Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the recovery of N13 billion diverted public funds in September.

ICPC chairman Musa Aliyu, in his welcome address at ICPC Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028 launch on Wednesday in Abuja, described the feat as a remarkable achievement.

According to him, the impressive haul is a testament to the commission’s relentless efforts at combating corruption and ensuring accountability in Nigeria.

”Over the past years, the ICPC has made significant progress in discharging its mandate; for example, we recovered over N13 billion diverted public funds in September 2024 alone. This is just one of the many ways we have worked tirelessly to fulfil our mandate.

”We are also embarking on ICT reforms that will digitalise our operations and enable more efficient investigations, case management, and internal processes. This transformation will position the commission as a leader in leveraging technology to combat corruption, keeping us one step ahead of criminal activities in the digital age,” he said.

Mr Aliyu said that the commission was also developing a specialised curriculum to enhance our personnel’s enforcement capacity.

”This initiative equips our officers with the skills and expertise needed to address the complexities of corruption cases with the highest standards of professionalism and efficiency.

”We are decentralising the anti-corruption efforts by empowering state governments through the mobilisation of state attorneys-general. This approach ensures that state governments are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and resources necessary to effectively combat corruption at the local level,” he said.

The ICPC chairman recalled that the commission successfully held a conference with state attorneys-general in September, adding that more than 30 state chief law officers attended.

He said that in response to the findings from the Third National Corruption Survey, the commission had intensified efforts to broaden the reach of the anti-corruption campaign by actively engaging citizens, civil society and the media.

”A key part of this initiative is our upcoming EthicsPod digital community, designed to foster a culture of transparency and accountability across both public offices and everyday life nationwide.

”These efforts are part of a comprehensive strategy, forming the backbone of our Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028, which builds on our past achievements and charts a clear path for the future,” he said.

The ICPC boss stressed the need to intensify efforts to prevent corruption and corrupt practices.

(NAN)

The General Overseer of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Pastor Lazarus Muoka, on Wednesday, reacted to an alleged criticism of his church by social media activist, Martins Otse, widely recognized as VeryDarkMan.

The church in the last few weeks has been in the news following some testimonies shared by members of the church.

In one video, an elderly woman claimed she was attacked by four armed robbers but miraculously gained control of their guns.

Another testimony featured a man who said he survived a kidnapping, machete attacks, and gunshots “without sustaining any injuries.”

Addressing his congregation in a recent video, Pastor Muoka said he had been informed that VeryDarkMan had made negative comments about the church, allegedly stating that “Chosen members will learn the hard way.”

In response, Muoka implied that the activist himself was facing difficulties as a result of his remarks.

He said, “Someone came to me and said, ‘Pastor, do you see this man who is speaking against us? He said Chosen people will learn something the hard way.’ And he mentioned the man’s name—VeryDarkMan. I said, ‘No, Chosen will not learn the hard way; he will be the one to learn the hard way.’”

Muoka was quick to clarify that he bore no ill will toward the activist, stating, “I didn’t speak evil of him. I only made a statement. I don’t want to speak negatively, because if I say anything negative or evil, it will happen immediately.”

He continued, “I cannot speak evil against any man, but I am telling you that VeryDarkMan is learning something today in a hard way. I didn’t say it to punish him, I only echoed his words.”

Muoka concluded with a warning: “If God’s anointed gets angry with you, you are finished.”

Nigerian-born English winger, Bukayo Saka has stressed that this could be the year his club, Arsenal, finally clinch the Premier League title after a 21-year drought.

Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City in the past two seasons, Arsenal are currently third in the league, tied on points with second-placed City and trailing leaders Liverpool by just a point after six games.

Bukayo Saka, who also experienced the disappointment of back-to-back European Championship final losses with England in 2021 and 2024, is determined to turn the tide and secure silverware this season.

The 23-year-old attributes his unwavering determination to previous near-misses and believes in Arsenal’s ability to compete at the highest level, as evidenced by their recent 2-0 Champions League victory over Paris St-Germain.

“I don’t want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year [Arsenal win the title],” Saka told CBS Sports.

