Gistlite

The United States (U.S.) will assist Nigeria to repatriate its fund stashed abroad by corrupt public office holders and politicians, its Special Representative to Muslim communities Shaarik Zafar said yesterday.

Zafar, who spoke in an interactive session with reporters in Kano, explained that the U.S. was committed to fast-tracking the process of bringing back the stolen money.

According to him, “before the stolen money could be brought back to Nigeria, certain legal procedures needed to be followed and that is what the U.S. is facilitating.’’

Zafar was optimistic that the fight against corruption in Nigeria would succeed.

He was in the city for an inaugural workshop on anti-corruption tool for religious leaders.

The workshop was organised by Zafar’s Office under the U.S. Department of State.

He said if corruption could be effectively tackled, the country would witness socio-economic growth.

“I am optimistic that if corruption can be tackled, the trend is positive for Nigeria based on the commitment,’’ Zafar said.


According to him, the U.S. was committed toward assisting Nigeria in the fight against corruption.

He added: “Nigeria’s success is America’s success; hence our decision to work with government, civil society organisations and religious groups on areas to prevent corruption.”

The U.S. envoy said the workshop would address how religious communities could work together to combat corruption, promote accountability and encourage transparency.

“I have a global mandate. So, I will encourage a continued focus by religious leaders on the critical challenge of combating corruption. This is not only because of their moral voice. Critically, religious leaders speak a common language with their communities.

“They also have incomparable access, unique networks and level of respect that can help in this common battle against corruption and to promote accountability,”  Zafar stated.

President Muhammadu Buhari will tinker with his cabinet in the coming weeks, following the blistering criticisms he received concerning the composition of his team from his wife, Aisha Buhari. Aso Villa sources who spoke to Pulse over the weekend disclosed that the President was stung by the interview granted the BBC by his wife, even though he’s maintained a stoic, unruffled demeanor in public. In an interview granted the BBC, Ms. Buhari had hinted that a cabal has since seized the Buhari Presidency even though the mafia has zero knowledge of the values underpinning the APC–the platform from where her husband emerged President. “The president does not know 45 out of 50, for example, of the people he appointed and I don’t know them either, despite being his wife of 27 years,” lamented Ms. Buhari. She also threatened to boycott her husband’s campaign should he decide to run again in 2019. “I have decided as his wife, that if things continue like this up to 2019, I will not go out and campaign again and ask any woman to vote like I did before. I will never do it again,” said Ms. Buhari. Buhari was dismissive of his wife’s comments while stood next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Germany. “I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room,” Buhari said in a press conference. The President doubled down on his comments some 24 hours later. “I’m sure you have a house, you know where your kitchen, living room and other rooms are and I’m sure your wife looks after these rooms even if she is working. She is to look after me,” he told his interviewer, with characteristic smugness. Villa sources have however told Pulse that even though the President has been mulling the rejigging of his cabinet, his wife’s comments have made that course of action even more of an imperative. “He was hurt by his wife’s comments”, said one Villa source who craved anonymity for this story. “I can tell you that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent. Some of the Ministers have no place in this administration and the President has known that for a while”. One highly placed APC official who works in the Presidency said the party is glad that Ms. Buhari’s comments will have the desired effect. “Even though she shouldn’t have spoken and most of what she said has been taken out of context by the public, I’m glad she did finally speak and we are hearing that some persons in the kitchen cabinet will be asked to take their exits. The mafia will also have its back broken. He’s long known what to do, but now that his wife has reiterated the concerns publicly, Buhari has been left with little choice”. Last month, Buhari denied a cabal had taken over his government. In June, Senate President Bukola Saraki had alleged that there was a “government within the government” of President Muhammadu Buhari. In his riposte through a statement, Buhari had shot back: “This claim by Senator Saraki would have been more worth the while, if it had been backed with more information. If he had proceeded to identify those who constitute the ‘government within the government,’ it would have taken the issue beyond the realm of fiction and mere conjecture. “But as it stands, the allegation is not even worth the paper on which it was written, as anybody can wake from a troubled sleep, and say anything. “To claim that I am anybody’s stooge is not only ridiculous, but also preposterous”, Buhari had said. The President’s spokespersons, Garba Shehu and Femi Adesina, were yet to respond to comments about an imminent shake-up in the federal cabinet at the time of filing this -PULSE.NG

A former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has arrived Nigeria in an apparent move to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC
Mr. Obanikoro has been having a running battle with the anti-graft agency on allegations bordering on financial crimes.
He left for the United States shortly after his party lost the 2015 elections and he ceased being a minister.
The EFCC accused him of using his children to take out government contracts that were never executed.
Mr. Obanikoro, on a separate charge, was also implicated in the Ekiti elections scandal. It is not immediately clear if he was prepared to answer questions about that, too.
He had initially vowed not to return to the country alleging persecution by the government as a means to discredit him.
It is not immediately clear when he planned to submit himself to the EFCC, but Demola Olarewaju, an associate of the politician confirmed his arrival.
Mr. Olarewaju said Mr. Obanikoro had moved to Abuja from Lagos and could visit the EFCC headquarters on Monday.