The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission ICPC says it has uncovered up to N2.67 billion meant for school feeding during the COVID-19 lockdown in personal bank accounts.
The Chairman of ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, disclosed this on Monday, September 28, while delivering a keynote address at the second National Summit on Diminishing Corruption with the theme: “Together Against Corruption and the launch of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy” held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The ICPC chairman also disclosed that it recently uncovered over N2.5 billion diverted by a deceased senior civil servant in the Ministry of Agriculture and his cronies. He highlighted other assets recovered in the Agric ministry to include 18 buildings, 12 business premises and 25 plots of land.
According to Owasanoye, under the Open Treasury Portal review carried out between January to August 15, 2020, out of 268 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), 72 of them had cumulative infractions of N90 million. He said while 33 MDAs tendered explanations that N4.1 billion was transferred to sub-TSA, N4.2 billion paid to individuals had no satisfactory explanations.
“We observed that transfers to sub-TSA was to prevent disbursement from being monitored. Nevertheless, we discovered payments to some federal colleges for school feeding in the sum of N2.67 billion during lockdown when the children are not in school, and some of the money ended up in personal accounts. We have commenced investigations into these finding.”Owasanoye said
The ICPC boss also said under its 2020 constituency and executive projects tracking initiative, 722 projects with a threshold of N100 million (490 ZiP and 232 executive) was tracked across 16 states.
He mentioned that a number of projects described as ongoing in the budget were found to be new projects that ought to have been excluded in order to enable the government to complete existing projects.
He also observed the absence of needs assessment resulted in projects recommended for communities that do not require them being abandoned; projects sited in private houses on private land thus appropriating common asset to personal use, hence denying communities of the benefit; absence of synergy between outgoing project sponsors and their successors.
Owasanoye added that the commission also found that uncompleted projects sponsored by legislators who do not return get abandoned to the loss of the community and the state; use of companies owned by sponsor’s friends or relatives or companies belonging to civil servants in implementing MDAs to execute projects which are abandoned or poorly performed; conspiracy between legislative aides of sponsors and implementing MDAs and contractors to undermine the quality of project without knowledge of the sponsor; vague project description that results in the diversion of funds by implementing MDAs or project sponsor with the collusion of contractors and absence of community ownership of the project because they were not consulted or largely ignorant of projects allocated to them.
Prof Owasanoye said in the education sector, 78 MDAs were reviewed and common cases of misuse of funds were uncovered.
He listed some of the discoveries to include life payment of bulk sums to individuals/staff accounts, including project funds; non-deductions/remittance of taxes and IGR; payments of unapproved allowances, bulk payment to microfinance banks, payment of arrears of salary and other allowances of previous years from 2020 budget, payment of salary advance to staff, under-deduction of PAYE and payment of promotion arrears due to surplus in Personnel Cost, abuse and granting of cash advances above the approved threshold and irregular payment of allowances to principal officers.
At 31, Lagos-born Espago is redefining what it means to be a late bloomer in the Nigerian music
space. After spending years as a chef, designer, and farmer, Espago turned to music just a year
ago on a journey sparked by deep loss, life experience, and self-discovery.
What makes him different? It’s not just his sound, it’s his story. Espago brings a calm but
confident energy that mirrors his Lagos upbringing: a blend of vibrant Fuji rhythms and soulful
Afrobeat traditions like King Sunny Ade, shaped by global legends like Michael Jackson and
Celine Dion. His voice? Professionally trained. His brand? Stylish, grounded, and intentional.
Espago didn’t wait for the industry to find him; he found his own way in, teaching himself,
searching out producers, and building his identity from scratch. With no major label backing and
no big-name features, he has still built a brand marked by boldness, emotion, and Lagos street
authenticity.
He’s not just making music; he’s building a lifestyle brand. His creative roots are in food,
fashion, and music fused into something richer than just a “sound.” It’s a full experience. While
he hasn’t performed live yet, he’s putting in the work behind the scenes, mentoring new artists,
recording regularly to sharpen his voice and brand for bigger stages ahead.
In a scene dominated by speed, Espago’s journey is about intentional growth, honest
expression, and emotional connection.
