General
Nigeria, Others Lose $20b Yearly to Corrupt Officials—World Bank
By Dipo Olowookere
The fight against corruption is no doubt a global one and efforts are being made to ensure the menace is defeated or at best curbed to the barest minimum.
Since the inception of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, he has devoted much of his time to go after corrupt officials.
However, his government has sought the assistance of international community in giving corruption a hard fight.
According to the World Bank, over $20 billion is stolen annually by corrupt officials from African, Asian, South American and European countries.
As the world marks the International Anti-corruption Day on Saturday, December 9, 2017, the United States said it was glad to co-host the December 4-6 inaugural Global Forum on Asset Recovery (GFAR) with the United Kingdom, as a demonstration of its continued commitment to preventing and combatting corruption globally.
The US said the over $20 billion lost to corruption should have been used for sustainable development of these countries for essential services such as schools, hospitals, and roads. Rather than lining the pockets of corrupt officials, these funds should help grow economies and improve the well-being of the people of these countries.
To help prevent and combat kleptocracy, US assistance helps strengthen transparency and accountability within government institutions.
Since fiscal year (FY) 2016, the Department of State and US Agency for International Development (USAID) have dedicated more than $115 million annually to a wide range of foreign assistance efforts to counter corruption, including capacity building of foreign governments to create stronger laws and more effective institutions; investigate, prosecute, and secure convictions for corruption offenses; and put in place measures to prevent corruption, foster oversight, and promote government integrity and transparency.
US support of global efforts to recover stolen assets and ensure corrupt actors cannot benefit from their ill-gotten gains is an important part of this work.
The United States contributed $1 million to the World Bank and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) to organize GFAR and provide technical assistance to support country-level capacity building and coordination on asset recovery cases. GFAR provides a platform to enable the four focus countries: Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, and Ukraine, to make tangible progress on significant asset recovery cases in connection with financial centers and other jurisdictions.
In addition to co-hosting GFAR, the United States has provided significant technical assistance to the four focus countries to strengthen anticorruption and asset recovery efforts. Several bilateral and regional multi-year programs, including support for the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and UNCAC mentors and for the Global Focal Points Network supported by INTERPOL and StAR, have bolstered anticorruption mechanisms necessary to recover stolen assets, helping to ensure countries continue progress achieved through participation in GFAR.
Nigeria
Since FY 2013, the U.S. government has provided foreign assistance to increase the Nigerian government’s capacity to investigate and prosecute corruption and financial crime cases, including asset forfeiture and anti-money laundering. Programs also seek to bolster Nigerian civil society’s capacity to ensure transparency and accountability in government.
Over the past three years, the United States has funded a project with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to mentor officials investigating and prosecuting money laundering crimes, including on asset forfeiture and counter financing of terrorism, in addition to providing technical assistance to the Nigerian judiciary. We will continue to work with the EFCC to further strengthen EFCC institutional development.
The U.S. government funds the Open Government Partnership’s (OGP) Support Unit through a joint grant between the Department of State and USAID to work with civil society and governments to develop commitments aimed at countering corruption and promoting transparency. The United States also funded a project which led to the drafting of Nigeria’s OGP National Action Plan through collaboration with EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and several civil society organizations.
U.S. foreign assistance also supported outreach efforts through infographics and social media on corruption-related issues, making public data from Nigerian anti-corruption agencies more accessible, and training Nigerian journalists on best investigative journalism practices.
Sri Lanka
Since FY 2016, the U.S. government has provided foreign assistance for anti-corruption efforts in Sri Lanka to improve the functioning of Sri Lanka’s legal system and civil society, and to enhance good governance.
Programs include the provision of a Resident Legal Advisor to provide anti-corruption and asset recovery training, and support to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption.
Tunisia
Since FY 2013, the U.S. government has provided foreign assistance for anti-corruption efforts in Tunisia, including strengthening rule of law and Tunisia’s law enforcement sector. Technical assistance programs improved public financial management; capacity building through the Open Government Partnership (OGP) helped Tunisia’s government and civil society to establish the necessary tools to bolster transparency and accountability in the public sector.
The Department of State is funding a grant to increase the capacity of the Tunisian Financial Judicial Police, the body responsible for prosecuting complex financial corruption cases.
Ukraine
Since FY 2013, the U.S. government has enhanced Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts by strengthening Ukraine’s legal system, law enforcement investigations, civil society, and customs enforcement.
