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EFCC, NOUN to Review MOU for Enhanced Collaboration
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), have reached an agreement to re-strategise and come up with a more mutually-beneficial Memorandum of Understanding ((MoU), to strengthen the fight against economic and financial crimes as well as other acts of corruption.
This development came recently in Abuja when the Vice Chancellor of the NOUN, Prof Olufemi Peters led a delegation of his management team to the headquarters of the EFCC on a courtesy visit.
Prof Peters explained that the NOUN had a long-standing relationship with the EFCC and the visit was meant to bolster the existing relationship between the two agencies.
He stated further that since the signing of the MOU in 2021, the two agencies have been able to build synergy on cyber security and forensic studies.
In his words, “Since our initial agreement, the synergy between our institutions has strengthened and our collective efforts have significantly contributed to building capacity in the areas of recognising and combating cyber threats in Nigeria.
“Our two institutions, having become aware of complementary features inherent in the execution of our mandates, signed an MOU to build synergy on cyber security and forensic studies. Since our initial agreement, the synergy between our institutions has strengthened and our collective efforts have significantly contributed to building capacity in recognising and combating cyber threats in Nigeria.”
He recalled the joint International workshop organised by ACTEL in collaboration with the International Information Development Agency, the African Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Computer Sciences and Applications and the EFCC.
In addition, he noted the Digital Footprint organized by NOUN in June 2023 which featured five of EFCC staff in active participation.
“We are proud to note for the records that an EFCC staff member, Mr. Kennedy Ketebu was among the first four students to bag a PhD degree in Artificial Intelligence from our University.
“This staff also benefitted from a Digital Science Support Fund that enabled him to showcase his research work at the World Bank’s office in Washington, USA, in October 2022.
“Our partnership is indeed yielding results. Over the past two years, we have witnessed other notable achievements such as joint seminars, workshops, supervision of Masters and PhD programmes in artificial intelligence, cyber security and management information systems”, he said.
He pressed for enhanced collaboration and renewal of the MoU with the EFCC to allow for internship opportunities, technology-based services, research, capacity building, supervision and facilitations and public awareness campaigns.
“As was before, we hope that the MOU will be managed through collaborative efforts and activities and projects will be jointly developed and implemented.
“I’m confident that renewal of the MOU will further solidify our partnership and lead to even greater achievements. Together, we will continue to make significant strides in enhancing cyber security, preventing financial crimes and contributing to the overall development of our great country”, he pointed out.
He appreciated the dedication and commitment of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede since he assumed office and charged him to continue to do the good work he was doing.
Responding, Olukoyede appreciated the visit of the delegation and thanked them for the extension of the hand of fellowship and comradeship to the EFCC.
He assured that the Commission was ever ready to continue the relationship between the two agencies.
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He harped on the need for public awareness to the ills of corruption and “the best way to create public awareness is through educational services which NOUN is providing”. He commended NOUN management for the distance learning opportunities Nigerians are getting through the institution.
The EFCC boss also charged the institution to develop a curriculum on anti-corruption studies to build in their students requisite skills and knowledge against corrupt practices.
He assured the VC and his team that the EFCC would review and renew the MoU with the institution for stronger and more fruitful collaboration.
“We are ready to collaborate with you and strengthen the relationship. We are not just going to renew the MOU, we are going to review it to allow for fresh inputs to be put into it”, he said.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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