The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday launched a National Campaign Against Fake News, calling the phenomenon a time bomb that can detonate with deadly consequences if left unchecked.

Addressing a world press conference in Abuja , the Minister also described fake news as a global epidemic that could be worse than all the plagues that the world has recorded put together, a clear and present danger to global peace and security, as well as  threat to democracy.

He said the fake news phenomenon is capable of undermining confidence in the media, adding: ”Once the people lose confidence in the media, the media and the society are in trouble.”

Mohammed said the essence of the campaign is to ”sensitize all Nigerians to the dangers posed to the peace and security, and indeed the corporate existence of Nigeria by the phenomenon, and the fact that each and every Nigerian has a role to play in curtailing the spread of fake news”.

He explained that though the federal government has been calling national attention to the issue of fake news and hate speeches since last year, ”the timing of the launch is also not unconnected to the role of fake news in aggravating the various crises in the country as well as the need to check this phenomenon ahead of the 2019 elections.”

The Minister said the government would use all the information dissemination tools at its disposal, work with both the traditional and social media, as well as the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to sensitize Nigerians.

He said the campaign will, however, not involve the use of coercion and censorship, but appealed to the media to lead the campaign, and to Nigerians not to share any news or message unless they can vouch for its source and authenticity

Citing instances from around the world to illustrate the dangers posed by fake news,  Mohammed said a recent study by researchers at the Ohio State University in the US concluded that Russian interference and the fake news it promoted probably played a significant role in depressing Hilary Clinton’s support on election day during the 2016 presidential elections in the US.

He also said that in India, about a dozen people have been killed in the past six weeks just because of fake news or hoax messages, noting: ”The victims were lynched after they were falsely accused of child abduction based on fake messages circulated via the social media platform, WhatsApp.”

The Minister said that last week, a national newspaper in Nigeria reported on its front page that a court has ordered the National Assembly to begin impeachment of Buhari, which was not the case.

”The problem with that news item is that it is fake news. According to the certified true copy of the order, the Presiding Judge of the Federal High Court in Osogbo ordered and I quote: ‘The applicants are hereby granted leave to issue and bring an Application for the order of Mandamus to compel 1st to 3rd Respondents to start impeachment proceedings against the 4th Respondent, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’. This was manipulated to read that the court has given the go-ahead for the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against the President. Fake News,” he said

The launch, which was sponsored by the NTA, FRCN, and three newspapers – The Nation, Vanguard and Leadership – was attended by all the heads of the media parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), representatives of the security agencies, social media practitioners and journalists.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/07/06/news/nigeria-speaker-dogara-tasks-journalists-on-hate-speech-fake-news-says-there-is-calculated-attempt-to-discredit-national-assembly/

There was commotion in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, during the debate on the Executive Order 006 of 2018 recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Buhari had on July 5 signed the order seeking to restrain owners of assets being investigated from any further transaction on them.

The President said he had chosen to sign the order because of the necessity to stop owners of such assets from further using their proceeds to pervert the cause of Justice.

According to him, the order will serve as a platform for counter-attack.

He said: “It has thus become necessary to re-kit and re-tool our arsenal to be able to effectively tackle corruption’s perilous counter-attack against the Nigerian State.

”Accordingly, the Federal Government of Nigeria has declared a national emergency to deal with that crisis.

”In this regard, the Federal Government of Nigeria in line with its anti-corruption strategy seeks to ensure that the ends of justice is not defeated or compromised by persons involved in a case or complaint of corruption.”

However, moving a motion under matters of urgent public importance at plenary in Abuja, Rep Ossai Ossai (Delta-PDP) said that the executive order was a clear usurpation of legislative and judicial powers.

The motion was co-sponsored by no fewer than 27 lawmakers among whom were Reps Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, Bassey Ewah, Ibrahim Baba, Worker Jev, Aliyu Pategi, Doye Diri, T.J. Yusuf, Gaza Gbefori.

Some of the legislators in support of the motion at the floor included Reps Samson Okwu, Daniel Asuquo, Abubakar Nuhu, Rimande Shawulu, Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje, among others, while Reps Mojeed Alabi, Sadiq Ibrahim, Mohammed Munguno opposed the motion.

Speaking, Ossai said there was an urgent need to investigate the constitutional compliance of all subsidiary legislation and executive orders by the president.

”The House notes the very recent Executive Order Number 006 of 2018 signed into law by Mr President in July 5, 2018 which appears to hijack and usurp legislative and judicial powers by the executive arm of government.

”The House is aware that Section 44 Sub-section 2(K) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) restricts the application of compulsory acquisition of movable or immovable property in any part of Nigeria except on the temporary takings of possession of property for the purpose of any examination, investigation or inquiry.

”The House is concerned that 315 Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is to the effect that appropriate authority may by order make such modification on an existing law as it considers it necessary and in conformity with the provisions of the constitution.

”The House is cognisance that the National Assembly shall not enact law that oust or purports to oust the jurisdiction of a court of law.

”The House recalls that executive powers shall extend to the execution and maintenance of the constitution and all laws made by the National Assembly,” he said.

The lawmaker observed that the order was a replication of subsisting legislations such as Section 8 of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act of 1983, Section 330 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 and certain provisions of EFCC Act.

