HEDA: AGF Malami’s rule on recovered assets will promote corruption

A civil society organisation, Human and Environmental
Development Agenda, has condemned the new rule recently issued by
the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on the
management of recovered assets.

The new rule vests in the AGF the exclusive power to manage all
stolen assets recovered by anti-graft agencies.

But in a statement on Sunday by its Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju,
HEDA said the new rule was tantamount to “pulling the carpet off
the feet of anti-corruption agencies established by Acts of
parliament.”

Anti-corruption group said the new rule, which directs all
anti-corruption agencies to hand over all recovered assets to the
AGF, would promote corruption.

“The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice,
Abubakar Malami, must scrap the new Asset Tracing Recovery and
Management Regulations rule,” HEDA said in the statement by
Suraju.

It said, “The new regulation from the Ministry of Justice
attempts to substitute legal democratic institutions with
individual political whims and caprices.

“The ministry should not give the impression that it is
desperate to take sides with corrupt officials and
institutions.

“It is important to note that each law enforcement agency and
anti-corruption agency has in its enabling statutes the control and
management of assets seized.

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, 1989 in Section
38 also states that the secretary to the agency is saddled with the
responsibility of supervising the auction of any forfeited or
seized property and then the proceeds are to be paid into the
Consolidated Revenue Account.”

HEDA gave the AGF a 14-day ultimatum to rescind the new rule,
threatening to go to court.

It said, “We have the mandate to promote the interest of the
public and in the event that our demand is not acceded within 14
days of the receipt of this letter, we shall without further
recourse to your office institute an action in court to demand the
enforcement of the Constitution.”

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NAF Partners Local Producers of Tents,
Garment

In furtherance of its determination to ensure full compliance
with the Federal Government’s directives to patronize the Nigerian
Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) Industry Sector for its needs,
the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is set to partner with the Zaria
Industries Limited (ZIL) for the local production of tents and
other associated items.

This was revealed when the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air
Marshal Sadique Abubakar, undertook an assessment visit to the
Company’s factory complex in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Speaking during the visit, the CAS, who was accompanied by other
senior officers from Headquarters NAF, as well as the Air Officer
Commanding Air Training Command Kaduna, stated that the NAF has
always been at the forefront of looking inwards to ensure local
content, as much as practicable, in meeting its operational and
logistics needs.

The objective, he said, was to reduce dependence on goods and
services from abroad, with attendant socio-economic multiplier
effects in terms of foreign exchange savings and job creation as
well as positive impact on national security.

Air Marshal Abubakar observed that, in line with the drive of
the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration for enhanced local
content, he had also recently led a team of senior officers on a
visit to the Ibeto Group Factory Complex in Nnewi to explore other
areas of further collaboration beyond the production of aircraft
batteries. He noted that a similar visit was also being planned to
some industries in Calabar, the Cross River State Capital, in the
coming days. The CAS emphasized that the NAF’s quest for
collaborative ventures with local industries was premised on the
fact that nations at war require the full participation and support
of the private sector in terms of their knowledge, skills and
value-added products in order to be successful. He noted that ZIL
was one of such industries whose products and services were
important to NAF operations, especially for its Quick Response
Groups (QRGs) and Quick Response Wings (QRWs).

Fielding questions from journalists after the guided tour of the
factory, which included inspection of the integrated production
lines for Spinning, Weaving, Dyeing, Water Repellency and Water
Proofing as well as visits to the Sewing, Metal Fabrication and
Quality Control/Testing Sections, the CAS said he was excited with
the potential value that ZIL products could add to the operations
of the NAF. He noted that, having been earlier impressed with the
quality of the Company’s products, he had embarked on this personal
assessment, along with a high-level delegation that could take
decisions and initiate immediate action for the acquisition of the
required materials for the NAF. Air Marshal Abubakar concluded by
saying that the NAF would continue to encourage and support
reputable local industries like ZIL in line with Mr President’s
directives.

Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director/Chief Executive
Officer of ZIL, Engineer (Engr) Ilyas Saleh, while welcoming the
CAS, stated that the Company was established in 1975 as the first,
and still the only major local manufacturer of tarpaulin materials
used in the construction of tents, canopies, camp beds and truck
covers in Nigeria and West Africa. He noted, however, that despite
its installed capacity to produce over 2 million square metres of
100 percent cotton-canvas tarpaulin fabrics as well as several
metric tons of cotton yarn and many types of tents and camp beds,
the company had been operating sub-optimally due to challenges such
as poor power supply, high cost of raw materials and consumables as
well as low patronage. He however expressed appreciation that the
policies of the current Federal Government (FG) Administration
towards alleviating the challenges of the CTG Sector had begun to
yield positive dividends in revamping the fortunes of the company
with such patronage as that of the NAF. While thanking the CAS for
the support in realizing the FG’s directives, he pledged ZIL’s
commitment to manufacturing high grade tarpaulin products to meet
the NAF’s expectations in terms of cost and quality.

Before returning to Abuja, the CAS and members of his entourage,
made a stopover at the 271 NAF Detachment Birnin Gwari, where he
inspected ongoing projects and interacted with troops. The CAS,
while assuring the troops of the Government’s unwavering commitment
to providing for their operational and welfare needs, urged them to
remain resolute in the discharge of their task of ensuring the
security of the lives and properties of Nigerians within their Area
of Responsibility.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force