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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.
The five students of the Rivers State University (RSU), Emohua satellite campus in Emohua Local Government Area of the state who were recently kidnapped, have regained freedom from their captors.
The students spent three days in the hands of their abductors before being rescued through the combined efforts of the police and other security agents in the state.
In a statement by the police spokesperson in the state, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, yesterday, the police rescued the five students unhurt from their abductors at the early hours of yesterday.
The statement listed the rescued victims as: Prince London ‘M’, Azubuike Kelechukwu ‘M’, Elizabeth Aniete ‘F’, Onyebuchi Precious ‘M’, and London Sampson ‘M’.
The police further disclosed that the victims had been taken to the hospital for medical examination, while efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing cultists/abductors.
According to the police, the students were abducted by yet-to-be-identified cultists from their isolated residences but were later rescued unhurt.
The statement read in part; “The rescue operation was conducted at Rumudogo 2 Community in Emuoha Local Government Area of Rivers State by the Command’s Tactical Teams, in collaboration with other sister security agencies and with the support of the community.”
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, warned the perpetrators that the police would not relent until all those involved are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He also urged continued collaboration from sister security agencies, community stakeholders, and the general public to enhance policing efforts across the State.
Adepoju also advised residents to go about their lawful activities without fear, assuring them that “their safety is our priority.”
Meanwhile, the authorities of the university have suspended academic activities in the Emohua campus following persistent security challenges in the area.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi, disclosed this while addressing students of Emohua campus following the kidnapping of the five students on Tuesday morning.
The students had, among other demands, urged the school authority to suspend all academic activities in the campus and relocate them to the main campus.
However, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, has appealed to the management of the university not to shut down the Emohua Campus, promising to provide the necessary logistics to strengthen security of lives and property within the institution.
Akujobi Amadi & King Onunwor
The Nigerian Navy has begun free medical screening, diagnosis, and treatment for no fewer than 2,000 residents in Rivers.
Rear Adm. Ebiobowei Zipele, the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), announced this on Thursday at the opening of the outreach in Egberu, Oyibo Local Government Area of Rivers.
Zipele said that the beneficiaries would have the opportunity to undergo medical diagnosis and treatment without costs.
“The naval training command is offering free medical support to residents of Egberu, this is as part of our efforts to strengthen cooperation between the command and the community,” he said.
He said that residents would receive free medical services such as blood pressure checks, consultancies, laboratory investigations and medications, among others.
“This exercise is one of the strategic initiatives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, under navy’s corporate social responsibility,” he said.
Zipele further said that the exercise formed part of the navy’s end-of-year activities that aimed to strengthen civil-military relations.
He reiterated the navy’s commitment to providing essential services to residents of Egberu community.
Also speaking, Capt. Ikechukwu Chukwuka, the Head, Medical and Training, said that the outreach included screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, malaria, typhoid and HIV.
Chukwuka said that the beneficiaries would receive free medications and advice, adding, “serious conditions will be referred to the appropriate medical facilities”
“We recognise the challenges many communities face in accessing quality healthcare, we are here to support this community,” he said.
Chukwuka said that many individuals were unaware of the illnesses that plagued them until they became life-threatening.
“We are targeting no fewer than 2,000 people to take advantage of this opportunity to know their health status and receive free treatments,” he said.
He said that the programme showed that the navy was not only a combat institution but also a compassionate and people-oriented one.
Dr Adaeze Oreh, the Rivers Commissioner of Health, commended the navy for the gesture, describing it as well-intended.
Represented by Prof. Justina Jumbo, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Oreh said that the initiative aligned with the state government’s commitment to strengthen public health systems.
“Healthcare is most impactful when government and security agencies work together to support vulnerable populations,” she said.
She said that the Rivers Government remained open to deeper collaboration with stakeholders on outreach, disease prevention, emergency care and community health strengthening.