U.S. foreign assistance contributed to Ukraine’s seizure of roughly $1.3 billion in cash, with the discovery of more than $3.24 billion in stolen public funds. U.S. law enforcement professionals are embedded in Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) to help build anti-corruption and asset recovery capacity and strengthen Ukraine’s overall anticorruption efforts. U.S. support has contributed to 333 criminal proceedings, 207 notices of suspicion, and the finalization of 108 indictments in cases related to corruption. Ongoing programming will continue to build on these achievements.
The United States also provides funding through a Fiscal Transparency Innovation Fund, which works with civil society organizations to collect, analyze, and publicly disseminate energy-related information; works with the legislature, media, and civil society to promote transparency; promotes the accounting of quasi-fiscal activities within the budget; creates an energy sector discussion platform; and supports sub-grants to local civil society groups to promote transparency at city or local levels.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Celebrated broadcaster with Arise TV, Mrs Ayo Mario-Ese, has charged women to be open to collaboration and not limit themselves.
The charming media personality was one of the panellists at the UBA Business Series themed Introducing Gen W – The Evolved Woman, held at the UBA House in Lagos last Thursday.
At the event moderated by popular actor, Mr Tobi Bakre, the Morning Show anchor on Arise TV expressed worry about females who are usually laidback about speaking up and sharing their achievements, and said that women need to own their stories.
“A lot of women are doing phenomenal work and are sometimes afraid of showcasing what they are doing. As an evolved woman, you have to find out what you are comfortable doing, create your own unique offering, and also be open to collaboration,” she submitted.
Another panellist, Ms Joycee Awosika, described an evolved woman as one who has awareness of who she is.
“That woman does not need to ask to sit at the table; she is creating her own table and adding value. As your company is growing, you must grow too, and always do an audit of where you need to become a better leader,” the energy economist stated.
For a digital entrepreneur, Ms Tomike Adeoye, the question of what a woman is bringing to the table has now become obsolete, as the evolved woman is now bringing their own table.
“She is now more vocal about their struggles, setting the standards, and she is not ready to give up on her dreams,” she declared.
For the founder of Fine-Funky, Ms Olufunke Davies, she remarked that, “Creating unique designs that are affordable remains my driving force and something that has helped me grow as an evolved woman.”
In her remarks, the Group Head for Brand, Marketing and Corporate Communications at UBA, Ms Alero Ladipo, said, “Raising each woman is actually not that hard, because everyone has their community as well as their story; and so as women, we need to take a position so that we can give to others.”
She said the Gen W platform of the lender is dedicated to the evolved woman, adding, “Through expert insights, real stories, and practical resources, the platform connects women who are building brands, creating businesses, growing careers, and leading across industries. They also have access to a plethora of discounted products and loans. The best part: it is open to every woman. No UBA account needed. This is Gen W, for the evolved woman.”
This edition of the UBA Business Series was hosted to mark International Women’s Month.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, destroying a reactivated illegal refinery site in Rivers State and intercepting suspected stolen petroleum products in Calabar.
The Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, revealing that personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, operating under Operation Delta Sentinel, destroyed a reactivated illegal refinery site at Okolomade Community in Abua-Odual Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State.
He said the action followed credible intelligence that a previously dismantled illegal refining site had resumed operations.
According to him, an Anti–Crude Oil Theft (Anti-COT) team deployed to the location discovered that the dismantled refining oven had been reconstructed.
“Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of additional refining equipment and storage facilities containing about 3,000 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO),” he said.
Mr Folorunsho added that the illegal refining infrastructure—including ovens, storage tanks, hoses, connected pipes and newly acquired metal components used for illegal refining—was destroyed in line with operational procedures.
He said personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Victory, in another operation, intercepted about 3,950 litres of suspected stolen petroleum products at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) area in Calabar, Cross River.
He said the interception was based on credible intelligence on suspected siphoning of petroleum products from vessels berthed at the port.
The naval patrol team, according to him, swiftly deployed to the area and traced the illegally siphoned products to a trailer park within the port facility.
“On sighting the naval patrol team, the suspected perpetrators fled the scene, after which the area was cordoned off and the illegally siphoned products secured,” he said.
The official said further inspection led to the recovery of about 3,950 litres of Automotive Gas Oil stored in drums and jerrycans, which had been evacuated to the naval base for further necessary action in line with extant regulations.
He noted that the successes aligned with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, to intensify operations against crude oil theft and other maritime crimes across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The captain reiterated the Navy’s commitment to sustaining the operational tempo of Operation Delta Sentinel through intensified surveillance, patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating crude oil theft, illegal bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage.
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