Metro
There Is No Hiding Place for Crooked Officials in this Digital Age
By Joel Popoola
Uganda’s Zoom scandal has proved that there is no hiding place for crooked and corrupt officials in this digital age.
As a digital democracy campaigner I believe African governments must use digital technology to be more open about their activities. Transparency through technology is the most effective way of tackling corruption and building public confidence in our political institutions.
But having government officials film themselves plotting to pocket coronavirus relief funds and then putting the recordings on the internet is taking things too far, even for me.
But that’s what Ugandan government officials appear to have done this week.
Uganda this week recalled its ambassador to Denmark after she and her deputy appeared to be filmed plotting to carve up government cash meant to help with the COVID-19 crisis.
Catching crooks with secret cameras is nothing new – but these recordings were made by the alleged conspirators themselves, who due to COVID-19 social distancing and travel restrictions had to meet using Zoom video conferencing.
Ambassador Nimisha Madhvani and her staff are allegedly heard plotting to share out money meant to help Ugandan citizens stranded overseas, including bribing any auditors uncovering “jumbled funds” at the mission.
“Give yourselves $4000” (1.5m Naira) one official seems to instruct staff.
Clips from the meeting are now being shared widely on social media. The head of Uganda’s foreign ministry has pledged a full investigation and stated “the ministry wishes to express grave concern about the allegations … and takes this matter seriously”.
There is an important lesson for governments here. There is no hiding place for crooked officials in the digital age – so embrace the benefits of being transparent.
Stories like this will be familiar to many Nigerians. Just this week more than one newspaper reported that the case files of 15 high profile individuals facing graft and other criminal charges have “disappeared”. In the same vein, a former petroleum minister is under investigation of corruption offences in the UK. Though over the years, much of her trial has been media based.
In fact, Nigeria, has remained a beehive of recurrent issues of corruption and corrupt practices, and involving high profile officers. While most people were celebrating the clampdown of most supposedly corrupt officers such as former Abia state governor, Orji Uzo Kalu, who was however, released from jail after seven months, on technical grounds, the hunter suddenly became the hunted. In a twist of fate, the boss of the anti-graft outfit, Ibrahim Magu, was cut in his own web. Massive allegations bordering on fraud, theft and money laundering were leveled against. His position was instantly taken away, and he is still a presidential panel of enquiry.
In like manner, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Victor Akpabio, and his co-travellers in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have remained in the eye of the storm over stealing of the commission’s funds running into billions of naira. That he is still in government says a lot the fight against corruption mantra.
I often think back to a report from the Global Integrity Index which reported that when it comes to aid, many African governments are “adept at engineering laws and institutions to meet foreign donor requirements despite their failure to deliver for ordinary citizens”.
This is what the international community thinks of us. But our own communities have even worse opinions of our democratic institutions. One study reported 72% of Nigerians believe the statement “most politicians are corrupt” describes our country well – and six-in-ten said it described Nigeria “very well.”
Another survey reported that almost half of Nigerians believe corruption cannot be defeated.
This needs to change. Which is why the digital democracy campaign I lead are creating technology to increase political transparency and accountability and making it freely available to all Nigerians.
Our free Rate Your Leader app lets confirmed voters ask direct questions to their local elected leaders and allows them to rate the answers they receive for their neighbours to see.
The app also helps politicians engage directly with the people who elected them building relationships of trust with the electorate.
But it should not be left to enlightened politicians and organisations such as Rate Your Leader to take such actions. We need a co-ordinated national response
People often talk of not wanting to air their dirty laundry in public, but my solution to that is not to dirty your laundry in the first place!
If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear – and everything to gain. And even if governments make mistakes – and everyone makes mistakes! – not only is sunlight is always the best disinfectant, voters respect leader who take responsibility when things do not go to plan.
The good news is Nigeria – whilst still estimated to have lost $400 billion to corruption since independence – has been at the forefront of digitalizing its coronavirus relief payments. Not only do digital payments get the money to the people who need it faster, the payments also leave a secure electronic paper trail proving that the money ended up in the right hands.
There has also been increasing publication of government borrowing, spending and procurement decisions on the Treasury website.
It is important that Nigeria continues with this direction of travel.
This week President Buhari listed building “a system to fight corruption (and) improve governance” as one of his administration’s priorities for the next three years.
