7, January 2017
Cameroon arrest 700 agents from the Ministry of Finance 1
700 agents from the Ministry of Finance have been arrested and charged for diverting from the state coffers the sum of 1 billion 300 million FCFA. CIR gathered that the 700 agents are members of a vast network operating within the ruling CPDM crime syndicate.
Several members of the gang have been detained at the Central prison in Kondengui. We gathered that those involved were employed in the salary and human resource department including the IT services. These officials were paid several times and on several occasions. They even received salaries and wages for deceased persons and even the death benefits of some families instead of the rightful beneficiaries. The network also provided fictitious payslips to non civil servants.
The fraudsters benefited from a wide network within the Ministry of Finance. Those in the IT department were in charge of erasing all data from the computers that could trace any money received. This is not the first time that such a network has been dismantled by the Ministry of Finance. Each time it is uncovered with a media announcement, the mafia always succeeds in reappearing again in the ministry of finance where agents are ranked among the richest men and women in Cameroon.
Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report
11, January 2017
Nigeria: Oil and gas workers on strike over payment 0
Nigerian oil and gas workers have staged a walkout, claiming that they have not received payment. The industrial action on Tuesday affected at least 12 flow, compressor and pumping stations in the southern state of Delta. Workers said a closure of facilities was also possible in the coming hours.
All facilities affected were operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The strike could seriously affect Nigeria’s already battered oil production. The sector has been suffering from back-to-back attacks by militants of the Delta region.
Reports said the continued strike could also hit supplies to the Utorogu natural gas plant, one of the biggest in Nigeria. That could mean power shortages for domestic use. Worker representatives said they had informed NPDC officials of the action last week. They said they would not go back to work until their demands are met.
Nigeria, one of the leading oil producers in Africa, has lost nearly a third of its oil production over the past years, mainly due to militant attacks in Delta region. The militants want a fair share of oil income for the impoverished region, something the government has resisted in light of the slump in the global oil prices in the past few years. Abuja has managed to reach ceasefires with militants, but sporadic attacks have continued.
Nigeria has also been battling militants of the Takfiri group Boko Haram in its northern regions, further draining its oil-driven finances. Rampant corruption in the military and state institutions has seriously hampered government efforts for shoring up the economy.
Presstv