Association of Youths of Nigeria Against Corruption (AYONAC)

From East to the West, North and South, the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption-ROLAC programme of the European Union and the Strengthening Citizens Resistance Against the Prevalence of Corruption - SCRAP-C programme of the United Kingdom Aid have been traversing the length and breadth of Nigeria, spreading the good news of the Freedom of Information Act. For ROLAC, an anti-corruption programme funded by the European Union, but managed by the British Council, the journey started with an assessment of the use and implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2011. The assessment, conducted in collaboration with the Freedom of Information Coalition, Nigeria – FOICN and Media Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption-MIIVOC on one hand, and the Federal Ministry of Justice on another hand, focused on four states of: Adamawa, Kano, Lagos and Anambra, and of course, the Federal capital territory for federal Public Institutions and civil society organisations. The need for...

Nuhu Salihu aka “Smally”, one of suspects in Senator Dino Melaye’s gun running trial has been announced dead. Melaye, who is representing Kogi West, is answering charges bothering on gun running allegations levied against him and two others – late “Smally”, Kabir Seidu, aka Osama. Melaye on twitter on Monday said Smally died in the police custody. He said: “Nuhu Salisu AKA Small has died in questionable circumstances in police custody. He is one of the two suspects arraigned along with me in the case of conspiracy and illegal possession of fire arm. Both suspects have since denied before the court knowing me or getting any fire arm from me.” Last week, the prime suspect in the April 5 Offa robbery attacks, Michael Adikwu, died. Senate President Bukola Saraki was alleged to be the one that equipped the robbers. It will be recalled that the Police had filed a case in a Lokoja court accusing Melaye and three other persons of illegal possession of firearms. The police took...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has denied reports making the rounds that it received N10million donation from Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to organise anti-corruption marathon. A statement emerged online on Monday by Mr Ganduje’s spokesman, Aminu Yassar, saying governor Ganduje donated the money to EFCC, ICPC and Athletic Federation of Nigeria for the anti-corruption campaign. But in a swift reaction by EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, the commission distanced itself from receiving any donation from the state governor. He said the report making the rounds on social media was a deliberate attempt to malign the efforts of the Commission in the fight against corruption. The statement read “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a trending story in the social media concerning a purported statement credited to the media aide of the Kano State governor to the effect that the Commission got a N10 Million d...

On Sunday, November 4, 2018 all roads led to Discovery Park, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, venue of the first of his kind event as a mammoth crowd came out to support I Go Dye in the fight against corruption. The event tagged ‘Make A Difference Against Corruption Today (MADACT) was organized by Youth Alive Foundation in conjunction with UKAID. The event which was put together to sensitize youths against bribery and corruption was a huge success as over 10,000 youths came to support the fight against corruption and bribery in Nigeria. I Go Dye, who has always used his platform to advocate for youthful leadership and good governance, used the opportunity to implore youths to participate in the forthcoming election and  urged them to use their PVCs, vote for betterment of Nigeria. He said they should not allow themselves to be used for political thuggery, ballot snatching, vote buying, and above all, to vote for a candidate that will improve the living standard of Nigerians. The vision...

My name is Emmanuel Emeka, a prisoner in Ankaful maximum security prison, Cape Coast, Ghana. I’m serving a jail-term of 130yrs imprisonment and I’m presently in my 8th year. We appeal to the Nigerian Government to please come to our aid. The condition here has been so unbearable for (we) Nigerian prisoners in Ghana. We need to reconnect with our families. The Ghanaian police are fond of arresting innocent Nigerians, giving them high priso sentence of 50yrs,70yrs, 100yrs, 150yrs to 200yrs. Most of us have spent about 8yrs, 10yrs, 15yrs, 17yrs and 20yrs inside the prisons and some have died inside the prison without completing their jail-term. Our families are in the dark, they really don’t know what we are facing. We’ve spent a lot of money trying to appeal in court, but all is to no avail. Within my 8years in prison, I have witnessed over 100 deaths of Nigerian citizens in the Ghana prison and most of their families are not even aware. Their families would stil...

The Emir of Gummi, Justice Lawal Hassan Gummi (retd.), has said that disobedience of  court orders  by those in authority is another form of corruption. In what appeared to be a pointed message to the incumbent ruling All Progressives Congress, the traditional ruler that government must exemplify the change it promised before expecting citizens to follow suit. APC swept into power in 2015 campaigning the mantra ‘change’, indicating its commitment to transforming the ways things are done in the country. Gummi, who retired a judge,  said disrespect for the rule of law, bad governance, disobedience to court orders, non-compliance with electoral regulations by political parties, godfathers hijacking the electoral process and dwindling confidence in the justice system posed threats to Nigeria's democracy. He spoke while delivering the keynote address  at the Barewa Old Boys Association annual lecture titled  'The challenges of the judiciary to democracy:...

