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I wasn’t arrested by EFCC, had no cause to bribe anyone – Akpabio

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4 years ago

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The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has reacted to what he called a defamatory article written by an online medium, titled: “How EFCC detained Godswill Akpabio for two hours after attempting to bribe Agency Chairman with $350,000.” He said the report “is false.”

The Minister according to a press statement signed Saturday Anietie Ekong, his Chief Press Secretary, said had no reason to offer bribe to the new Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa and never did.

According to the statement, on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, Akpabio, through a telephone call, sought audience with the new Chairman of the EFCC to discuss the transfer of funds belonging to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in respect of the 3% statutory remittances from Oil and Gas Companies in the custody of the EFCC.

President Muhammadu Buhari had since December 2020 approved the transfer of monies earlier paid by International Oil Companies into the CBN/EFCC account now to be transferred to the CBN/NDDC account.

The Chairman, as contained in the statement, granted the request for 10.00am but due to other exigencies, the Minister requested for a change of time to 11.30am whereupon the Chairman amended the request to 12noon due to his busy schedule. The two Senior Officials met and had a robust discussion and the Honourable Minister received very intelligent and useful input from the EFCC Chairman, Abdulrashed Bawa on the ongoing forensic audit of the NDDC.

“However, the discussion was inconclusive since the Minister needed to attend a security meeting with select South-South/South-East leaders and Governors in the Office of the National Security Adviser then slated for 1.30pm of the same day. Both Officials resolved to reconvene same day by 5.00pm to conclude their interactions. The Minister returned to the office of the EFCC Chairman at about 5.45pm and departed thereafter at about 6.20pm after very resourceful deliberations.

The statement has it further: “There was no issue of detention and Senator Akpabio could not have carried $350,000 into the office of the Chairman of the EFCC as he went there without a bag or a container. The EFCC Chairman Bawa gave useful and intelligent advice on the methodology of achieving success in the ongoing forensic audit of the NDDC.

“The Honourable Minister sought the cooperation of the EFCC to actualize recoveries of further 3% levies due to the Commission still being owed by some Oil and Gas Companies.

“The meeting between the duo was not arranged by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN and for the umpteenth time, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs did not bribe the Honourable Attorney-General with $5 million as alleged to get Mr. Effiong Akwa elevated to the position of the Interim Administrator of the NDDC.

“It could be recalled that the appointment of Mr. Effiong Akwa was duly made by Mr. President in obedience to an exparte order of court in suit number ABJ/CS/616/2020, before the Federal High Court, Abuja which restrained named Members of the Interim Management of the NDDC from carrying out their duties until the application for an order of Mandamus was argued and disposed off.

“In that suit, the Court had ordered that the headship of the NDDC should be handed over to the most Senior Director pending the conclusion of the suit. The most Senior Director at that time happened to be Mr. Effiong Akwa, who, months earlier had replaced the late Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Chief Bassey Etang who passed on in May 2020 after a brief illness, and the originators of the suit did not replace the late Chief Etang with Mr. Akwa as a party in the suit hence his emergence as the Interim Administrator.

“How then does the name of the respected Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN come into the appointment of the Interim Administrator that was clearly a child of circumstance?

“The above explanation is to disabuse the minds of the general public against the falsehood peddled by the authors of the false and malicious publications. The general public is hereby advised to discountenance the said publication as it is propelled by persons whose stock-in-trade is politics of blackmail now occasioned by the very serious progress made in respect of the on-going Forensic Audit of the NDDC.”

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Security

Tinubu Signs Bill Establishing National Centre for Arms Control

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3 months ago

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September 18, 2024

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The development was made known at a workshop focused on gender mainstreaming in efforts to curb the spread of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria and the West African sub-region, held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The workshop was organized by the NCCSALW. Ribadu, represented by the Director of External Affairs from the Office of the National Security Adviser, Amb. Ibrahim Babani, described the president’s assent as a crucial step in the government’s fight against the illegal proliferation of arms.
He noted that this legislative backing would solidify the centre’s authority and facilitate more coordinated efforts to tackle the issue.

