Nigeria has again scored 24 out of 100 points while ranking 150 among 180 countries on the 2022 Corruption Perception Index released by Transparency International on Tuesday, The PUNCH reports.

Although the country maintained its previous year’s (2021) score of 24 out of 100 points, however, there was a change in rank from 154 to 150, as some other countries performed more poorly in 2022.

This was as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission noted that it was not in a position to react to or make a comment on the score and ranking.

The spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, said, “The Federal Government had always reacted to the report annually, and it is expected that it would react to the latest one. However, the ICPC is not in the position to react to or make a comment on the report.”

However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did not respond to an inquiry by our correspondent on Tuesday, concerning what the CPI means for its anti-corruption fight in the country.

The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not respond to phone calls, texts, or WhatsApp messages from our correspondent on Tuesday.

The PUNCH reports that the CPI is TI’s tool for measuring the levels of corruption in the systems of 180 countries across the world, based on prevalent indices.

Such prevalent indices are bribery, diversion of public funds, public officials using public office for private gain without consequences, the ability of governments to contain corruption and enforce effective integrity mechanisms in the public sector, red tape and excessive bureaucratic burden which may increase opportunities for corruption, meritocratic versus nepotistic appointments in the civil service.

For Nigeria, the CPI sourced its data for the ranking from eight globally acclaimed organisations, some of which Nigeria is a partner.

The eight organisations are the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey, Works Justice Project Rule of Law Index, Varieties of Democracy Project, Global Insight Country Risk Guide, PRS International Country Risk Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit Country Ratings, and the Bertelsmann Foundation Transformation Index.

In previous years, Nigeria had experienced a consecutive drop in the CPI ranking. In 2012, the country scored 27, and in 2013 it scored 25, then went back to 27 in 2014, and down to 26 in 2015, moved up to 28 in 2016, 27 in 2017 and 2018, 26 in 2019, down to 25 in 2020, and 24 in 2021 and 2022.

According to Transparency International Chair, Delia Rubio, global corruption levels have been stagnant for 11 years in a row.

Rubio said, “Corruption has made our world a more dangerous place. As governments have collectively failed to make progress against it, they fuel the current rise in violence and conflict – and endanger people everywhere. The only way out is for states to do the hard work, rooting out corruption at all levels to ensure governments work for all people, not just an elite few.”

At a press conference on Tuesday, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre in conjunction with TI noted that the pardon granted to two jailed former governors – Joshua Dariye of Plateau State and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State in 2022 by the Buhari-led administration, indicated a major setback in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.

The People Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said that he is holding talks with the presidential candidates of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP) Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso and Peter Obi of the Labour Party for possible support ahead of this month election.

Atiku, who stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa service, however, said Obi and Kwankwaso are not in any way a threat to his chances in the election.

The former vice president said, “I see no threat because we are not together with them (Kwankwaso and Obi). We are in talk with them, one of them may possibly come.”

On the lingering PDP Crisis, Atiku said, “Each party has its internal crisis, we are still talking with them. Most are neither in PDP nor in other parties and definitely that will not make us lose the election because we are okay with the elections preparations for now.

“Elections now is not like in the past when a governor will dictate who to vote for, elections today is in the hands of the voters.”

He also promised to open all Nigeria’s borders if elected president.

The House of Representatives has approved the request by President Muhammadu Buhari to secure an additional N1 trillion loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fund the 2022 supplementary budget.

The CBN has already violated its enabling law by loaning the federal government more than the approved sum.

This did not, however, deter the lawmakers from approving the fresh loan from the central bank.

Also, the House suspended the request to securitize the N22.7 trillion Ways and Means loans pending more details from the Executive.

On Tuesday, the House Committees on Finance, Banking and Currency, and Aids, Loans and Debts Management jointly presented a report recommending the approval of the restructuring of N1 trillion additional Ways and Means advances for implementation of the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act as passed by the National Assembly.

Also, the committees recommended further engagement with the Executive to allow for thorough and detailed work and submissions on the larger part of the Advances which amounts to N22.7 trillion.

