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Group Faults BBC’s Report On CSU Academic Records Of Tinubu

Published

2 months ago

October 12, 2023

Editor

A pro-democracy group, the National Democratic Coalition, Thursday faulted Wednesday’s British Broadcasting Corporation report on the Chicago State University academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

The group emphasized that the move was an attempt to perpetuate colonialism in Nigeria.

This was as it observed the BBC was fast losing its ethical and journalism pedigree in its apparent hired attempt to launder the image of President Tinubu, saying it was shocking the British media outfit has chosen to engage in, “This image-laundering project, despite irrefutable evidence pointing to the authenticity of the allegations.”

The Executive Director of the group, in USA, Lloyd Ukwu, said this in a statement, on Wednesday night.

The BBC Disinformation Team had on Wednesday reported that there was evidence that the Chicago State University’s academic certificates of President Bola Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission for the 2023 presidential election were forged.

But NADECO in the statement, said, “In a world where integrity and honesty are increasingly becoming rare commodities, it is our solemn duty to shed light on deceit and manipulation, even when it is executed by influential figures. Today, we stand resolute against the latest reckless display of disinformation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in its apparent hired attempt to launder the tattered image of President Bola Tinubu.

“In recent times, we have witnessed a relentless campaign to salvage the image of President Bola Tinubu, which has been badly tarnished by the CSU certificate forgery saga. The latest effort in this image laundering project comes from none other than the BBC’s Disinformation Team. It is disheartening to see an organisation that has long been trusted by the public engage in such biased and mischievous reporting.

“What astonishes us is not the attempt to whitewash President Tinubu’s image, as he recently hired another team of media aides for this very purpose, but BBC’s motive and consideration for this hatchet job. On one level, what baffles us is the BBC’s blatant disregard for facts that are already in the public domain. The CSU’s registrar, under oath, unequivocally stated that the certificate submitted by Tinubu to INEC was not issued by the University and that it is not legitimate, strongly suggesting forgery. Yet, the BBC has chosen to spin its own version of the story to deceive the discerning Nigerian public.

“Again, it is not surprising that Mr. Tinubu, recognising the damage to his reputation due to the Chicago State University (CSU) certificate forgery saga, has recently employed a fresh team of media aides to rehabilitate his public image. On another level, what is truly shocking, however, is the extent to which the BBC has chosen to engage in this image-laundering project, despite irrefutable evidence pointing to the authenticity of the allegations.

“Could it be that what Tinubu’s money cannot buy does not exist or that the old colonial mouthpiece is at work?

“If the CSU’s registrar, under oath, unequivocally affirmed that the certificate submitted by Mr. Tinubu to INEC is not from their institution, signifying the unequivocal act of forgery, so what would the BBC call that? Astonishingly, the BBC chose to disseminate its own version of the story specifically designed to deceive the enlightened Nigerian public.

“Documents obtained from CSU further reveal a litany of irregularities and paint a clear picture of deception: Mr Bola Tinubu did not meet the required admission criteria and was asked to retake exams.

“His admission document listed his gender as female. He used another individual’s female social security number.

“The document he submitted claims to be from a school established in 1970, whereas the school was founded in 1974.”

It added, “What is truly confounding and perplexes NADECO USA is the BBC’s apparent failure to fact-check these glaring discrepancies before presenting its report to the Nigerian people, thus knowingly and maliciously doing a disservice to journalism and to the very people they are meant to inform.

“Furthermore, the BBC has shown a marked reluctance to investigate whether Mr. Tinubu was involved in a drug case in the United States or whether he manipulated the general elections in Nigeria with his cohorts. While the world expects impartial, investigative journalism from the BBC, it appears that they are more inclined to twist what is already known. The BBC’s selective reporting further tarnishes its already fading credibility and the trust of the Nigerian people who already know the truth.

“The British Broadcasting Corporation is gradually losing relevance and trust among the Nigerian people and the world at large who seek truth and integrity in reporting. The suffering Nigerian masses cannot tolerate the nuisances of a British colonial mouthpiece or the colonial arrogance displayed in the form of such unverified and misleading stories.

“NADECO USA strongly condemns the BBC’s media report, which can only be characterised as a reckless disregard for the truth and a disservice to the Nigerian masses. We call on the BBC to cease such practices henceforth.”

News

EDOCSO Celebrates World Human Rights Day; 50% Of Nigeria’s Challenges Traced To Illicit Drugs

Published

6 hours ago

December 11, 2023

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

If the menace of illicit drugs and its use can be addressed in Nigeria, 50% of the nation’s challenges must have been properly addressed and settled.

Dr. Mamud Adamu, Assistant Commandant of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State, made this assertion in Benin, on Sunday, at an event organised by Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) to mark the 2023 World Human Rights Day with the theme: Freedom, Equity & Justice for All.

Speaking on the topic: Drug Abuse, a Societal Problem and Possible Solutions, Dr Adamu who was the Keynote Speaker at the event, attributed several challenges such as kidnapping, murder, banditry, armed robbery, etc in this country to use and abuse of drugs, insisting that no man, can with his clear eye, harm his fellow man.

The NDLEA Officer who lamented that many investors are scared of coming to the country due to these challenges of which many can be traced to drugs, further lamented that “drug abuse affects our mental health and also affects the national economic. Any country where its youths are into drugs, that country cannot prosper.”

While urging citizens to inform the NDLEA in case of any suspicious deal in their area, Dr Adamu noted: “Drugs is the root cause of why some investors are scared of investing their money in this country.

A cross section of the awardees at an event to mark 2023 World Human Rights Day.

“Guide your children, pray for them. Make sure you are sure of the kinds of friends they keep.”