Ribadu also emphasized the importance of gender mainstreaming in addressing the arms control problem, citing key international frameworks such as the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.
This resolution underscored the need to protect women from the impacts of conflict and ensure their active participation in peacebuilding and security initiatives.

AIG (rtd) Nuhu Ribadu
National Security Adviser

He also referenced the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, which highlights regional cooperation in stopping the spread of weapons that disproportionately affect women and children in conflict zones.

“The importance of gender mainstreaming in preventing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons cannot be overstated,” Ribadu said. “It strengthens our strategies and ensures our approach to security is inclusive and sustainable.”

Speaking at the workshop, the National Coordinator of NCCSALW, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Johnson Kokumo, detailed the centre’s recent efforts in combating illegal arms proliferation.
Kokumo mentioned that the centre recently retrieved a substantial cache of illegal arms from the Nigeria Customs Service and arrested 10 suspects involved in illicit importation. These suspects are currently being prosecuted for offenses that include the illegal importation of 544 firearms and 112,500 rounds of ammunition, in violation of Nigerian law.

Kokumo further revealed that the centre has retrieved 3,383 decommissioned and illicit small arms, along with 26,749 rounds of ammunition, from various government agencies. He also announced plans for an Arms Destruction Exercise later this quarter to ensure that recovered arms are permanently removed from circulation.

Highlighting the global implications of small arms proliferation, Kokumo said, “The control of small arms and light weapons is not only a national concern but also a matter of international importance.” He added that addressing this issue through a gender-sensitive approach is both a moral imperative and a strategic move, considering the grave impact of armed conflict on women and children.

“This workshop is a significant step in ensuring that gender perspectives are integrated into national and regional strategies for small arms and light weapons control,” he stated.

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Security

IPPIS Database Safe and Secure – FG Assures Civil Servants

Published

3 months ago

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September 17, 2024

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By Elizabeth Okwe

Contrary to apprehensions being expressed in certain quarters regarding the security of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), the Federal Government has reassured civil servants that the System database remains secure and has not been compromised.

The assurance came via a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations,  the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, on Monday in Abuja.

A news report (not SunriseNigeria) had claimed that the ‘IPPIS Payroll Validation section on the official website of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had been hijacked by an unknown hacker.

It also claimed that workers’ data stored on the official website of the IPPIS Secretariat, a department at the OAGF, was susceptible to attack because the secure site layer feature of the website had expired and remained unrenewed for over a year.

However, in the statement, the OAGF said the government is committed to maintaining and operating a safe and efficient personnel and payroll management system.

Checks by our correspondent showed that the IPPIS section of the website was still inaccessible when this report was filed.

Mokwa stated that “the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System database has not been compromised,” and reaffirmed that employees’ personnel data was secure.

The OAGF, which is responsible for overseeing the management of the IPPIS and other federal financial initiatives, revealed that it has implemented an ICT Security Policy aimed at safeguarding its digital assets.

According to the OAGF, this policy aligns with global best practices in cybersecurity, ensuring the continuous protection of sensitive data within government systems.

“No data is saved on the OAGF website,” the statement clarified, addressing rumours that sensitive information may have been stored or compromised through the website.

“The IPPIS uses the website only to share information, not for transactions. Neither payroll nor payments are made through the website, therefore, no data is contained in the website,” Mokwa stated.

The statement further clarified that the IPPIS Validation Portal, recently developed to update employee information, had been deployed for a specific period. Once the data validation exercise was completed, the portal was shut down permanently to prevent any further access.

“The IPPIS Validation Portal was deployed on a secure platform,” the statement read, adding that a secure database and application system were procured from HELIX-FONS, a reputable international software provider.

The office acknowledged that the IPPIS is of utmost importance to Nigerian workers, thus it became imperative to assuage the fears of any loss or breach of employees’ data in the IPPIS database.

 

 

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Security

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, Arrested at Abuja Airport

Published

3 months ago

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September 9, 2024

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Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.

The arrest was carried out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja this morning.

According to sources, Ajaero was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment when he was picked up by the DSS personnel.

The reasons behind his arrest are still unclear, but sources revealed that he has been handed over to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Recall that Ajaero was scheduled to attend the conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, which is slated to be held today.

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