DOCSLIB.ORG

IMPUNITY in NIGERIA: Knowledge, Attitude and Perception

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
IMPUNITY in NIGERIA: Knowledge, Attitude and Perception IMPUNITY IN NIGERIA: Knowledge, ATTITUDE & PERCEPTION FINDINGS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY STOP IMPUNITY NIGERIA CAMPAIGN IMPUNITY IN NIGERIA: KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION FINDINGS FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY Report Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye Dr. Olayinka Akanle Mr. Olayemi S. Samuel Research Conducted By Human Development Initiatives for STOP IMPUNITY NIGERIA CAMPAIGN i Copyright © 2014 Human Development Initiatives All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise or stored in any retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Permission will be granted to educational and not for profit organizations while others may be required to pay a small fee. ISBN: 978-978-938-138-8 Published by Human Development Initiatives 2, Iwaya Road, Onike, Yaba, Lagos, P. O. Box 1642, Sabo, Lagos, Nigeria Tel: 234-1-7938074, 234-1-7613322, 234-8080551376 Website: www.hdinigeria.org, www.facebook.com/hdinigeria Email: [email protected], [email protected] ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Preface and Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………..v Section One: Background of the Study 1.1 Introduction and Background…………………………………………………………1 1.2 S.I.N Project Overview………………………………………………………………..2 1.3 Objective of the Research…………………………………………………………......4 1.4 Significance of the Research………………………………………………………….4 Section Two: Literature Review 2.0 The Concept of Impunity…………………………………………………………......5 2.1 The Nature of Impunity……………………………………………………………….5 2.2 The Political State and Impunity………………………………………………….......6 2.2.1 The Nigerian State and Impunity……………………………………………………..7 2.3 Impunity: A Global Overview…………………………………………………….......8 2.4 Impunity in Everyday Life: The Common Man Interface…………………………...11 2.5 The Nigerian Political Class and the Culture of Impunity…………………………..13 2.6 A Brief History of Nigeria Labour Congress………………………………………...14 2.7 A Brief History of Civil Society Organizations……………………………………...15 2.8 Nigeria’s Political Leadership (1960 – 1979) and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions………………………………………………………..15 2.9 The Shagari Regime (1979 – 1983), Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions………………………………………………………..16 2.10 Muhammadu Buhari Regime (1983 - 1985), Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions…………………………………………17 2.11 Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida Regime (1985 – 1993), Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions…………………………………………17 2.12 Earnest Shonekan Transitional Government, Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions…………………………………………18 2.13 General Sanni Abacha Regime (1993 – 1998), Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions…………………………………………18 2.14 Abdulsalam Abubakar, Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions………………………………………………………..19 2.15 Olusegun Obasanjo Regime (1979 – 1983), Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions…………………………………………20 2.16 President Musa Yar’adua, Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions………………………………………………………..21 2.17 Goodluck Jonathan, Impunity and Civil Society Organizations/Labour Unions………………………………………………………..22 2.18 National Orientation, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Social Crusades in Nigeria………..25 Section Three: Methodology 3.1 The Research Methodology…………………………………………………………28 3.2 The Setting: Research States…………………………………………………….......28 iii 3.3 Research Design…………………………………………………………………......30 3.4 The Study Population……………………………………………………………......30 3.5 Sampling: Size and Techniques……………………………………………………...31 3.6 Research Instruments………………………………………………………………...31 3.7 Ethical Considerations………………………………………………………….........31 3.8 Challenges Encountered and Lessons Learnt……………………………………......31 Section Four: Data Analysis and Presentation 4.1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Respondents……………………………......33 4.2 Understanding Impunity……………………………………………………….........36 4.3 Fiscal Responsibility…………………………………………………………………47 4.4 Rule of Law…………………………………………………………………….........54 4.5 Electoral Process……………………………………………………………………..61 4.6 Civic Responsibility, Patriotism and Ethics…………………………………………71 4.7 Causes and Solutions to Impunity in Nigeria………………………………………..77 4.8 Message Testing………………………………………………………………….......81 4.9 Engaging Activities………………………………………………………………….83 Section Five: Summary of Findings, Recommendations and Conclusion 5.1 Discussion of Findings………………………………………………………………88 5.2 Summary of Findings and Recommendations………………………………………89 5.3 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...... 94 References…………………………………………………………………………………..95 Appendix – Research Officials……………………………………………………………103 iv PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Impunity is a major impediment to the development of Nigeria. It has brought Nigeria to its knees such that in recent history the country ranks amongst the lowest in indicators of economic growth and development. Abundant human and natural resources notwithstanding, Nigeria has consistently ranked low in Human Development Reports of UNDP and Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index amongst other global indicators. Available evidence shows that a country’s development is directly linked with the respect for rule of law and the absence of impunity. Thus, there is direct correlation between the rule of law and a country’s ranking in poverty index, corruption perception index, justice administration, health and education rankings, attraction of foreign direct investments, citizen welfare and social security. To address this malady four civil society organizations with