The Paramount Ruler of Egberu-Ndoki, Eze Boniface Akawor, expressed delight over NAVTRAC’s relocation from Apapa, Lagos, to Ebubu-Eleme in May 2024.
He said that the community had never benefitted from such free medical support, and decried the abandonment of the community primary healthcare centre.
“The nearest health centre is seven kilometres from here, this makes emergencies difficult for our people,” he said.
Akawor thanked the navy for the intervention, and urged other corporate bodies to emulate NAVTRAC.
One the beneficiaries, Mrs Cordelia Chibuzor, 58, who received treatment for an undisclosed ailment, praised the navy for the support.
She said that many residents could no longer afford healthcare due to the rising costs of medical treatments in the country.
The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, has alerted the Governor of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Abia states to what he calls an emerging ‘Economic Triangle’ within their states.
Mr China, a real estate success strategist who has won numerous local and international awards, has thus drawn the attention of the governors of the concerned states to the emerging development and has urged them to intentionally accelerate the emergence of the economic triangle.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital at the conclusion of his business trip to the state, Mr China, who is the managing director of the Housing and Construction Mayor Limited, said the envisaged economic corridor would compete favourably with the Lagos economic hub or even better.
He said: “Talking about ‘Economic Triangle’, the only place that can wrest economic power from Lagos is Akwa Ibom, Abia, and Rivers states axis or corridor. This corridor contains more than Lagos has, if they can be interconnected with smooth roads, ports, and if their blue potentials are unlocked. They will not only wrest power from Lagos but would be more lucrative.”
The investor who is behind the emerging Alesa Highlands Green Smart City in Eleme, near Port Harcourt, said the new ‘Economic Triangle’ has a bigger potential due to massive land assets with the corridor plus blue economy and the existing hydrocarbon industry.
Explaining, Mayor of Housing said Aba (Abia State) provides the biggest fabrication capacity in West Africa to supply goods to the Gulf of Guinea; Port Harcourt provides access to the Gulf of Guinea for off-taking Aba products, and the Uyo provides deep sea port at Ibaka and international airport facilities as well as forest reserves for massive agro-economy.
He said with sea ports in Rivers State and deep seaport in Akwa Ibom, and international airports in Rivers and Akwa Ibom, Aba can focus on adequate power supply and fabrication boom to supply a new booming market around the economic triangle.
By doing this, he said, jobs would spill out in huge quantities and more manufacturers would be drawn from all over Africa to boost the fast coming African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). He said Nigeria would thus have two major trade nodes in West Africa; Lagos and the PH/UYO/Aba triangle.
He said goods going to or coming from Chad, Niger, and the rest of Central Africa can head to the Lagos ports or to the Ibaka/PH ports zone in the new economic triangle.
He said with power supply made stable, good roads, excellent security system, and ease of doing business enthroned in the zone, the South-South and South East would become the biggest economic nerve in the near future.
Mayor of Housing called on governors of the three states to be intentional about the new corridor, put away political differences (if any), and create this corridor by agreeing on projects each state would execute with a short period of time so the states would be linked by good roads, communication, security, trade laws, concessions to investors, etc.
He remarked that northerners were already heading to the Onne Port in Rivers State to export goods, saying creating a commission to oversee the development of the ‘Economic Triangle’ would fast-track its emergence.
He observed that people of the three states are peaceful and usually preoccupied with zeal for economic prosperity, saying that if they are linked to such huge opportunities staring at them in the emerging economic triangle, they would totally shun violence and focus on prosperity.
Mr China insisted that the emerging economic triangle would form a big node not only into the Gulf of Guinea economic zone but into Africa because AfCFTA is about production, certification, market availability, and easy transport nodes by sea and air. He said the new economic triangle boasts of all the factors.
“They can only realise this by working together, through collaboration. One state cannot do it but a triangle of the three will create it through seamless interconnection, ports, industrial park, etc. The people will be the richest and internally generated revenue (IGR) will be the biggest in the country,” he said.
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