HALLIBURTON BRIBERY, TODAY IS OKILO'S DATE WITH HISTORY?
Eight weeks ago, the Nigeria Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, promised to publicly name the corrupt Nigerian officials implicated in the gut-wrenching $180 million dollars Halliburton' bribery scandal? IG Mike Okiro had spoken in his capacity as head of an empanelled commission to investigate the bribery scandal? Today June 22, 2009 is the last day in the promised eight weeks period and marks the day of the promised disclosure. Icheoku says, if by the end of work today, no such disclosure is made by the Inspector General of Police in keeping to his promise, then there is no hope for Nigeria? Barring this disclosure, Nigerian officials including this Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro will henceforth be seen as shriveling lying scum-bags, whose words means nothing. Their silence will be interpreted as an effort to cover up the scandal and protect the big guns who were neck-deep in the bribery, including several former heads of state and government, presidents and ministers and legislators. What will this do to the already sullen image of Nigeria but sink it deeper into the pariah state which it is accelerating into. Nigeria deserves better and the world will like to know what became of the anti-corruption effort of the current government? Icheoku therefore calls on President Umaru Yar'Adua to compel the Inspector of Police, Mike Okiro to disclose these bribe-takers in the name of re-branding Nigeria! It is imperative and the right thing to do as nothing less will be satisfactory!
Eight weeks ago, the Nigeria Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro, promised to publicly name the corrupt Nigerian officials implicated in the gut-wrenching $180 million dollars Halliburton' bribery scandal? IG Mike Okiro had spoken in his capacity as head of an empanelled commission to investigate the bribery scandal? Today June 22, 2009 is the last day in the promised eight weeks period and marks the day of the promised disclosure. Icheoku says, if by the end of work today, no such disclosure is made by the Inspector General of Police in keeping to his promise, then there is no hope for Nigeria? Barring this disclosure, Nigerian officials including this Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro will henceforth be seen as shriveling lying scum-bags, whose words means nothing. Their silence will be interpreted as an effort to cover up the scandal and protect the big guns who were neck-deep in the bribery, including several former heads of state and government, presidents and ministers and legislators. What will this do to the already sullen image of Nigeria but sink it deeper into the pariah state which it is accelerating into. Nigeria deserves better and the world will like to know what became of the anti-corruption effort of the current government? Icheoku therefore calls on President Umaru Yar'Adua to compel the Inspector of Police, Mike Okiro to disclose these bribe-takers in the name of re-branding Nigeria! It is imperative and the right thing to do as nothing less will be satisfactory!
Halliburton: Senate Panel Summons Aondoakaa
ReplyDelete• To brief lawmakers on drug convicts’ escape from jail
From Sufuyan Ojeifo in Abuja, 06.22.2009
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The Joint Senate Committee investigating the Halliburton bribery saga has summoned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Mike Aondoakaa (SAN), to appear before it tomorrow.
Aondoakaa is to brief the joint committee on the saga and the efforts so far made by the Federal Government to track top officials of government involved in the scandal with a view to prosecuting them.
The Senate had on Tuesday, March 24, this year, directed its joint Committee (which comprises Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters; Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes; and Committee on Gas) to carry out an independent investigation into the issue.
The directive by the Upper House was consequent upon the adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw (Cross River South) and eleven others.The Senate had resolved to pursue an independent investigation into the matter in line with the powers vested in it by the 1999 Constitution to expose corruption. The Senate had specifically directed the joint committee “to conduct a separate and independent investigation on the matter in accordance with Section 88 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and report back to the Senate within one month.”
But the Committee is working close to three months behind schedule. Chairman of the Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Senator Sola Akinyede, said yesterday that the joint committee would hold tomorrow.
According to him, “The Attorney General has been invited to brief us.”Akinyede said that after briefing the joint committee, “he (Aondoakaa) will brief our committee (Drugs, Narcotics, Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes) on allegation of drug convicts escaping serving their prison terms.”
On the Halliburton saga, the Senate had on Tuesday, March 24, this year, passed a resolution urging the Federal Government to take all necessary steps to expose and prosecute Nigerians involved in the Halliburton bribery saga.It has also resolved that government should go a step further to recover from the affected persons the sums received as bribes.
And, in a bid to get to the roots of the matter, Senate had appealed to the relevant authorities in the United States of America to “cooperate with and assist the government and people of Nigeria in their fight against corruption.”According to the resolution, “this is by making public and/or compelling Halliburton and Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) Inc. of the United States to name and expose for the benefit of the Nigerian public the alleged Nigerian bribe takers.”