the support of the Ford Foundation started the “Stop Impunity Nigeria” (S.I.N) Campaign. The main objective of the Campaign is to awaken public awareness to the corrosive effects of impunity on the prospects for development in Nigeria and galvanize public action with a view to eradicating impunity in Nigeria. The strategy is to use research, training, advocacy and media engagement to address the ills of impunity. The outcome of the research component is the content of this publication. We are highly indebted to all the members of the research team across the country and all the respondents from the public, various agencies, key officials across all MDAs, arms and levels of government who participated in the survey. They have contributed greatly to the success of this project. Our deepest appreciation goes to the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) who are collaborating organizations in this Campaign. Finally, we thank the Ford Foundation for supporting this project to Stop Impunity in Nigeria. Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye Executive Director, Human Development Initiatives For: Media Rights Agenda (MRA) Community Life Project (CLP) Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) v Impunity in Nigeria: Knowledge, Attitude and Perception Findings from a National Survey SECTION ONE: BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1.1. Introduction and Background Impunity plays a very significant role in the socio-economic and political development outcomes of any country. This is more so in democratic dispensations, where people expect public conscience and accountability to drive development positively, in order for the dividends of democracy to be visible. The word ―impunity‖ derives from the Latin word impunitas, which means everyone does as s/he likes in blatant disregard for the law and state institutions however, without punishment. Impunity therefore, means ‗without punishment‘. That is, no sanction for bad behavior, no punishment for misdeeds. Impunity can thus be likened to an unmitigated and an uncontrolled emancipation, freewill and free choice. It is the attitude encouraged by an unlawful liberty from retribution or recrimination among citizens and government of a country. It is an anti-social (although not necessarily criminal/but can be) behaviour that disregards punishment or sanction and is a deliberate disregard for prosecutorial system. It is disobedience to the rule of law, due process/procedure, electoral misconduct, fiscal impropriety and lack of patriotism. States bedeviled with impunity are characterized by infrastructural decay, debt burden, poor welfare and inefficient public institutions. Impunity is therefore, a significant determinant of the socio-economic and political development outcomes of any state. It determines a state‘s investment climate, both in the short and long run. This is due to its impact on Peer Nations‘ Perception Index (PNPI) of a state. Thus, a state with a preponderance of impunity is perceived negatively and treated with disdain by its citizens, potential investors and the international community at large. The outcome of a negative perception is the poor flow of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and other supports to the state. Impunity is therefore, one of the most dangerous challenges a nation could face. It constitutes the fundamental root of most of the misdeeds, in both the public and private spheres of a nation. Impunity explains why government officials, groups and individuals act contrary to the expectations of the law of the state. In effect, impunity leads to bad governance with the attendant mass poverty, high rate of crime, corruption, unemployment, insecurity, etc. In Nigeria, years of military dominance in governance created and entrenched the culture of impunity. The military ruled with absolute disregard for the rule of law and so created a national psyche of ‗militarization‘.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Boko Haram Beyond the Headlines: Analyses of Africa’S Enduring Insurgency
    Boko Haram Beyond the Headlines: Analyses of Africa’s Enduring Insurgency Editor: Jacob Zenn Boko Haram Beyond the Headlines: Analyses of Africa’s Enduring Insurgency Jacob Zenn (Editor) Abdulbasit Kassim Elizabeth Pearson Atta Barkindo Idayat Hassan Zacharias Pieri Omar Mahmoud Combating Terrorism Center at West Point United States Military Academy www.ctc.usma.edu The views expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the Combating Terrorism Center, United States Military Academy, Department of Defense, or U.S. Government. May 2018 Cover Photo: A group of Boko Haram fighters line up in this still taken from a propaganda video dated March 31, 2016. COMBATING TERRORISM CENTER ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Director The editor thanks colleagues at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (CTC), all of whom supported this endeavor by proposing the idea to carry out a LTC Bryan Price, Ph.D. report on Boko Haram and working with the editor and contributors to see the Deputy Director project to its rightful end. In this regard, I thank especially Brian Dodwell, Dan- iel Milton, Jason Warner, Kristina Hummel, and Larisa Baste, who all directly Brian Dodwell collaborated on the report. I also thank the two peer reviewers, Brandon Kend- hammer and Matthew Page, for their input and valuable feedback without which Research Director we could not have completed this project up to such a high standard. There were Dr. Daniel Milton numerous other leaders and experts at the CTC who assisted with this project behind-the-scenes, and I thank them, too. Distinguished Chair Most importantly, we would like to dedicate this volume to all those whose lives LTG (Ret) Dell Dailey have been afected by conflict and to those who have devoted their lives to seeking Class of 1987 Senior Fellow peace and justice.
