General
Anti-Corruption War Useless Without International Help—Dogara
By Dipo Olowookere
Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has submitted that African nations need the assistance of international communities to succeed in its war against corruption.
Mr Dogara, while delivering a keynote address at the 28th plenary meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) in Abuja, said Africa will defeat money laundering and others if Western countries stop providing safe haven for looters.
He therefore called for stronger synergy among impoverished countries in Africa in order to achieve desired outcomes in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Speaker noted that due to lack of effective international cooperation and collaboration, criminals have globalised their activities, connecting across the globe seamlessly whilst the enforcers of the laws are hampered in no small measure.
Mr Dogara expressed the National Assembly’s, and indeed, Nigeria’s readiness to fully comply with the global standards required of her by demonstrating political support to the relevant competent authorities in the country to deepen the anti -money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism culture in Nigeria.
The lawmaker also stressed that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is wholly focused and effectively poised to deal with the issues of corruption, money laundering, insecurity and terrorism in the country.
“There must be synergy between the impoverished countries where monies may have been stolen and laundered from and countries where considered as safe havens where these proceeds of crime are kept.
“As stated earlier, the fibres of international cooperation must be strengthened if we must win the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing.
“Nigeria is fully committed to complying with the global standards required of her by demonstrating political support to the relevant competent authorities in Country so as to deepen the anti -money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) culture in Nigeria.
“The National Assembly will, when called upon for any legislative intervention to bring our system in tandem with global realities and requirements, do so with utmost sense of responsibility knowing the central role the subject matter of anti-money laundering and combatting terrorist financing play in the attainment of economic prosperity and global peace.
“Nigeria is open to forms of cooperation permissible under the law and also in line with prevailing global best practices which could be expressed in unhindered Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) information exchange, or request for Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,” he said.
Going further, the Speaker highlighted the connection between stolen and criminally acquired funds and sponsorship of terrorism, which he stressed continues to be a major challenge for policymakers in both developed and developing countries, with the magnitude of wanton destruction and loss of lives it leaves in its trail.
“As you all are well aware, terrorism and illicit financial flow have become a major scourge and an issue of global concern. Repeated calls have been made for effective global collaboration to deal with the menace of terrorism, terrorists financing and money laundering.
“The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), United Nations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and others have at different times created global frameworks to guide countries who are enjoined to pass relevant laws and take other counter measures to deal with individuals, entities and assets of money launderers and terrorist financers in their jurisdictions.
“It’s difficult to imagine an organised terror activity without some form of financing. As a matter of fact terrorism feeds on money more than ideology.
“It may involve funds raised from legitimate sources, such as profits from legitimate businesses and charitable organizations as well as personal donations. In some cases criminal enterprises provide financing for terrorist activity: criminal sources, such as the drug trade, robbery, kidnapping, smuggling especially of weapons and other goods, extortion, and fraud.
“Terrorists adopt the techniques usually deployed by money launderers to evade the attention of relevant authorities and to help mask the identity of their sponsors and of the terrorists who may ultimately be the beneficiaries of the funds.
“The frequency of terrorist attacks in Africa has necessitated its recognition as a region warranting special counter-terrorism measures. In particular, the Boko Haram in Nigeria has been associated with the death of numerous Nigerians and destructions of properties worth billions of Naira.
“This is in addition to the disturbing trend of illicit financial flows orchestrated by corrupt public officials who at different times abused public trust for personal gains thereby occasioning the worsened economic woes of unemployment, infrastructural decay, insecurity and a host of other socio-economic problems.
“In moving their funds, terrorists may use the formal banking system, informal value-transfer systems or the oldest method of asset-transfer, the physical transportation of cash, gold and other valuables through smuggling routes.
“All these contribute to the complexity of dealing with the problem. Unfortunately, as complex as the war against these hideous crimes are, our generation cannot afford to lose the war otherwise bedlam will continue to spiral and spread its deathly blanket upon nations of the earth.
“It will take effective networking and the coming together of nations to be able to deal with this global scourge,” he stated.
The Speaker commended the openness and willingness of many countries across the world that partner with Nigeria to fight corruption and return to Nigeria, monies and other assets that have been stolen and stashed away in their jurisdictions, adding that the National Assembly will, when called upon for any legislative intervention, bring its system in tandem with global realities and requirements with utmost sense of responsibility, knowing the central role the subject matter of anti-money laundering and combatting terrorist financing play in the attainment of economic prosperity and global peace.
He also called for continuous and sustainable coordination and collaboration amongst the competent authorities in Nigeria and other jurisdictions whilst assuring the competent authorities in Nigeria that the doors of the legislature is always open to them for constructive engagement and discussion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Dayo Mobereola, is seeking enhanced cooperation between the agency and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) with the aim of strengthening tactical air support within the Deep Blue project.
During a courtesy visit last week, Mr Mobereola told the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall S. K. Aneke at the NAF Headquarters in Abuja, that the Air Force was a strategic partner in enhancing maritime security in Nigeria and sustaining the momentum of the Deep Blue Project’s success.
According to the DG, “We are here to seek the Air Force’s support, given the importance of tactical air surveillance to the Deep Blue Project. Nigeria is the only African country with a record of zero piracy within the last 4 years. The Deep Blue Project platforms have been used to achieve zero piracy and sea robberies in the Gulf of Guinea, and we need your collaboration to sustain this momentum”.
