‘ Commission bought 8 vehicles for N560m’
By Chizoba Ogbeche and Abdullahi M. Gulloma, Abuja
The chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, has accused the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of being corrupt.
Speaking at the opening of the National Dialogue on Corruption organised by PACAC, yesterday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Sagey said: “You will not believe that with all we are going through, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which is the other name for uncompleted projects, has just bought over 70 cars.
“Of those, about eight of them are Super Lexus Jeeps costing N78 million each and about 10 are Land Cruisers costing N63 million each. This money was taken from funds for infrastructure, water, housing, hospitals, school, without conscience; recklessly without a thought for the wretched people of the Niger Delta.”
He decried the fact that despite the purchase by the NDDC, “The managing director also said that NDDC was in debt up to the tune of N1.2 trillion. What an irony?
“Corruption is omnipresent in Nigeria. High and low office holders, public and private sector, the executive, legislative and judiciary, Customs, Immigration, Police, the Civil Service, everywhere.
“What is extremely disturbing is the fact that peoples’ attitude to corruption has hardened. There is no longer any fear of consequences. Bribe is demanded brazenly with a sense of entitlement. So, too has insensitivity to misuse, abuse and waste of our common patrimony, even in these lean times.”
On the Nigeria Customs, the PACAC Chairman said, there was bold and brazen corruption, thumbing its nose at this administration and at all Nigerians, noting: “This is happening at the Customs and Excise Department, which has completely ignored the fight against corruption; operating as if it is not in Nigeria.
“There is no difference in Customs since May 29, 2015. If you go to Tin Can Island, it is business as usual.”
Describing corruption as a national tragedy, he wondered why a person would loot what he cannot spend in 10 lifetimes and in the process, expose others to poverty and even death.
He also took a swipe at the judiciary, stating that despite clear provisions of Section 396 of the ACJA, “some Judges are still granting adjournments running into months and worse still, will adjourn their cases to give a Ruling on a preliminary objection, instead of giving the Ruling at the same time as the judgment on the substantive criminal matter.
“What is more, contrary to Section 306 which provides that an application for stay of proceedings in respect of a criminal matter before the Court shall not be entertained, some courts still adjourn in order to await the outcome of an interlocutory appeal.
“All this is illegal and strictly constitute acts of misconduct on the part of the Judge. The outcome of all this is that we have over hundred high profile cases not going nowhere.”