    [Show full text]
  • Towards a New Type of Regime in Sub-Saharan Africa?
    Towards a New Type of Regime in Sub-Saharan Africa? DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS BUT NO DEMOCRACY Marc-Antoine Pérouse de Montclos cahiers & conférences travaux & recherches les études The Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri) is a research center and a forum for debate on major international political and economic issues. Headed by Thierry de Montbrial since its founding in 1979, Ifri is a non-governmental and a non- profit organization. As an independent think tank, Ifri sets its own research agenda, publishing its findings regularly for a global audience. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Ifri brings together political and economic decision-makers, researchers and internationally renowned experts to animate its debate and research activities. With offices in Paris and Brussels, Ifri stands out as one of the rare French think tanks to have positioned itself at the very heart of European debate. The opinions expressed in this text are the responsibility of the author alone. The Sub-Saharian Africa Program is supported by: Translated by: Henry Kenrick, in collaboration with the author © Droits exclusivement réservés – Ifri – Paris, 2010 ISBN: 978-2-86592-709-8 Ifri Ifri-Bruxelles 27 rue de la Procession Rue Marie-Thérèse, 21 75740 Paris Cedex 15 – France 1000 Bruxelles – Belgique Tél. : +33 (0)1 40 61 60 00 Tél. : +32 (0)2 238 51 10 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Internet Website : Ifri.org Summary Sub-Saharan African hopes of democratization raised by the end of the Cold War and the decline in the number of single party states are giving way to disillusionment.
    [Show full text]
  • Resource Allocation and the Problem of Utilization in Nigeria: an Analysis of Resource Utilization in Cross River State, 1999-2007
    Resource Allocation and the Problem of Utilization in Nigeria: An Analysis of Resource Utilization in Cross River State, 1999-2007 By ATELHE, GEORGE ATELHE Ph. D/SOC-SCI/02799/2006-2007 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. JANUARY, 2013 1 DEDICATION This research is dedicated to the Almighty God for His faithfulness and mercy. And to all my teachers who have made me what I am. 2 DELARATION I, Atelhe George Atelhe hereby declare, that this Dissertation has been prepared and written by me and it is the product of my own research. It has not been accepted for any degree elsewhere. All quotations have been indicated by quotation marks or by indentation and acknowledged by means of bibliography. __________________ ____________ Atelhe, George Atelhe Signature/Date 3 CERTIFICATION This Dissertation titled ‘Resource Allocation and the Problem of Utilization in Nigeria: An Analysis of Resource Utilization in Cross River State, 1999-2007’ meets the regulation governing the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science) of Ahmadu Bello University, and is approved for its contribution to knowledge and literary presentation. ____________________________ ________________ Dr. Kayode Omojuwa Date Chairman, Supervisory Committee ____________________________ ________________ Dr. Umar Mohammed Kao’je Date Member, Supervisory Committee ___________________________ ________________ Prof. R. Ayo Dunmoye Date Member, Supervisory Committee ___________________________ ________________ Dr. Hudu Abdullahi Ayuba Date Head of Department ___________________________ ________________ Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies Date 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Words are indeed inadequate to express my gratitude and appreciation to my supervisors, Dr Kayode Omojuwa, Dr Umar Kao’je, and Prof R.A.