The digital publication of government records, made easily accessible and comprehensible to all Nigerians using smartphones, will be key to delivering on that priority.
Joel Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur and digital democracy campaigner and is creator of the Rate Your Leader app. You can reach Joel on Twitter @JOPopoola
Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful across Nigeria and around the world on the occasion of Eid, urging them to continue embracing the virtues of peace, sacrifice, love, and unity that the season symbolizes.
In a statement issued by the management of Adron Homes & Properties, the company described Eid as a sacred period that promotes spiritual renewal, compassion, gratitude, and harmonious coexistence among people irrespective of tribe, religion, or social status.
The foremost real estate company noted that the values of selflessness, obedience, and generosity demonstrated during the holy season remain essential ingredients for national growth and societal development.
According to the statement, Nigerians should use the festive period as an opportunity to strengthen bonds of brotherhood, extend love to the less privileged, and pray for enduring peace and economic prosperity in the country.
Adron Homes further reaffirmed its commitment to providing affordable luxury homes and building sustainable communities that promote comfort, security, and family values for Nigerians at home and abroad.
The company prayed for divine blessings, joy, and fulfillment for all Muslim faithful celebrating Eid and wished them a peaceful and memorable celebration.
Metro
Ikorodu Security: CP Tijani Launches ‘Command Sweepers Squad’, Deploys Three LSSTF Refurbished APCs
In swift response to the recent security concerns emerging out of Ikorodu and its environs over the nefarious activities of some criminal elements that are tormenting places such as Ijede, Ginti, among others, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani personally led a major show of Force across different part of Ikorodu to assert the dominance of the Police and other security agencies to thwart any crimes in the areas. This show of Force was also accompanied by the Inauguration of a special tactical security outfit codenamed ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad,’ which is a temporary intervention security outfit created to address the growing incidents of crimes and criminality within Ikorodu and adjoining areas, comprising of Command Tactical Teams, RRS, Lagos Taskforce, Eko Strike Force, 2 PMF, 22 PMF, and 63 PMF of the Lagos Police Command, alongside personnel from other sister security agencies and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), all working collaboratively to combat and stamped out criminality within Ikorodu and its environs. The Squad has been strategically deployed to identify black spots and criminal hideouts to carry out intelligence-led operations, raids, stop-and-search duties, and confidence-building patrols aimed at flushing out criminal elements and ensuring the safety of lives and property.
Top among the security equipment deployed for the show of force and the temporary Inaugurated ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad’ are the three (3) newly refurbished Armoured Personnel Carriers which were just handed over to the Lagos State Police Command by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF as well as Patrol vehicles.
While Inaugurating the ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad’, the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani assured residents that the operation will be conducted professionally and in line with the rule of law, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant. He warned all criminally minded persons in Ikorodu and its environs to immediately pack their bags because his Command will not hesitate to decisively deal with them. Noting that the Command wasn’t resting on its oars, he revealed that the Squad will continue to patrol all nooks and corners in its bid to flush out all crimes and vices from the area.
Tijani assured law-abiding residents to continue supporting the Command with timely and credible information, through any of the emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.
He noted that this valuable information will enable the Police to effectively tackle crime and restore public confidence within the area. He also thanked the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr Ayo Ogunsan for the logistics support including the 3 APCs which have enjoyed immediate deployment.
The Squad is strategically situated in Ijede to ensure swift deployment and easy access to all parts of Ikorodu and adjoining communities for effective crime prevention and rapid response operations.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgment that voided the timelines it issued for the 2027 general elections.
The Commission also applied for the stay of execution of the judgment, pending the determination of its appeal.
In the notice of appeal dated May 25, which INEC filed through its team of lawyers led by Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, the Commission nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Aside from its contention that the high court erred in law when it failed to determine a jurisdictional issue it raised, INEC maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
It argued that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant.
More so, INEC insisted that the high court erred in law when it held that: “It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
INEC argued that the verdict of the trial court was against the weight of evidence placed before it by the parties.
Consequently, it prayed the appellate court for an order allowing the appeal and setting aside the judgment
The electoral body further urged the Court of Appeal to strike out YP’s case on the ground that it lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute and maintain the action it said was merely academic.