“I think we’ve been close the last two years and we’re getting closer, but this hopefully will be the year.”

In his interview with Amazon Prime, Saka added, “In previous years, I’ve come runners-up a lot. It’s just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.

“With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we’re a top team. We showed that tonight [against Paris St-Germain]. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when big teams are coming to the Emirates.”

The Super Eagles caretaker coach, Augustine Eguavoen has emphasized the importance of having the right conditions in place for him to consider taking on the role permanently.

As he manages the team for the fourth time, he stressed the need for a long-term contract with patience and realistic clauses, acknowledging that consistent winning is not guaranteed in football.

“It will be a tough one. You have to give me a long-term contract with patience and clauses in that contract because winning is not guaranteed every week or day,” the 58-year-old coach told Brila FM.

“You will give me time to tweak the team till I find what I want.”

Despite the team’s current challenges in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Augustine Eguavoen expressed optimism about their chances.

Eguavoen believes that with a strong mentality and a positive approach, the Super Eagles can still turn their campaign around and secure their spot in the World Cup.

He emphasized the need for the players to treat every upcoming game as a crucial opportunity and to focus on securing victories, even by narrow margins, to achieve their objective.

“It has to be with positive thinking (for Nigeria to qualify for the World Cup),” Eguavoen said.

“We have to approach every game like a cup final, and we have a big chance once we keep winning these remaining games, even if it were by 1-0.”

Augustine Eguavoen is expected to lead Super Eagles of Nigeria in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Libya at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, October 11, with the return leg set to be hosted in Benina four days later.

Italy is poised to simplify the process for foreigners applying for temporary work visas to meet the increasing demands of its labor market.

Plans are underway to increase the number of “Click Days”—the designated days when applications are accepted—making it easier for foreign workers to obtain visas, according to TravelBiz.

This change aims to address the country’s urgent need for skilled workers, as the current system has been insufficient in filling critical gaps in the labor market.

The proposal includes a shift away from the rigid quota and deadline-based approach, instead focusing on a more flexible system that aligns with Italy’s actual labor needs.

Maria Grazia Gabrielli, Secretary of the General Confederation of Italian Workers (Cgil), highlighted the limitations of the current “Click Day” system and called for reforms that reflect the real workforce demands in Italy.

Despite these efforts to ease the visa process, the government has ruled out any changes to the controversial Bossi-Fini Law, which governs Italy’s immigration policies.

This law mandates that non-EU nationals secure a job offer before arriving in the country and imposes strict requirements for residence permits.

It also grants authorities increased powers to deport undocumented migrants and penalizes employers who hire them.

Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano revealed that the government is preparing to present a decree law outlining these changes to the Council of Ministers soon.

While the proposed reforms aim to improve access to the Italian labor market for foreign workers, the key provisions of the Bossi-Fini Law will remain intact.

Alhaji Isa Rabiu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, has asked former governor Nasir El-Rufai to be patient and allow a proper investigation to be conducted into his eight years administration in the state.

Rabiu spoke to Daily Post in Kaduna on Wednesday.

The PDP chieftain was reacting to El-Rufai’s claim that he did not steal public money during his time as Kaduna governor.

El-Rufai had said he is ready to swear with the Holy Quran to prove his innocence.

Reacting to El-Rufai’s assertion, Rabiu said, “Former governor El-Rufai should wait patiently for the final investigation before uttering anything against his predecessors or swearing with the Quran on what transpired during the eight years of his administration in Kaduna State.”

Rabiu observed that the same El-Rufai ‘arranged’ a petition against former governor of Kaduna State, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, following which the Makarfi administration was investigated.

He added, “To be honest, from all indications, El-Rufai lacks discipline, self control and focus to do the right thing than swearing with holy Quran. The same El-Rufai ran away to a foreign country during the regime of late President Yar’Adua and only came back when the President died in 2010 and started making unnecessary utterances against the late President Yar’Adua.”

He called on the Kaduna State government, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and related offences Commission, ICPC, to investigate the former governor with a view to recovering what was stolen from the state during his tenure.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, director-general (DG) of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), says government officials must face consequences for making policies that ruin businesses.

