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Corruption: Concerns As 19 States Indicted Of Procurement Law Violation

Published

2 years ago

August 31, 2023

No fewer than 19 states in Nigeria have been criticized for undermining fiscal transparency following their inability to publish details of procurement processes and contract awards on open contracting portals.

While governors of affected states have been urged to promote accountability and transparency in dispensing public funds.

A recent investigative report by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) had exposed that state governments are not fully utilizing Open Contracting Portals, which are designed to provide transparent and accessible information regarding public procurement.

According to the Editor of ICIR, Victoria Bamas, only 17 states out of the 36 furnished their online public procurement portals with information on the bidding process, contracts award, location of projects, dates of contract award and execution.

Bamas revealed this during an anti-corruption radio programme, PUBLIC CONSCIENCE, produced by the Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development, PRIMORG, Wednesday in Abuja.

She lauded Adamawa, Edo, Osun, Anambra, Niger state, Borno, Zamfara, Delta, Kano, Kaduna, Cross River, Ogun, Imo Yobe, Lagos, Plateau and Ondo states for updating their open contracting portals and making them accessible for the public.

Bamas tasked state governors to strengthen their open contracting portal, noting that it signifies readiness to deliver good governance while urging Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to increase sensitization on the need to hold their state governments to account as well as exposing them on how to navigate open contracting platforms.

“Any serious state government to work for the people must promote financial transparency by strengthening open contracting – if a governor is really serious, he will ensure that the state has a functional open contracting portal.

“What CSOs can do is educate the people on open contracting portals, and If the people have that information, then they can actually hold the government to account,” Bamas stated.

Reacting to the flouting of open contracting laws, Data Journalist with Dataphyte, Olanrewaju Oyedeji, lamented that some states in Nigeria are deliberately promoting opacity of public spending rather than fiscal transparency. Noting that the continued inaccessibility of open contracting portals in many states has become a breeding ground for corruption.

Oyedeji called for participatory governance at the subnational, urging state governors to carry citizens along by promoting the use of procurement portals in their states. He decried the ability of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in states to encourage fiscal transparency.

He stressed that some governors lack the political will to promote transparency and accountability, hence the need for citizens to do more in holding them accountable.

His words: “I think for the governors that have mindsets of serving the people, one of the critical processes that can be seen is if they can have participatory government. So, governors should make it essential to carry the people through the open contracting portals. Not everybody can go to the government house, but the government house can be on the open contracting portal.

“Citizens should also not get tired of asking the government questions, the media, the CSOs should also try to inform the people more through reports like this,” Oyedeji advised.

Nigerians who called into the radio programme faulted state governments whose contract awards and procurement information are either not accessible or updated on the open contracting portal. In contrast, Akwa Ibom state reportedly does not operate any electronic procurement portal.

Earlier, during the radio programme, a member of the community of Persons With Disability (PWD), Chris Obiora, faulted President Bola Tinubu and state governors for omitting PWDs in their cabinets.

According to Obiora, the implication of their non-inclusion in federal and state cabinets meant concerns of PWDs may not be on the front burner, adding that President Tinubu and state governors ran afoul of the law, which provides for five percent inclusion of PWDs in governance.

Public Conscience is a syndicated weekly anti-corruption radio program PRIMORG uses to draw government and citizens’ attention to corruption and integrity issues in Nigeria.

The program has the support of the MacArthur Foundation.

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Amb Lion Ogorry Files Landmark Lawsuit Against Sahara Reporters, Sowore For Misleading and Malicious Publication Endangering National Security

Published

6 hours ago

November 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry, a renowned public advocacy practitioner and activist, today announced the filing of a high-profile lawsuit against Sahara Reporters Ltd. and its publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The suit, numbered FCT/HC/CV/4767/2025, accuses the defendants of publishing a false, malicious, and reckless article that violates Nigeria’s Constitution, the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015, and other laws protecting public discourse, national security, and public order.

The originating summons, filed on November 24, 2025, stems from a Sahara Reporters article titled
“EXCLUSIVE: How Tinubu’s Defence Minister Matawalle Maintains Contact With Bandit Leaders, Ordered Them To Compel Communities To Vote For APC—Former Aide,” published on November 19, 2025.

Ambassador Ogorry alleges that the publication contains grave, unfounded accusations against the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, claiming he maintains illicit contacts with bandit leaders, orders communities to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC), and engages in activities that undermine counter-terrorism efforts.

These claims, according to the suit, are not only false but also fabricated to incite alarm, hatred, and ill-will, while endangering national security and public safety.

In his affidavit supporting the summons, Ambassador Ogorry, a Nigerian citizen and resident of Abuja with a long-standing commitment to public order and lawful civic discourse, emphasized that the article was disseminated widely across Sahara Reporters’ website, social media channels, X.com (Twitter) account, Facebook pages, WhatsApp broadcasts, and other platforms. He described the publication as a blatant violation of Section 39(3)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prohibits speech that endangers public safety, national security, and public order. Furthermore, it contravenes Sections 24(1)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 by disseminating false, misleading, and harmful information capable of causing alarm or ill-will.

“The defendants’ reckless actions have not only tarnished the reputation of a dedicated public servant but have also compromised ongoing military operations against banditry and terrorism in Nigeria’s North-West region,” said Ambassador Ogorry. “This publication promotes distrust, exposes the Minister to risks, and undermines the morale of our armed forces engaged in counter-terrorism. It is a direct assault on our national security and the freedom of expression that must be balanced with responsibility.”

The lawsuit seeks the following reliefs from the court:
– A declaration that the publication is false, misleading, malicious, and not protected speech under Section 39(1) of the Constitution (as amended).

– A declaration that it falls within restricted speech under Section 39(3)(a), endangering public safety, national security, and public order.
– A declaration that it violates Sections 24(1)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 by prohibiting false, harmful, or misleading information.

– AN ORDER OF INJUNCTION restraining the Defendants, their agents, or privies from further publishing, distributing, circulating, or causing to be circulated the said false publication or any other malicious publication especially as it relates to and against the person of Defence Minister, Dr. Matawalle.

– An order directing the defendants to issue a public retraction of the publication and publish a full apology on their website and social media channels for 14 consecutive days.

– General and exemplary damages of N10,000,000,000 (Ten Billion Naira) for the frivolous, false, and malicious publication geared toward endangering public safety, national security, and public order.

Ambassador Ogorry highlighted that the article, based on unverified claims from an alleged “former senior aide,” lacks any official record or evidence, demonstrating the defendants’ disregard for truth and ethical journalism. He urged the court to address this as a matter of urgent national importance, citing precedents such as President F.R.N. v. ISA (2017) and Guardian Newspapers v. AIEH (2011), which affirm that freedom of expression does not protect reckless publications that threaten security.

“This lawsuit is not just about correcting a falsehood; it’s about safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy, protecting public officials from baseless attacks, and ensuring media accountability,” Ambassador Ogorry added. “Sahara Reporters and Omoyele Sowore must be held responsible for their role in spreading dangerous misinformation that could fuel terrorism and disrupt public order.”

The case is set for hearing in the Abuja Judicial Division, and Ambassador Ogorry expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to uphold justice and constitutional principles.

About Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry
Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry is a public advocacy practitioner, activist, and Nigerian citizen dedicated to promoting national security, public order, and lawful civic discourse. With a focus on protecting public discourse from malicious interference, he advocates for responsible journalism and governance.

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