On his part, Dr. Moses Oshiegbu, Health Officer, Psychiatric, while speaking on the topic: Mental Health- Effect of Drug Abuse, called for laws prohibiting public advert of illicit drugs.

“There should be law punishable for parents who send their underage children to buy these substances.
There should be law prohibiting public advert of alcohol and other substances,” he added.

Earlier, the Interim Technical Executive Council (TEC) Chairman, EDOCSO, Comrade Austin Enabulele, said celebration of the Day by the organisation was to let the whole world know that every man born of a woman has a right.

“The celebration is to let the whole world know that all human beings, regardless of their colour, status, have a right. Respect my right, and I respect yours. Respect to human rights is the significance of the day.

“We are calling on government, private and individuals to respect the right of everybody,” he added.

On his part, Comrade Omobude Agho, former Coordinator-General, EDOCSO, and convener, Left Movement of Nigeria, expressed joy for the progresses the civil society organisations had made over the years in its fight for human rights.

The EDOCSO also used the celebration of the Day to award three popular volunteer traffic controllers in Benin City; a Divisional Police Officer and a Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, for their service and contribution to the society.

News

Alleged ₦81.2bn Tree Planting Scandal: House Committee Exonerates NAGGW

Published

8 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Editor

The House of Representatives Adhoc Committee set up to investigate the utilisation of Ecological Fund released to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), has absolved the Agency’s management of allegations of fraud allegations leveled against it.

The Honorable Ismaila Dabo-led Adhoc committee was set up in July, to investigate allegations of mismanagement of funds released to the agency from the Ecological Fund.

This followed a motion titled: “The Need to Investigate the Utilization of Ecological Funds Released to the Great Green Wall by the International Organizations from 2015 to Date; and All Federal Allocations to the National Agency for the Great Green Wall as well as all Contract Awarded to Various Contractors for the Project from 2019 to Date.” which was sponsored by Honourable Ali Lawan Shettima.

The House panel, in a report obtained by Vanguard, on Sunday, revealed that it reached the conclusion after considering oral evidence and reviewing documents made available to it by those who testified before the 15 member committee.

At the inaugural sitting of the Adhoc Committee, the management team of the agency was invited to shed light on allegations that it spent ₦81.2 billion on the planting of 21 million trees across 11 frontline states.

The States listed were: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno.

The House Committee equally queried the agency over discrepancies in some of its expenditures.

Director General/CEO of National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Dr. Yusuf Maina Bukar, in his presentation before the Committee in September, denied the allegation while making clarifications on budgetary allocations to the agency.

He informed the committee that he assumed office in April 2022, and that berifiable records show that the sum of ₦53,425,423,874.34 was the amount released to the Agency from inception to July 2023, as against the sum of N81.2 bn which the Agency was alleged to have spent.

Bukar insisted the Agency has not acted outside its mandate in the implementation of its mandate.

According to him, not all of the ₦53,425,423,874.34 received were directly spent for tree planting activities as some uninformed persons would want Nigerians to believe.

He said, “The NAGGW cost of planting, from inception in 2015 to July 2023 is ₦5,145,735,470.15

“That the approximate sum of ₦7.2 billion balance in the Agency’s account are liabilities already committed to ongoing contracts that have already been awarded.

“All unutilized funds from capital appropriation are refunded to Federal Government TSA account at the end of the financial year where applicable.”

The Honourable Dabo fifteen-man Committee in its report also faulted the claim that the agency received the sum of ₦81.2 bn noting that, “Evidence from the Hearing indicates that the NAGGW received a total sum of ₦53,425,423,874.34 (Fifty-three Billion, Four Hundred and Twenty-five Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-three Thousand, Eight Hundred- and Seventy-four-naira, Thirty-four Kobo) only from inception in 2015 to July, 2023.”

In the course of its investigations, the Committee also discovered that the Agency didn’t receive budgetary allocation for 2015; and that ecological funding was not released to the agency until 2019.

The House panel also discovered that, “the percentage of ecological funding going to the Agency was reduced from 15% provided for by the Act to just 5% with effect from January 2020 to date.”

The report acknowledged the paucity and untimely release of funds, inability to access foreign assistance and absence of a Governing Board as some of the factors hindering the performance of the agency.

The lawmakers equally expressed displeasure over the unilateral reduction in the statutory allocation to the agency by fiat, and urged government, as a matter of urgency revert the Ecological Fund releases to the agency back to 15 percent as provided for by the NAGGW Act.

The report further read in part, “That the total sum of ₦20,168,363,662.18 (Twenty Billion, One Hundred and Sixty- Eight Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand, Six Hundred- And Sixty-Two-Naira, Eighteen Kobo) only being the shortfall of the reduction from Ecological Fund for January, 2020 to date, be immediately released to the Agency to fund its activities;”

Other recommendations contained in the report read : “Similarly, the Ecological fund office should calculate remit to the NAGGW the total sums due to the agency from the Ecological Fund from 2015 to 2018;

“Urge the National Agency for the Great Green Wall to as a matter of urgency include the frontline states of Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe States in the fourth phase of the a forestation projects which is to commence soon.

“There is urgent need for the agency to undertake recruitment of staff, especially for its offices at the front line states;

“Need for a greater collaboration and synergy between the NAGGW and the Federal Ministry of Environment;”

“Urge the Federal Government to constitute a Governing Board for the National Agency for the Great Green Wall;

“Need for extensive enlightenment of the general public on the sustainable use of the forest for preservation.”

Aside from submissions by the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Ecological Project Office, the Committee also undertook on-the-spot assessment visit to projects sites in some of the frontline states, namely; Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto State.