Harcourt with effective waste disposal drive, and ensure the city is clean and green to reflect its old Garden City status.
Governor Fubara emphasised: “If not for our effort, today, some people could have even changed it to become Garbage City. But God forbid, it is not going to be in our own time.
“I want you to understand that I feel very unhappy with the sight I see. When you are driving into Port Harcourt, one of the first things that will welcome you is the waste dump that you see along the Obiri-Ikwerre-Airport Road. I don’t feel happy about it.
“Your first task should be to relocate it. That particular place needs to be completely closed because it is the entrance to the city. You need to get a new place where we can relocate our wastes.”
Governor Fubara urged them to be more responsible as they discharge their assignment, saying that it is more important to see results than being merely preoccupied with the aura of office.
The Governor warned that he will not hesitate to relieve anyone found wanting, and return the agency back to the era of a sole administrator running the affairs of the agency.
He noted, “This team cuts across all the Senatorial Districts, so that whatever you are going to do there, you ensure it spreads. While you are also carrying out this job, let it be known to the world that the interest of everybody in the State is accommodated.
“It shouldn’t be one-sided. Make sure that all our supporters who have the capacity and competence to do little jobs in the refuse area are also accommodated. I am serious. I have no doubt that you are going to impress us. So, I charge you to do all you can to make sure that the face of Port Harcourt changes when it comes to the issue of refuse.”
Governor Fubara told them to be good ambassadors of his administration as they interface with members of the public while also changing the face of refuse management in the State.
In his acceptance speech, Chairman of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Engr. Edward Namiesimagh, expressed appreciation to the Governor, on behalf of members of the Board, for finding them worthy to handle such difficult but surmountable task of keeping Port Harcourt clean.
He said, “When I see the calibre of people you assembled, all of us are happy, and I assure that with our period of experience in our fields and politics and interaction with people and the zeal that comes with this job, we assure you that we will do our best to make sure that the policy of restoring Port Harcourt to its lost glory is achieved with your support.”
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Saturday, graced the solemnization of Sacrament of Matrimony between Engr Victor Kii, and his heartthrob, Engr Mercy Mankwe.
Engr Kii is the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture.
The wedding ceremony was held at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway, Rumuibekwe in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
In his Homily, the Chief Celebrant, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Most Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah, said marriage is an enduring union, ordained by God for two persons – man and woman – who have decided in love to live their lives together.
Bishop Kukah stated that people in such Christian marriage should know that they are in an indissoluble union, bounded by faith, and advised them to gladly make personal sacrifices in tolerance and care for each other so that they can have a healthy, successful and rewarding life together.
In his vote of thanks, co-celebrant, Very Rev Monsignor Pius Kii, showered commendations on the Governor for his fatherly support to the family, and the numerous landmark achievements in various sectors across the State.
The clergy and the church took the opportunity to pray for the success and good health of Governor Fubara and his administration, and urged God to protect, guide and defend him at all times.
The church also presented 50th birthday cake and gifts to the Governor, and also sang birthday songs to accentuate the celebration.
Highlights of the event were the signing of the marriage register by the new couple, Victor and Mercy, and the cutting of the 50th Birthday cake by the Governor.