As the new class of Afro‑HipHop begins to take shape, Espago stands out not just for what he’s
making, but for who he is becoming.
Rising artist Derriq isn’t just making music for entertainment; he’s building a legacy rooted in culture, resilience, and pride. The Lagos-based Afro-soul and Afrobeats singer has his eyes set on something bigger than streaming numbers: putting his hometown of Benin City on the global creative map is his dream.
A native of Edo State, Derriq’s musical journey began as a child organizing school parties just for the chance to perform. Since then, he’s gone from studio assistant to full-fledged artist, releasing impactful tracks like “Position,” “Vibration,” and “Confidence.” His sound, described as smooth, calm, and party-ready, reflects the duality of his personality: laid-back yet determined, quiet but powerful.
Derriq is more than just a promising name on Nigeria’s growing music roster; he’s a symbol of the next generation of artists who blend regional identity with global appeal using his distinctive voice, a strong sense of direction, and his signature slang “Yehboo! Yezaiii!” making waves among fans, Derriq is proving that cultural authenticity still cuts through the noise.
His next single, “Omo n’ Ogie,” is a tribute to his heritage and a signal that he’s just getting started. Keep your eyes on Derriq, he’s not just singing for the moment, he’s singing for a movement.
Follow @DerriqMusic on all social platforms
For interviews and press: derriqmusic@gmail.com
Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. President Bola Tinubu will address the nation in a broadcast today, Sunday, August 4, 2024. Mr Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, announced this in a statement, on Saturday, saying the broadcast would hold at 7am.
2. The Commissioner of Police in Borno State, Yusuf Lawal, on Saturday confirmed the killing of four persons along Baga Road in Maiduguri, Borno State during the nationwide #EndBadGoverment protest. He said Boko Haram elements infiltrated the protesters and killed four persons on Thursday with explosives at a filling station.
3. Many persons have been feared killed while others sustained injuries as hoodlums clashed with security operatives in Kano. It was gathered that Rijiyar Lemo, Kurna to Bachirawa areas in Fagge Local Government, Kofar Nassarawa in Kano municipal and Unguwa Uku area of Tarauni Local Government are the worst hit areas.
4. The leadership of the organised labour, on Saturday, warned the Nigeria Police Force and other security forces to stop what it described as a “massacre” of protesters carrying out nationwide demonstrations against hunger in the land.
5. Leading Human Rights group, Amnesty International Nigeria, has said over 50 protesters were arrested in Abuja on the third day of the demonstration against hardship in the land.
6. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged the police and other security agencies to stop shooting and killing protesters demanding good governance in Nigeria. Atiku in a statement on Saturday, questioned the professionalism of the security agencies in the handling of the ongoing demonstrations.
7. Some of the organisers and supporters of the ongoing protest have set up pages to raise over N4bn through GoFundMe, a popular online crowdfunding platform. A check on Saturday showed that a total of N4.1bn had been benchmarked to be donated through accounts created by three GoFundMe users.
8. Tragedy struck again in Imo State on Saturday evening when some gunmen reportedly shot dead the President-General of Umucheke Okwe autonomous community in Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, Hyginus Ohazurike. Six village heads from the autonomous community were also allegedly killed by the gunmen.
9. The Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh has said his men were not responsible for the death of a teenager in the Kubwa area of the FCT. In a viral video, a man claimed that police, while dispersing protesters, shot dead a teenager in the Kubwa area.
10. The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu has said President Bola Tinubu is keeping an eye on the ongoing #EndBadGovernance demonstrations across the country.
-
Audio10 years agoPage – Day Break Everywhere Burst
-
Audio5 years agoShadykarz – Forever
-
Audio10 years agoJuniorboy ft. 9ice – IRAPADA
-
Entertainment Gists6 years agoEx-Beauty Queen, Sandra Benede Shares Sexy Photo
-
Audio5 years agoSimi – Happy Birthday ft. Adekunle Gold, DeJa
-
Audio5 years agoRuger – Bounce
-
Mixtapes4 years agoMixtape: DJ DimpleNipple – The Best Of Amapiano Thrills
-
Editorials3 years agoSa’eedah Imam On Creating Her Imprint In The Nigerian Music Industry As An Emerging Creative Writer