    [Show full text]
  • Globalisation and the Nigerian State
    GLOBALISATION AND THE NIGERIAN STATE BY Ariyo Andrew TOBI B.Sc. Pol.Science (Ogun), M.Sc. Pol.Science (Ibadan) Matric No: 73067 A Thesis in the Department of Political Science, submitted to the Faculty of the Social Sciences in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY of the UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN June , 2013. i BIBLIOGRAPHY A: BOOKS Abegunrin, O.2006. Nigeria‟s foreign policy under Obasanjo administration, 1999- 2005 Nigeria in global politics: twentieth century and beyond. O.Abegunrin, and O.komolafe, Eds. New York : Nova Science Publisher, Inc. Adesina, O.2006.Development and the challenge of poverty:. Africa & development: challenges in the new millennium. the NEPAD debate. J.O Adesina Y.Graham & Olukoshi. Eds.Dakar CODESRIA in association with London:Zed Books and Pretoria:UNISA Press, Ake, C. 2000.The feasibility of democracy in Africa. Dakar: CODESRIA., ________ 1996.The political question. Governance and Development in Nigeria. O. Oyediran. Ed. Ibadan: Oyediran Consult International. __________.1996. The marginalisation of Africa :notes on a productive confusion. Lagos: Malthouse Press Ltd. __________1985. The Nigerian state: antimonies of a periphery formation. Political economy of Nigeria C Ake, Ed. .London and Lagos: Longman. Akinsanya, A. A.2005.Inevitability of instability in Nigeria. Readings in Nigerian Government and Politics .Ijebu-Ode :Gratia Associates. A.A. Akinsanya and J. A. A. Ayooade Eds. Ijebu-Ode: Gratia Associates International. ________.2002.Four years of presidential democracy in Nigeria. Nigerian Government and Politics 1979-1983. A.A Akinsanya and G.J Idang Eds.: .Calabar: WUSEN Publishers Akinterinwa,B.2004. Ed. Nigeria’s new foreign policy thrust.
    [Show full text]
  • First Election Security Threat Assessment
    SECURITY THREAT ASSESSMENT: TOWARDS 2015 ELECTIONS January – June 2013 edition With Support from the MacArthur Foundation Table of Contents I. Executive Summary II. Security Threat Assessment for North Central III. Security Threat Assessment for North East IV. Security Threat Assessment for North West V. Security Threat Assessment for South East VI. Security Threat Assessment for South South VII. Security Threat Assessment for South West Executive Summary Political Context The merger between the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) and other smaller parties, has provided an opportunity for opposition parties to align and challenge the dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This however will also provide the backdrop for a keenly contested election in 2015. The zoning arrangement for the presidency is also a key issue that will define the face of the 2015 elections and possible security consequences. Across the six geopolitical zones, other factors will define the elections. These include the persisting state of insecurity from the insurgency and activities of militants and vigilante groups, the high stakes of election as a result of the availability of derivation revenues, the ethnic heterogeneity that makes elite consensus more difficult to attain, as well as the difficult environmental terrain that makes policing of elections a herculean task. Preparations for the Elections The political temperature across the country is heating up in preparation for the 2015 elections. While some state governors are up for re-election, most others are serving out their second terms. The implication is that most of the states are open for grab by either of the major parties and will therefore make the electoral contest fiercer in 2015 both within the political parties and in the general election.
    [Show full text]
  • Inequality in Nigeria 12
    Photo: Moshood Raimi/Oxfam Acknowledgement This report was written and coordinated by Emmanuel Mayah, an investigative journalist and the Director Reporters 360, Chiara Mariotti (PhD), Inequality Policy Manager, Evelyn Mere, who is Associate Country Director Oxfam in Nigeria and Celestine Okwudili Odo, Programme Coordinator Governance, Oxfam in Nigeria Several Oxfam colleagues gave valuable input and support to the finalisation of this report, and therefore deserve special mention. They include: Deborah Hardoon, Nick Galasso, Paul Groenewegen, Ilse Balstra, Henry Ushie, Chioma Ukwuagu, Safiya Akau, Max Lawson, Head of Inequality Policy Oxfam International, and Jonathan Mazliah. a former Oxfam staffer. Our partners also made invaluable contributions in the campaign strategy development and report review process. We wish to thank BudgIT Information Technology Network; National Association of Nigeria Traders (NANTS),Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDEBUMOG, KEBETKACHE Women Development and Resource Centre and the African Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR). Ruona J. Meyer and Thomas Fuller did an excellent job editing the report, while the production process was given a special touch by BudgIT Information Technology Network, our Inequality Campaign partner. © Oxfam International May 2017 This publication is copyright but the text may be used free of charge for the purposes of advocacy, campaigning, education, and research, provided that the source is acknowledged in full. The copyright holder requests that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, permission must be secured and a fee may be charged.