Buhari had in a letter in 2022 requested that the N22.7 trillion Ways and Means loan should be converted to a 40-year bond with a moratorium of three years.

The N1 trillion is expected to be used to fund the N819.5 billion 2022 supplementary budget which the lawmakers approved last December.

Speaking on the report, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila informed his colleagues that the other report will be considered subsequently after their recess.

In December, there was a mild drama in the Senate over the consideration of the report, prompting the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to step down the report.

THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, has warned that the Federal Government can play politics with anything they like but not with the life of their leader leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose health it described as deteriorating.

The pro-Biafra group said the Department of States Services, DSS, claim that the alarm being raised by IPoB that it’s leaders health is worsening is political, is to divert the attention of the public who are already aware that Kanu’s health condition is failing on daily basis.

The pro-Biafra group therefore, warned the Federal Government not to allow Kanu to die in detention if it still want the country Nigeria to exist.

A statement by IPoB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “The worsening health of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, is real and not politics” urged the DSS to explain why they have refused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu access to a doctor since the second week of December 2022.

“And why he has not been allowed to take his drugs according to prescription.

The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, under the leadership and command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wishes to draw the attention of the public to the press release from Nigeria DSS dismissing the worsening health of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and labeling IPoB’s press releases as political statements.

“We want to remind DSS and the public that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s deteriorating health is true and can’t be termed a political statement.

“The government and her secret Police and DSS are very much aware that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s health is failing him from their poisoning, denial of adequate medication for his known ailment and torture by means of starvation as he continues to be held illegally in the DSS solitary confinement.

“The reason for this is to distract people from the alarm that has been raised on their intention to systematically and covertly eliminate our leader.

“The Nigeria government should know by now that IPoB has zero interest in Nigeria politics.

“The government can play politics with anything, but not with the life of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“The DSS should explain why they have refused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu access to a doctor since the second week of December 2022, and why he has not been allowed to take his drugs according to prescription.

“It is on record that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is very sick, and he is dying slowly in the DSS solitary confinement.

“IPoB members worldwide and Ndigbo will not accept any explanation from anyone if anything happens to him.

“A word is enough for the wise, Nigeria will seize to exist if anything untoward happens to him. Let no body say we did not warn the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.”

THE Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, has warned that the Federal Government can play politics with anything they like but not with the life of their leader leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose health it described as deteriorating.

The pro-Biafra group said the Department of States Services, DSS, claim that the alarm being raised by IPoB that it’s leaders health is worsening is political, is to divert the attention of the public who are already aware that Kanu’s health condition is failing on daily basis.

The pro-Biafra group therefore, warned the Federal Government not to allow Kanu to die in detention if it still want the country Nigeria to exist.

A statement by IPoB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, entitled, “The worsening health of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu”, is real and not politics” urged the DSS to explain why they have refused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu access to a doctor since the second week of December 2022.

“And why he has not been allowed to take his drugs according to prescription.

The global family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPoB, under the leadership and command of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, wishes to draw the attention of the public to the press release from Nigeria DSS dismissing the worsening health of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and labeling IPoB’s press releases as political statements.

“We want to remind DSS and the public that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s deteriorating health is true and can’t be termed a political statement.

“The government and her secret Police and DSS are very much aware that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s health is failing him from their poisoning, denial of adequate medication for his known ailment and torture by means of starvation as he continues to be held illegally in the DSS solitary confinement.

“The reason for this is to distract people from the alarm that has been raised on their intention to systematically and covertly eliminate our leader.

“The Nigeria government should know by now that IPoB has zero interest in Nigeria politics.

“The government can play politics with anything, but not with the life of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“The DSS should explain why they have refused Mazi Nnamdi Kanu access to a doctor since the second week of December 2022, and why he has not been allowed to take his drugs according to prescription.

“It is on record that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is very sick, and he is dying slowly in the DSS solitary confinement.

“IPoB members worldwide and Ndigbo will not accept any explanation from anyone if anything happens to him.

“A word is enough for the wise, Nigeria will seize to exist if anything untoward happens to him. Let no body say we did not warn the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.”