Ajayi-Kadir spoke on Tuesday during a forum themed ‘Nigeria’s Challenging Economy: Strategies For Recovery,’ organised by Channels Television to commemorate Nigeria’s 64th Independence anniversary.

He emphasised the need for consequences when policies lead to economic setbacks for industries.

“There must be consequence for government officials who make policies that ruin businesses,” Ajayi-Kadir said.

“I mean, you make a policy today, it becomes a disaster for industry and government simply changes it, and you walk away. We don’t have this luxury in the private sector.

“If you make a mistake, your business is gone, and you could distrain your property. So I think we need to see that movement also on the part of government.”

He said the challenges caused by the ongoing rise in interest rates should be alleviated.

The DG said borrowing at rates of 30-35 percent makes it nearly impossible for businesses to survive, particularly in an economy where consumer purchasing power has drastically declined.

“We should be able to assuage the challenges we are having with continuously raising interest rates,” he said.

“You’ve done it for more than 18 months plus, and you’ve not done any impact assessment on the productive sector.

“I think you need to be able to insulate that sector so that you can inflate the economy.”

‘THERE’S NEED FOR INDUSTRIAL POLICY’

Ajayi-Kadir said there is a need for an industrial policy to guide the government’s approach to industrialisation.

According to the DG, the policy would promote better coordination between key government ministries such as the ministry of industry, trade, and investment, the ministry of finance, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“I must say that policy coordination is extremely important for us because you can’t operate in such a way that you don’t know what to expect tomorrow,” he said.

“It will basically define where we want to be, and it will guide our operations.”

He also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s embassies abroad, calling for key performance indicators (KPIs) aimed at facilitating foreign market penetration for Nigerian products and attracting foreign investments.

While commending the efforts of Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Ajayi-Kadir called for a more deliberate government policy, urging the government to avoid playing politics with economic policies.

Also, Ajayi-Kadir advocated for a coordinated approach with clear expectations, deliverables, and accountability measures to ensure that the government and industry move in the same direction.

‘FG SHOULD LOOK BEYOND OIL SALE TO GET FX’

Ajayi-Kadir said Nigeria does not need to rely solely on oil sale for foreign exchange (FX), urging the government to diversify its revenue streams, particularly by tapping into the potential of diaspora remittances.

“We don’t really also have to depend on the sale of oil for us to be able to get forex. First, we must realise all the income that we can get from oil and we shouldn’t have any impediments, whether human, structural, or system-imposed. I mean, we should be clear about it. It’s our natural resource,” he said.

“We should fully recover all the forex that we can get from there. We need to address the issue of diaspora remittance that has a very great potential of bringing in far more forex than Nigeria is receiving. Those ones can help to address the foreign exchange challenges that we have.

“There’s one presently that I still cannot understand why we’ve not been able to overcome it and it’s the N2.4 billion unredeemed forwards with the CBN.”

The DG also said the FX exposure has caused massive losses for manufacturers.

“I believe that it will require the intervention of Mr. President, because I have a member, for instance, who has lost N7.2 billion because of this forex exposure for no fault of his and eight of our members, because of the forex exposure, have actually lost 918 billion in the last one year,” he said.

Ajayi-Kadir said addressing the pressing issues does not require new laws or executive orders but a coordinated effort to resolve FX challenges.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the federal government to review policies causing economic hardship in the country.

In a statement on the nation’s 64th independence anniversary, the PDP said Nigeria has never had it this bad.

President Bola Tinubu’s policies have driven petrol prices to record highs and depreciated the naira to record lows since he assumed the reins on May 29, 2023.

The party asked Nigerians “not to surrender” in the face of “emasculating policies”.

The opposition party said Nigerians should “reawaken the spirit of nationalism in defence of our democracy and national sovereignty against the emerging totalitarianism being foisted on our nation by the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

“The Independence Day celebration is not the symbolic marching at parade grounds, taking of salutes, inspection of guards and making of speeches but it is the freedom of the citizens to express themselves, pursue legitimate endeavours and freely participate in the process to choose those who lead them through an unhindered expression of their will at elections,” the statement issued by Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, reads.