About eight out of the politicians working for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 2019 election have pending corruption cases worth N232bn according to Punch Newspapers. A recent report by Punch Newspapers showed that the amount involved in the various graft cases, which are currently pending before security agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, range from N223m to N100bn for each of the politicians. Some of the eight politicians, who used to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party and other opposition parties, had allegedly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress to stop the dangling axe of the EFCC and other security agencies from falling on them. Specifically, the politicians who are currently either under probe or prosecution for allegedly diverting government funds have separately vowed to ensure Buhari remains in power untill 2023. The eight politicians include the senator representing Nasarawa West ...

Leading professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has today presented a report titled Impact of Corruption on Nigeria’s Economy to the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The PwC team was led by Mr. Uyi Akpata, Country and Regional Senior Partner West Market Area. He said that the report centered on the ways in which corruption had impacted the Nigerian economy over time adding that PwC believes that the work provides robust evidence and impetus for reducing corruption in Nigeria. Akpata stated that “the results of the study show that corruption in Nigeria could cost up to 37% of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) by 2030 if it’s not dealt with immediately. This cost is equated to around $1,000 per person in 2014 and nearly $2,000 per person by 2030. The boost in average income that we estimate, given the current per capita income, can significantly improve the lives of many in Nigeria”. Five steps where used in the report to esti...

Speaking in Jalingo at a dinner with journalists organized to mark the Press Freedom Day, the envoy said Nigerian had a lot to learn from the Caribbean Island on the extent to which a nation could develop if corruption was checked. Nigeria’s Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Alhaji Hassan Ardo, said on Saturday that his stay in his host country had given him a wider understanding of the damage corruption had caused in Nigeria. Speaking in Jalingo at a dinner with journalists organized to mark the Press Freedom Day, the envoy said Nigerian had a lot to learn from the Caribbean Island on the extent to which a nation could develop if corruption was checked. Ardo said: “Look at a country like Trinidad and Tobago; it makes most of its earnings from Tourism but because the resources are properly used, the level of development there is just amazing. “Their roads are well tarred, power supply is constant, and their institutions are working. “This is because they do not play with cor...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to stop sermonizing and parading like a saint until he answers to the N33 billion corruption allegation as exposed by the House of Representatives. The PDP in a statement on Saturday by Kola Ologbondiyan National Publicity Secretary said ‘the Vice President owes it as a personal moral burden, both as a preacher and Professor of law, to directly explain how the fund meant for the wellbeing of Nigerians suffering in the Northeast, was mismanaged under his supervision, instead of the lame attempts to dismiss the allegation and divert public attention from the scandal. Nigerians were thoroughly appalled to learn, from the House of Representatives, how Prof. Osinbajo, as Acting President, in June 2017, unilaterally pulled N5.8 billion, from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, purportedly for emergency intervention on food in the North East, which has now turned scandalous. Prof. Osinbajo sh...

Good morning AYONAC!   My corruption complaint is against this government.   My opinion is that fighting corruption partially is corruption itself.   In that regard, I want to know why the Governor of Osun state is not invited by the EFCC, while Fayose of Ekiti state was invited the day after he handed over.   I want to also know why the Ex minister of finance is not being prosecuted for fraud up till now.   I consider it a crown on corruption for Oshiomole to be made the chairman of the ruling party said to be fighting corruption while there are many uncleared allegations of corruption against him,especially the one in court,fired by a clergyman from his state.    Can someone explain why the ruling party now harbours a lot of ex government officials running away from the claws of the EFCC?   There are many others,but let me stop here. Christopher Abara

The first civilian administration in Nigeria lasted from the 1 st  of October, 1960 to January 15 th , 1966. This was period of Nigerian’s first five years of independence. The government and the destiny of the nation were in the hands of the politicians. Most of the key positions in the country’s public sector were now occupied by Nigerians. However, it is important to note that political corruption was widespread in Nigeria during this phase of the nation’s development. It manifested itself in many forms and was found in various spheres of the government. This social problem was so pervasive in the country that Mr. Tokunboh, a former permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Establishment maintained that, “It is not an exaggeration of the tragic events of the years since independence to say that all efforts to establish a just and efficient administration have been frustrated by corruption. The evil exists in every facet of our society. You bribe to get your child int...