Counted Chaos, Contracts for Cronies and Cattle Colonies
Counted Sorrows
Unidentified gunmen attacked a police station in Odoro Ikpe, Akwa Ibom State, and killed at least six police officers. This incident occurred in the early hours of May 8.
The same tragic fate befell people in Shadadi town, Niger State as unknown gunmen opened fire on civilians, killing at least 8 and kidnapping not less than 100. Hundreds were displaced.
The inhabitants of Orlu in Imo State witnessed sporadic shooting between unknown gunmen and security operatives. This led to the suspension of all economic activities. Including farming, as security operatives try to restore peace in the area.
These attacks not only disrupt the peace of the communities but also affect economic activities. The country will suffer most as this period signifies the time when farmers indulge in their trade. Their inability to carry out their acts might aggravate food insecurity in the country.
With the planting season gradually winding up, the President issued a statement on tackling pressing security challenges to enhance farming and prevent food insecurity. The President in his statement assures the general public of the deployment of law enforcement agencies to tackle the growing rate of banditry in the country. This he said through his spokesman Garba Shehu. He reaffirmed his administration's readiness to deploy available resources to this effect so that the farmers can go to their farms.
However, there are renewed fears for increased attacks as Ramadan ends. On Tuesday night, loud explosions and gunfire were heard in the city of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
Contracts for Cronies
$65 million National Housing Fund
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has started a manhunt for three men involved in a $65 million fraud. These three, as identified by the commission, include Mr. Gimba Yau Kumo, who is married to Fatima, the daughter of Nigeria’s incumbent president. The other two men are Mr. Tarry Rufus and Mr. Bola Ogunsola.
Mr. Gimba Yau Kumo was the managing director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria. Mr. Kumo was summoned this April to the floor of the national assembly to explain irregular contracts he awarded to the tune of N3 billion.
Mr. Kumo and the other two suspects are currently at large. They are wanted by the ICPC for misappropriating the National Housing Funds to the tune of $65 million. Mr. Kumo
However, Dataphyte’s analysis of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC’s) records show that Nigeria’s North-East governors could be the most corrupt above their peers in the other five regions of the country.
Five governors from the region together embezzled N355 billion during their terms in office.
Alimodu Sheriff was alleged to have embezzled N300 billion during his time in office. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) asserted this while probing him in February 2016.
Murtala Nyako, an ex-governor of Adamawa state was also tried alongside his son and two companies in a 37 count charge of N29 billion fraud.
In a N25 billion charge is the two-termed governor of Gombe, Alhaji Danjuma Goje. The current serving senator tops the list of high profile persons being prosecuted as he also featured in Country Reports Human Rights Practices for 2012, put together by the United States Department of States, Bureau of Democracy, Human Right and Labour as one of the most corrupt governors in the country.
Other ex-governors in the region worthy of mention are Rev. Jolly Nyame of Taraba and James Bala Ngilari and Adamawa. While the Reverend Jolly Nyame was convicted for a N1.64 billion fraud, Mr James Ngilari was acquitted by an appellate court after his prior conviction on a 17-count charge and sentence to a five-year prison term.
In another contract scam, a total of N1.02 billion was rolled out in contracts awarded to unqualified and unregistered companies. The contracts were by the Ministry of Water Resources for COVID-19 related procurements, connected with the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects.
Out of the 111 companies that were awarded contracts by the Ministry, only 8 of them met the legal criteria. This act contravenes Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
Further analysis revealed that another set of twelve (12) companies have no registration record with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), a body charged with incorporating companies in Nigeria. The companies are listed below:
Ninety of the benefiting companies were held as inactive entities by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and as such not qualified to be engaged to do business on behalf of the government. The remaining twelve companies were not found on the register of CAC, signifying they were not incorporated.
However, these companies were recipients of various contracts worth N1.02billion aimed to facilitate WASH projects. This act may impede the success of the project which was launched to provide water and sanitation solutions across the country. And by extension, it may undermine the nation’s attainment of SDG 6.
60 million people
At least 60 million people in Nigeria do not have access to clean water. Residents of Asaa and adjoining rural communities in Ogun state are at risk of grave health complications. This is owing to their continuous consumption of water from contaminated sources on a daily basis. The water is collected from ditches dug overnight to harvest water.
The water contaminants defies the available methods of purification at their disposal (use of potassium alum). A laboratory test confirms the water contains 5.5% of acid (Formazin Turbidity Unit (FTU)), 10.0% of Turbidity, 92.5% of Total Solids (ppm) and 90.0 % of Dissolved Solids (ppm), and defies WHO’s minimum standards for clean water.
As a result, the inhabitants of the community are exposed to urinary tract infections, bacteraemia, meningitis, diarrhoea, acute renal failure, and haemolytic anaemia.
Cattle Colonies
Differing Reactions trailed the call by the Forum of Southern Governors to ban open cattle grazing in the entire 17 southern states of the country. The call by the Southern Governors stemmed from the lingering conflict between migrating herders and crop farmers in host communities across the nation.
However, as with the earlier anti-open grazing laws enacted by Benue and Taraba states, the call by the southern governors was met with criticism from the Northern elite and leaders.
Amidst the disagreeing views, a review of the 2021 budget of the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development revealed that Nigeria plans to spend 3.37 billion on establishing grazing reserves to curb open grazing.
While the approval of this amount demonstrates the federal government's commitment to reducing insecurity caused by open grazing, the practice still continues, with some herdsmen widely reported to be involved in armed robbery, rape, road ambushes, and kidnapping.