“The independence of a nation is embedded in the respect for the Rule of Law and constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens by a transparent and responsible government that is democratically elected, answerable and committed only to the good of the people.

“Since its calamitous arrival in the Nigerian political space, the APC continues to barefacedly stifle these fundamentals of our nation’s independence.

“It is, therefore, an irony that the APC deludes itself that Nigerians should celebrate independence whose essence has been completely diminished by the anti-people policies and programs of the APC that have not only discounted the lives of citizens but also deprived them of the independence to legitimately pursue their endeavours and freely participate in governance.”

The PDP alleged that the APC is not interested in the wellbeing of the people and is “returning our nation to a state of bondage, where the government is a cabal that has no respect for citizens but relishes in inflicting pain and hardship, where dissenting voices are treated as enemies of state”.

The party said citizens are being suppressed and exploited “through excruciating tariffs and taxes are now instituted as state policies”.

“It is indeed agonizing that all the gains achieved by the PDP in the development of our democracy and credible electoral process, personal freedom, liberty and security of citizens, good governance that resulted in better living standards and flourishing investments in education, healthcare, electricity, housing, railways and roads infrastructure, manufacturing, hospitality, real estate among others have all been reversed by the APC,” the party said.

The PDP said the APC-led administration must listen to Nigerians and “review all its anti-people policies and actions that are suffocating life in the country”.

“The Federal Government should, without further delay, reduce the pump price of fuel and stem the slide in the value of the Naira by immediately reordering resources to jumpstart the ailing productive sector,” PDP said.

“Again, the PDP urges President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to listen to the heartbeat of Nigerians.

“Indeed, Nigerians are hurting. He must act now by channelling resources to projects that have a direct bearing on the wellbeing of Nigerians so that the people can have the life they deserve as free citizens of an independent nation.”

Some supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday protested outside the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office in Edo.

The protesters chanted anti-establishment slogans and songs, while demanding a reversal of the result of the recent governorship poll.

They held aloft placards with inscriptions that read: ‘INEC give us our mandate back’, ‘APC stole PDP mandate and they must return it’, ‘INEC sack Edo state resident electoral commissioner’, and ‘INEC why did you manipulate IReV results’.

Police operatives could be seen milling around and guarding the gates of the office.

On September 22, Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the Edo governorship election.

Okpebholo, a serving senator, won the election with 291,667 votes to defeat his closest rival, Asue Ighodalo of the PDP, who polled 247,274 votes.

Olumide Akpata, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), came a distant third with 22, 763 votes.

Before the final declaration, some PDP supporters staged a protest against the collation of the results outside the INEC office.

After the declaration, Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa and chairman of the PDP campaign council for the election, said the poll was marred by “vote-buying, disruption of collation processes, and suspicious results”.

“I weep for Nigeria’s democracy after witnessing the shameful Edo gubernatorial poll,” Fintiri had said.

Ighodalo has vowed to challenge the outcome of the election in court.

Governor Seyi Makinde’s government of Oyo State has announced a plan to recruit 791 new civil servants for the mainstream service.

The Chairman of the State Civil Service Commission, Alhaji Kamoru Aderibigbe, announced this on Wednesday in Ibadan during a press briefing. 

Aderibigbe indicated that the recruitment will include the integration of 230 education officers along with 561 other positions into the mainstream civil service.

The government official noted that this recruitment would represent the largest intake into the mainstream civil service in the past twenty years.

Prospective candidates can submit their applications to the state government job portal at www.jobportal.oyostate.gov.ng from October 7 to October 11.

He highlighted that the online application process is designed to promote diligence, fairness, and equity throughout the recruitment procedure.

“Applicants into cadres requiring a degree must be university graduates with a minimum of second class honours division, while applicants into cadres that require Higher National Diploma certificate must be polytechnic graduates with a minimum of lower credit.

“All university and polytechnic graduates must possess NYSC discharged certificates or exemption certificates as at the time of the recruitment process.

“Equally, applicants into cadres requiring the Nigeria Certificate in Education must be graduates with a minimum of merit,” he said.

Aderibigbe said that the commission would ensure competence in discharging its duties without any political interference.