”The House acknowledges that Section 8 of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act of 1983 specifically vests the Federal High Court with powers to direct or require, prohibit any disposition of property moveable or immovable where a prima facie case has been made out against a person,” he said.

According to him, the Executive Order Number 006 of 2018 is similar to the dreaded Decree Number 2 of 1984 that could be used as an instrument to hunt, traumatise, harass and victimise perceived political opponents.

In its resolution, the House urged the President to ”suspend and discontinue the application and implementation of Executive Order 006 of 2018 in view if its controversial nature and its conflicts with relevant provisions of the law”.

It resolved that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Chairman, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Mr Kefas Magaji, be invited and submit a comprehensive list of all subsidiary legislations in the country that are published in the federal gazette within two weeks.

The lawmakers also resolved that the House of Representatives should transmit the resolutions to the Senate for concurrence.

When the question was put on a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, majority of the lawmakers backed the motion.

Dogara, therefore, urged that an ad-hoc committee be constituted to scrutinise and investigate all subsidiary legislations and executive orders in Nigeria and report back to the House within four weeks.

A mild drama however ensued as members of the House, who were against the motion, disagreed with the ruling shouting: ”No! No!” Some of them, in annoyance, staged a walkout. (NAN)

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/02/06/news/nigerian-president-signs-executive-order-on-local-content-in-science-engineering-technology-procurement/

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti – Corruption Commission, Northwest of the country, says it has uncovered 100 million naira Local Government Fund diverted by former Accountant General of Kano State, Mrs. Aisha Bello.

Consequently, the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje directed the Chairman of the Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, to take all necessary steps to recover all funds that have been diverted by the former Accountant General, Mrs Aisha Bello.

The Chairman, Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, who announced to have recovered about twenty million Naira so far, assured that every kobo belonging to the Government will be retrieved for the development of the State.

The Commission, whose interim report into the activities of the former Accountant – General of the State, Mrs Aisha Bello led to her removal from office, discovered the fund which was corruptly diverted from the State Joint Local Government Account, domiciled at Unity Bank PLC to Grassroot Micro Finance Bank,in gross contravention of the Central Bank of Nigeria regulations barring placement of funds with micro finance banks.

The Former Accountant General was also accused of unilateral payment of contractors and short paying the civil servants, which almost led to a  strike by the civil servants hence her removal from office by Governor Abdullahai Ganduje following incessant complaints bothering on financial indiscipline.

He subsequently ordered Alhaji Muhuyi Magaji, the chairman of the commission to conduct a forensic audit of the Accountant – General Office. The audit led to the discovery of the N100 million corruptly placed with the bank.

The deposit was placed in 2016 by  the former Accountant General for a period of One month with the Grassroots Micro Finance Bank. So far the money has generated only 11million naira interest.

The Kano State anti corruption commission, in line with the placement agreement asked that the transaction be broken and forfeit the interest to the bank, but the Bank  bluntly refused to return the entire “captured” funds. So far only 20 million naira has been refunded to the Kano State government by the Grassroots Microfinance Bank.

Efforts by the commission to recover the balance has been rebuffed by the Bank, which to avoid paying up the balance dragged the commission before Justice Mohammed Yahaya of the Kano State High Court Gezawa, alleging intimidation. The high court in its ruling however ordered the commission to stop further investigations into the matter.

In a counter affidavit, the commission denied all the depositions of Hajiya Farida Thair, the managing director of the Bank.

The commission noted that when the Applicant acknowledged the existence of the funds with her, she did not disclose to the 1st Respondent that it was an investment that was distributed to customers. Hence, a suggestion was made and mutually agreed by both the Applicant and the 1st Respondent’s to meet at the 2nd Respondent’s office to perfect the recovery process of the amount belonging to the Government of Kano State.

That the whole arrangement in respect of the one hundred million naira was carried out and perfected only between the Applicant and the former Accountant General of Kano State. There was no evidence of any instruction or commitment from Kano State Government whatsoever that suggests any existing contract between the Applicant, the Government of Kano State and the 44 Local Government Councils.

That the 2nd Respondent had a sound conviction that the one hundred million naira was illegally diverted by the former Accountant General and the Applicant using the Grassroot Micro Finance Bank as a corporate vehicle.

It was discovered that one of the signatories of the account in the person of Magaji Sule Labbo (former Director Treasury) who claimed to have acted on the instructions of the former Accountant General informed the 2nd Respondent that the fund was meant to be with the Applicant’s Bank for one month. A copy of his voluntary statement is annexed and marked Exhibit 2.

It was also observed that the investment certificate raised by the Applicant on the 29/12/2016, the value date of the fixed deposit plus was 29/12/2016, while the maturity date was 23/1/2017, which was approximately one month. Copies of the correspondence detailing the nature of the Applicant’s relationship with the former Accountant General supplied to the 2nd Respondent are annexed and marked Exhibit 3(a), (b), (c) (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), and (I).

That the Ministry for Local Governments intended to use the money to finance the projects meant to cater for the general welfare of the people of Kano State. The Applicant is holding public funds under the guise of investment in her own volition.

https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/05/24/news/nigeria-reps-to-issue-arrest-warrant-on-dg-nema-for-evading-investigative-hearing/