National News
Corruption: ActionAid Says Transparency International Ranking Shows Nigeria’s Deplorable Anti-Corruption War

Corruption: ActionAid Says Transparency International Ranking Shows Nigeria’s Deplorable Anti-Corruption War
By: Michael Mike
ActionAid Nigeria has condemned the pervasive corruption in the country, insisting that Nigeria’s current ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) underscores a deplorable performance by the Nigerian government in its anti-corruption endeavours.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday in the wake of the damning revelations from the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International on the Thursday, ActionAid Nigeria’s Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, said the report has exposed the harsh reality of the anti-corruption war in Nigeria.
He said: “The Transparency International report is an unequivocal indictment on the Nigerian Government and the collective conscience of Nigerians, especially public office holders. The persistent corruption scores, fluctuating between 25 and 28 out of 100 from 2012 to 2016, and continuing a downward spiral through 2022, underscore a deplorable performance by the Nigerian government in its anti-corruption endeavours.
“The report further highlights what Civil Society Organisations and fellow Nigerians have long been decrying – the anti-corruption endeavours of the Nigerian Government, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are nothing short of a grotesque mockery of the citizens’ intelligence. In stark contrast, Denmark, with its consistent top ranking as one of the least corrupt nations, serves as a stark reminder of the stark disparity in the global fight against corruption.’’
He added that: “The report which shows a stark revelation of the interconnection between corruption, conflict, and the deterioration of global peace over the past 15 years, is a damning testament. ActionAid Nigeria, therefore, calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all state Governors, being the state executives, to prioritise simultaneous anti-corruption measures and peacebuilding initiatives. They must work with the judiciary to exhibit unyielding determination by expediting legal proceedings, ensuring the swift and impartial adjudication of corruption cases, and adopting a zero-tolerance stance against corruption within its ranks.”
Mamedu said: “President Tinubu must put in place immediately, stringent judicial reforms to eliminate systemic delays, address pervasive bottlenecks, and fortify the justice system’s overall efficacy. Judges and legal professionals must be held to the utmost standards of integrity, and any hint of compromise in the pursuit of justice must be met with severe consequences,” insisting that: “The judiciary’s unequivocal commitment to eradicating corruption is non-negotiable, and resolute actions are indispensable to restore public trust and convey an unwavering message that corruption will face the full and unrelenting force of the law. “
Mamedu further stated that: “The federal and state governments must be reminded that corruption in Nigeria poses detrimental effects on various fronts. Foreign investors, crucial for economic growth, may be deterred from investing in the country due to the perceived risks associated with corrupt practices. This hindrance will impede economic development, ease of doing business and job creation, thereby exacerbating the country’s socio-economic challenges. Additionally, corruption contributes to inflation and insecurity by diverting funds meant for public welfare into private pockets, further burdening citizens – as already demonstrated in our reality. It is quite appalling that it is because of these same corrupt practices by selfish interests that the social investment programmes have been suspended.”
He said: “ActionAid Nigeria is watching and waiting for the Federal Government to mete out commensurate legal force on the corrupt, self-seeking elements in other ministries like the Ministry of Finance, Health, and other MDAs in order to restore public trust and, ultimately, the nation’s economic image.”
He noted that: “The battle against corruption demands unequivocal leadership from the Presidency and the State Governors, and Nigerians are vigilantly observing to ascertain whether they will undertake the necessary and resolute actions imperative for the nation during these challenging times.
“ActionAid Nigeria stands in solidarity with Transparency International’s efforts to combat corruption and looks forward to collaborative initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of poverty and promoting a culture of integrity.”
Corruption: ActionAid Says Transparency International Ranking Shows Nigeria’s Deplorable Anti-Corruption War
National News
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
By: Michael Mike
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.
The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.
In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.
“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.
“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.
The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.
Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.
Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.
VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution
National News
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
By: Michael Mike
The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.
A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.
“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”
According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.
The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.
Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.
Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting
National News
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People

Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
…. Donates relief materials to displaced persons in Yelwata, IDP camp
By: Michael Mike
Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri has charged former governors, legislators, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Benue state to set aside rivalry, unite and act with urgency to save their people from incessant attacks and killings.
Waziri, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner, Brookfield Chambers Abuja stated this on Saturday 28th June 2025 while donating relief materials to victims of the recent gunmen attacks in Yelwata community and displaced persons at the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, the Benue state capital.
Some of the items donated under the banner of Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), a non-governmental organization founded by her, include: bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam and other household items.

She said: “This is no time for division. It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state — former governors, legislators, traditional rulers — individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.
“That is why I stand here today to make this urgent and heartfelt appeal to our leaders: cast aside rivalry, unite, and act. Act with urgency. Act with purpose. Because what we face now increasingly resembles a deliberate, coordinated effort to erase our people and our heritage.
“We must take heed of the words of Sir Winston Churchill, who once said:
‘Our difficulties and dangers will not be removed by closing our eyes to them.’
Another of Churchill’s warnings is just as relevant to our present predicament:
‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.”
Waziri, while stating that her call was a build up to the earlier proposal by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit Beforehand Benue, noted that meetings alone would not solve the problem, urging that: “But let us be sincere: peace will not come from meetings alone. To end the cycle of violence, we must confront its roots. Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had already endured weeks of killings, kidnappings, and raids. These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues.
“We must therefore confront the real causes — ethnic and religious tensions, unchecked banditry, and the rise of cultism as well as the abuse of illicit drugs. These forces must be tackled, along with the herder-farmer conflict, with honesty and courage. We cannot afford to keep going in circles. And there is no room for blame games. Our leaders — and indeed, all of us — must be pragmatic. So today, let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home”
She said the development in Benue must be of “concern to all sons and daughters of Benue regardless of whether we live within its borders or far away in the diaspora to find out the root cause of these attacks with a view to proferring solutions that will bring an end to these barbaric acts”
Farida Waziri Tasks Benue Leaders to Unite, Act and Save Their People
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