    [Show full text]
  • Corruption with Tribal Marks: Explaining the Ethnic Nature of Political Corruption In
    Corruption With Tribal Marks: Explaining The Ethnic Nature Of Political Corruption In Nigeria By ADIGUN, Olalekan Waheed, BSc (Politics, Philosophy & Economics) (Ife), MSc (Political Science) University of Lagos, Akoka. Political analyst and strategist, Syndicated columnist and Public Relations consultant based in Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. No: +2348136502040, +2347081901080 Email: [email protected], [email protected] 1 Abstract No doubt, corruption is one of Nigeria’s biggest socio-political and economic problems today. This paper takes a look at the emerging trend of political corruption in Nigeria which is Corruption With Tribal Marks. Using Peter Ekeh’s conception of the “Two Publics” in Africa, the author argues it will be difficult to fight corruption with the present trend it is taking. The study also looks at the nature of the Nigerian state (colonial and post-colonial) and the instrument(s) through which it promotes political corruption. The paper also cites recent cases of corrupt politicians in Nigeria using Chinua Achebe’s work, A Man of the People. The paper further argues that de- ethnicization of corruption in Nigeria will take more than just a political process, but psychological and socialisation processes. Keywords: corruption with tribal marks, tribalism, post-colonial states, political corruption and ethnicization of corruption. 2 Introduction Nigeria is one of the legacies of British imperialism in Africa. The country’s multi-ethnic nature will provide the key to understanding its political problems. Since its independence in 1960, one of the main scourges that have bedevilled the Nigerian state is the pervasive nature of corruption. It is because of this that scholars have, at different times, devote considerable studies to the understanding and explanations of perhaps Nigeria’s biggest socio-political problem.
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Analysis of Grand Corruption with Reference to International Human Rights and International Criminal Law: the Case of Nigeria
    Technological University Dublin ARROW@TU Dublin Doctoral Applied Arts 2017-4 A Critical Analysis of Grand Corruption with Reference to International Human Rights and International Criminal Law: The Case of Nigeria Florence Anaedozie Technological University Dublin Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/appadoc Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Anaedozie, F. (2017) A Critical Analysis of Grand Corruption with Reference to International Human Rights and International Criminal Law: The Case of Nigeria. Doctoral thesis, 2017. doi:10.21427/D7V983 This Theses, Ph.D is brought to you for free and open access by the Applied Arts at ARROW@TU Dublin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral by an authorized administrator of ARROW@TU Dublin. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License A Critical Analysis of Grand Corruption with Reference to International Human Rights and International Criminal Law: The Case of Nigeria By Florence Anaedozie, BA, LL.B, LL.M School of Languages, Law and Social Sciences College of Arts and Tourism Dublin Institute of Technology A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Lead Supervisor: Dr Stephen Carruthers Advisory Supervisor: Dr Kevin Lalor April 2017 Abstract Grand corruption remains a domestic crime that is not directly addressed by the international human rights and international criminal law regulatory frameworks. Scholars argue that the right to a society free of corruption is an inherent human right because dignity, equality and participation significantly depend upon it.
