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Nigeria Is Not Owned by Anyone—Except Those Who Build Her

  On this Democracy Day, I had intended to rest my pen. I wanted to leave the fate written on the walls of history to speak for itself. I thought perhaps the sacrifices of those who fought for democracy were enough testimony. Yet, in the final hour, a thought stirred within me, compelling me to write a message to all of us who have come together to form this sovereign nation called Nigeria. My message is particularly for those who believe that the business of Nigeria lies in the hands of a powerful few. Perhaps they are influenced by what the German sociologist Robert Michels described as the "Iron Law of Oligarchy" ,the tendency for power to concentrate in the hands of a small elite. Looking at our politics, our institutions, and our economy, one may be tempted to believe that the destiny of Nigeria is determined only by those who occupy powerful offices and influential positions. But history tells a different story. Nigeria does not belong to any president, governor, politi...
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Reasons To Forfeit Unexplained Wealth, Seize, Dispose Property Obtained Illegally In Nigeria - J.C. Jaja

.....Nigeria must enact an unexplained wealth legislation to fight corruption "Unexplained wealth laws, also known as unexplained wealth orders (UWOs), are civil investigative tools that allow authorities to seize and dispose of property that may have been obtained unlawfully. They are used in the UK and other jurisdictions, including Gibraltar, to help combat money laundering and serious crime." Last year, as a pro bono project, myself and a team of lawyers drafted a Bill and a Presidential Executive Order on the subject matter of Unexplained Wealth. The Bill was submitted to the National Assembly sponsored by a Member of the House of Representatives. The Presidential Executive Order was submitted to a certain Senator for onward transmission to the Presidency. Till today, nothing concrete or tangible has come out of these efforts. Whenever I travel to any foreign country, I come face-to-face with the negative consequences of Nigeria's reputation as a leading destination of money-laundering. All my Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) cards are not functioning. There are limitations and restrictions on operations of my USA dollars and Great British Pounds (GBP) Sterling denominated bank accounts. When one wants to try alternatives such Western Union and MoneyGram, the operators inform me that there are restrictions when it comes to Nigeria and Nigerians using these facilities. This is because of the previous history of Nigerian internet fraudsters (popularly known as "yahoo boys") using both Western Union, and MoneyGram as couriers of their I'll gotten wealth. Now I hear, they are using cryptocurrency and gift cards. This makes it very difficult for the other Nigerians who are involved in legitimate activities in foreign countries. We have to rely on the benevolence of the few Nigerians who own foreign currency bank accounts in these foreign countries and who are looking to get naira from us to send money back home to their relatives. It is hoped that the enactment of the Unexplained Wealth Legislation would ease this and improve the perception and ranking of Nigeria in the global ranking of anti-money laundering parameters. It is alleged that, after enactment, the implementation of the unexplained wealth legislation should commence with the Nigerian Police. The reason is because it is alleged that majority of the unexplained wealth in Nigeria is investigated because the holders of such funds find disingenuous ways of obtaining illegal protection from some officials of the Nigerian Police.

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BREAKING: Esa-Oke Youths Reunite as Survivors, Caution Pelumi against revisionism

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Assassination Attempt: Police can’t deny what’s on their desk, says Amotekun boss

  The Corps Commander of the Osun Amotekun Corps , High Chief Dr Hon. Adekunle Isaac Omoyele , who is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital following an attempted assassination on his life on Monday, has strongly refuted the claims made by the Osun State Police Spokeperson regarding the incident. Reacting to the statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who claimed that investigations had not commenced because the Commander had not provided evidence of the attack, the Amotekun boss expressed deep disappointment, labeling the police response as insensitive and misleading. "It is shocking that a police spokesperson would say there is no evidence of an attack when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ota-Efun Division — the nearest jurisdiction to the incident — was immediately informed," the Commander said. "Officers from that division visited the scene the same night, assessed the damage, evacuated the vehicle, and advised me to seek ...
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