Human rights coalition ask Nigerians to support fight against corruption - ITREALMS

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The Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Coalition with membership across 35 civil society organisations, has asked Nigerians to expose corrupt practices in the country for prosperity, peace and development.

The coalition in Lagos also called on Nigerians to back the on-going anti-graft campaign by the relevant anti-corruption institutions, especially the fight by the notable anti-graft institution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Adegboruwa takes Buhari to court, says AMCON board appointment illegal

ITRealms:

A Lagos-based legal practitioner and human rights cum pro-democracy activist, has taken the President, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari and Attorney-General of the Federation to a Federal High Court in Lagos over the appointment of  new board members for the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) reports ITRealms.

In an originating summon copy made available to ITRealms, Adegboruwa also listed three officials of AMCON as respondents, namely Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze and Aminu Ismail.

Adegboruwa said, he is concerned as a responsible citizen of Nigeria, lamented that

since May 29, 2015, when he was sworn in as Presidnet of Nigeria, he has not appointed Ministers as required by the Constitution.

Rather, Adegboruwa claimed that Messrs Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze and Aminu Ismail, were on August 19, 2015, appointed as Executive Directors of AMCON.

The appointments, he said, were widely published in both print and electronic media all over the country.

Insisting that the said appointment does not conform with the Section 10(1)c of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Act 2010, which states inter alia that such appointment must confirm with the consultation of the Minister of Finance and President, which was lacking at the time of appointment.

Pointing out that since President Buhari was sworn in on May 29, 2015, till the date of the appointment of the three Executive Directors of AMCON, no person has been appointed into the office of Minister of Finance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I verily believe that as the position of the Minister of Finance in Nigeria has been vacant, the said appointment of the 4^th-6^threspondents could not have been made in accordance with the provisions of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Act 2010, as there is no substantive minister of finance for the 1^st respondent to consult with,” Adegboruwa said.

He, therefore, urged the Justice of the Federal High Court to declare the said appointment of the aforesaid executive directors illegal, null and void.

 

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 
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PIN writes Buhari, accuses Dickson, Amaechi, others of hacking

ITRealms:

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) has written a letter to the President Muhammadu Buhari, over what it called violation of human rights of private citizens as well as abuse of power by some Governors in Nigeria, ITRealms reports.

The Governors fingered in the letter, according to PIN Executive Director, Mr. Gbenga Sesan includes the incumbent Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, ex-Governor Godwin Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who is also the current Minority leader in the Nigeria’s Senate, and ex-Governor  Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

PIN, ITRealms learnt, said that these national figures were engaging in illegal surveillance and hacking activities which involves them breaking into target computers and phones to monitor citizen’s private and confidential conversations on communication devices.

The letter was to demand that President Buhari use his good offices to protect the rights of citizens by Investigating and bringing to Justice every one found culpable in these illegal activities.

Copied in the said letter, ITRealms gathered, were; the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker house of representative, Chief Justice of the Federation, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Justice,  National Security Adviser,  National Human Rights Commission,  Femi Falana Chambers, Nigeria Bar Association, United Nations Human Rights Commission, Freedom House International, Department of State Security Services, United Nations Secretary General, and Amnesty International.

 

According to the Premium Times report which quoted sources from the National Security Adviser’s office and some of the governments under investigation, the illegal practice of intercepted calls and hacked phones and computers gave these public servants backdoor access  to many people’s private lives, at the expense of taxpayers they swore to serve. Right to privacy is a constitutionally guaranteed right of every Nigerian citizen.

As part of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria’s Internet Freedom Advocacy efforts, ITRealms reports, PIN raised an alarm when it was reported in the media that the Nigerian government under President Goodluck Jonathan invested massively in surveillance equipment as reflected in 2013 and 2014 National Budget. PIN published two Policy Briefs on May 29, 2013 and November 29, 2013, to identify the underlying issues and raise public awareness on the implications of these activities.

In addition to this, a Freedom of Information request was made to demand contract details of purchased surveillance equipment as listed in the country’s national budget for 2013 and 2014. The request was denied, following which PIN approached the Court in order to pursue justice.

The constitution is the supreme law in Nigeria and it does provide for freedom of speech, association, rights to privacy, etc. of every citizen. National Security has become a ready excuse for Government to acquire sophisticated technology with capability to monitor and spy private citizens’ online activities or conversations such as email, phone calls and all forms of text/chat messages. 

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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