    [Show full text]
  • Digest of Asset Recovery Cases
    Digest of Asset Recovery Cases UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna DIGEST OF ASSET RECOVERY CASES UNITED NATIONS New York, 2015 © United Nations, August 2015. All rights reserved, worldwide. Information on paths and links to Internet sites contained in the present publication are provided for the convenience of the reader and are correct at the time of issue. The United Nations takes no responsibility for the continued accuracy of that information or for the content of any external website. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concern- ing the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Requests for permission to reproduce this work are welcomed and should be sent to the Secretariat to the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Governments and their institutions may reproduce this work without prior authorization but are requested to mention the source and inform the United Nations of such reproduction. This publication has not been formally edited. Publishing production: English, Publishing and Library Section, United Nations Office at Vienna. ii Acknowledgements This Digest has been developed by the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the request of the Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group on Asset Recovery of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
    [Show full text]
  • Dfid-CDC-Ibori Press Release
    THE CORNER HOUSE Tel: +44 (0)1258 473795 Station Road Fax: +44 (0)1258 473748 Sturminster Newton Email: [email protected] Dorset DT10 1BB Website: http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk UK UK Company No: 3892837 UK DEVELOPMENT FUND IMPLICATED IN MONEY-LAUNDERING INVESTIGATION Campaigners slam Government’s development approach as DfID-backed private equity fund comes under criminal investigation in Nigeria A private equity fund backed by Britain’s Department for International Development (DfID) is under criminal investigation by the European Union and Nigerian anti-corruption authorities for its alleged involvement in fraud and the laundering of millions of dollars looted by James Ibori, the ex-Governor of Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta State, according to an inquiry to be aired tonight by BBC Newsnight . The revelations come on the day that Ibori faces sentencing at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to ten counts of money-laundering and fraud. Ibori, who is reported to have stolen up to US$3 billion from Delta State’s coffers, was extradited to the UK from Dubai, after fleeing Nigeria. The Metropolitan Police Service's Proceeds of Corruption Unit which successfully prosecuted Ibori is funded by DfID. But in a shocking revelation by BBC’s Newsnight , DfID’s wholly owned private sector development fund, CDC Group, has financed three Nigerian companies [1] that are said to have acted as money-laundering fronts for Ibori.[2] CDC’s investments in the companies were made through Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), [3] a US private equity fund. [4] Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (a specialised police unit also funded by DfID) has confirmed that Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) is now the subject of a criminal investigation.
    [Show full text]
  • Online Journalism and the Challenge of Ethics in Nigeria
    Journalism and Mass Communication, October 2016, Vol. 6, No. 10, 585-593 doi: 10.17265/2160-6579/2016.10.003 D DAVID PUBLISHING Online Journalism and the Challenge of Ethics in Nigeria Chike Walter Duru Justice For All/British Council, Abuja, Nigeria Online journalism has changed the face of journalism practice in Nigeria and the world at large. The Internet has virtually revolutionized the process of news and information gathering and dissemination. However, not abiding by the ethics of the profession has become its major burden, a situation that is blamed on certain identified factors. Presently, there is no clear distinction between the role of conventional journalism and citizen journalism. Conventional journalism, which is the mainstream profession of journalism, requires one form of training or the other, either through education or on the job training, for them to discharge their social responsibility role, unlike in the case of citizen journalism, which is presently usurping the role of conventional journalism. This development spells negative effects to the trend of journalism. No doubt, the Internet has removed the barriers of space and time on human interactions; hence, information can easily be obtained at a relatively low cost; but, the major challenges are those of ethics, professionalism, and training. These issues need to be addressed urgently before they set the country on fire. This article traces the background of the ethical challenge and examines its management, highlighting the steps that could be taken to tackle the menace. The reasons for the continued growth in audience of new news site are also explained. Keywords: online journalism, citizen journalism, conventional journalism, ethics, social responsibility Introduction The advent of online media across the globe is a historic revolution that has changed the fortunes of journalism practice and shaped the profession in a symbolic form.
    [Show full text]
  • Multifarious Issues in Nigeria Today: Multidisciplinary Approaches
    Multifarious Issues in Nigeria Today: Multidisciplinary Approaches Edited by Dr. Saidu Tunenso Umar, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Adamawa State University, Mubi. Adamawa State, Nigeria. First Edition Science and Education Development Institute, Nigeria Knowledge for Global Development i © All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. This first edition Published 2019 Science and Education Development Institute, Nigeria 2 Church Avenue, Oke Eri Quarters Oba Ile P.O. Box 214, Akure Ondo State Nigeria Email: [email protected] +2348034458674 ISBN: 978-978-54770-2-3 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3369738 Knowledge for Global Development ii BOARD Abulude, F.O. (Nigeria) - President/CEO List of Advisory Board Members Balogun G. A. Sanni, Saag Chemical (Nig.) Ltd, 4 Sanni Way, Off Godwin Omonua, Off Banks Way, Isolo Illasamaja, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. Prof. Mohammad S. Mubarak, Chemistry Department, University of Jordan, Amman- 11942, Jordan. Prof. T. T. Adebolu, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Ondo State, Akure, Nigeria. Prof. Francisco Torrens, Universitat de València, Institut Universitari de Ciència Molecular, Universitat de València, Edificid'Instituts de Paterna, València, Spain. Hon. Niyi Jones Akinyugha, 30B, Olufumilayo Str., Dideolu Estate, P.O.Box 4822K, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. Prof. V. A. Aletor, Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria. Mr. Sola Akitimehin, Akinrinaye Street, Ilesha Garage, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.
    [Show full text]