He further emphasised that international trade depends on security, which is why vessels prefer to go to or transit through countries where they are secured. “With the traffic we have now, we need to show more security might through collaboration to strengthen our trade viability because of the risks attached to our route. We need these collaborations to sustain what we have achieved so far with the Deep Blue Project”.
The NIMASA DG expressed hope that the collaboration with the Nigeria Air Force will reduce response time.
On his part, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall S.K. Aneke, noted that the Air Force desires to be “a very supportive and collaborative partner with NIMASA and is ready to match the Agency step by step and side by side to achieve the desired results.”
He noted that “collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Air Force under the Deep Blue Project can be strengthened through a joint strategic framework, integrated command structures, and a standing steering committee to ensure shared objectives and accountability.
“Establishing a joint maritime domain awareness fusion cell will enable real-time intelligence sharing, synchronised surveillance, and faster response to maritime threats and ensure sustained operational effectiveness across Nigeria’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone,” he said, according to a statement.
The Air Force Chief added that the Air Force can also support NIMASA outside the Deep Blue Project operations by providing its own ISR platforms, tactical air support, and rapid airborne deployment for interdictions and search and rescue missions.
While thanking the NIMASA DG for the basic trainings the Agency has provided the aircraft pilots under the Deep Blue Project, Air Marshall Aneke also highlighted areas of operational challenges needing NIMASA’s attention to include bridging the communication gap between NAF operators and NIMASA, higher level and in-depth maintenance trainings, readily available fueling of aircrafts to avoid delays on missions, and provision of flying kits among others.
He therefore pledged the Air Force’s collaboration and assured that the request by NIMASA has been noted and that things will begin to move at thrice its speed going forward.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Former Vice President, Mr Atiku Abubakar, has lambasted the administration of President Bola Tinubu for the turnout at the FCT Area Council elections held last Saturday.
In a statement signed by his Media Office, the Adamawa-born politician claimed that the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration was under threat.
According to him, “When citizens lose faith that their votes matter, democracy begins to die. What we are witnessing is not mere voter apathy. It is a direct consequence of an administration that governs with a chokehold on pluralism. Democracy in Nigeria is being suffocated slowly, steadily, and dangerously.”
He warned that the steady erosion of participatory governance, if left unchecked, could inflict irreversible damage on the democratic fabric painstakingly built over decades.
“A democracy without vibrant opposition, without free political competition, and without public confidence is democracy in name only. If this chokehold is not released, history will record this era as the period when our hard-won freedoms were traded for fear and conformity,” he stressed.
Mr Atiku said the turnout for the poll was below 20 per cent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recording 7.8 per cent.
He noted that such civic participation in the nation’s capital, the symbolic heartbeat of the federation, is not accidental, as it is the predictable outcome of a political environment poisoned by intolerance, intimidation, and the systematic weakening of opposition voices.
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under Mr Tinubu has pursued a deliberate policy of shrinking democratic space, harassing dissenters, coercing defectors, and fostering a climate where alternative political viewpoints are treated as threats rather than contributions to national development.
He called on opposition parties and democratic forces across the country to urgently close ranks and forge a united front, declaring, “This is no longer about party lines; it is about preserving the Republic. The time to stand together to rescue and rebuild Nigeria is now.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is set to validate a technical committee report geared towards transitioning the country from observer status to full membership of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) in April.
Mr Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said this when the council’s mission visited him over the weekend in Abuja, noting that the ministry had constituted a technical committee to consider how the country would seamlessly transit from observer country to membership in CPOPC based on its strategic importance in palm oil production.
“We are conscious of the fact that the palm oil value chain is very strategic for us and identified it as an export crop that can drive foreign exchange for the country and ensure good health in terms of consumption.
“We are conscious of the fact that we need the support of CPOPC countries to provide the country with a new variety of seeds that are climate-smart and resistant so that they can be produced by farmers in the country,” he said.
Mr Alphonsus Inyang, President, National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), said being a member of CPOPC Nigeria would target over 10 million tonnes of oil palm between 2026 and 2050.
“We are also targeting 2.5 million hectares from among Nigeria households who are out to produce one hectare each, geared towards a N20 trillion annual economy within this period from among Nigeria households.
“We are working side by side with the big players who will be developing plantations,” he said.
The Secretary-General of CPOPC, Ms Izzana Salleh, said the council’s mission to Nigeria was to see how the country could transit from observer status to full membership, among others
She said that the status of the country as an observer nation since 2024 would expire by November.
Ms Salleh assured the country of the council’s readiness to support its vision to strengthen domestic production, enhance food security and build a competitive and sustainable palm oil supply chain.
The official emphasised that being a member of the council would strategically position Nigeria for a greater future regarding oil palm production.
According to her, the visit is to strengthen the council’s engagement with Nigeria, including potential membership in CPOPC.
She said: “The council’s mission to Nigeria aims to advance both Nigeria’s national ambitions and Africa’s collective voice in global agricultural discussions.
“CPOPC was established to promote cooperation among producing nations, empower smallholders, advance sustainability, and ensure fair, science-based global dialogue on vegetable oils.
She emphasised that being a member of the council would strategically position the country for greater future prospects regarding oil palm production and the value chain, as well as export.
“We are ready to support Nigeria’s vision to strengthen domestic production, enhance food security, and build a competitive and sustainable palm oil supply chain,” she said.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn