The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Accountant

  • Accountant is Ondo Man of the Year

    AN accountant and Chief Executive Officer of Ade Adetuwo & Co, Chief Adetuwo Ogunjumelo, has emerged the Ondo State Man of the Year.

    The organisers of the award, Groundbreaker  Media Group, in a statement yesterday, said Ogunjumelo was chosen for the honour because of his “striking attributes of hard work; development initiative; tenacity of purpose; philosophy of giving back to the society and subtlety of mind in recent time”.

    The Project Coordinator, Omo’ba Adekunle Ayegbe, said: “The credible award platform, Ondo State Man of the Award seeks to publicly celebrate excellence, reward exceptional accomplishments, salute positive personal character and industry, and honour the outstanding career achievements of illustrious sons and daughters whose performances have made a significant contribution in private and public sector to engender on a local, national or international basis. This award also seeks to attract annually the political and business leaders, academics and professionals from all disciplines, both famous and uncelebrated, whose daily work makes a difference- not just those who populate the headlines. Some of the past winners are Prof. Ajayi Borroffice, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, President National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Emeritus Prof David Ijalaye SAN, among other.

    “Among the lined-up programmes that will add glitz and glamour to the event includes, a  red carpet reception, live studio broadcast, command performances from top rated music stars and humour merchants;  and a national roundtable specially designed to garnish the award dinner with an intellectual spice geared towards fostering the cross pollination of ideas, engendering national debate and pushing the frontiers of conceptual solutions on contemporary national issues such  that, beyond the limits of award presentations, the event would also serve a national interest through an assemblage of a robust discuss among some of the nation’s  most prodigious leaders and intelligentsia.”

    Ogunjumelo will be honoured at seventh edition of the award scheduled for July 25 at the Royal Bird Hotel , Alagbaka, Akure.

  • Abia IGR has improved—Accountant-General

    The Accountant-General of Abia State, Gabriel Onyendilefu, says that the internally generated revenue [IGR] of the state has continued to be on the increase since the removal of multiple revenue collecting agents in the state.

    Speaking with The Nation in Umuahia, the state capital, Onyendilefu said that the use of one revenue collecting agent in the state has made the misappropriation of public funds by fraudulent revenue collecting agents to be a thing of the past, and thus increased the revenue base of the state.

    Onyendilefu said that the enumeration of the houses in the state and their status will make the owners to pay the stipulated infrastructure levy, adding that it is part of the way for the state to increase the IGR of the state.

    He said that the state hitherto generated between N95 million N120 million, “But now with the closing of the avenue through which the funds of the state are lost, we have noticed that we are getting up to N650 million every month”

    The Accountant-General said that the state IGR could have gone higher than what it is now “if not for the uncooperative attitude of the people of the state who find it difficult to pay their legitimate taxes like in other states.”

    He said, “the issue of fund management to competing demands has not been easy, given the type of state we have , where people have a lot of expectations from government, but we have fared better now than six years ago, as many things have changed in the state since then.”

  • EFCC traces N1.1b pension cash to woman accountant

    EFCC traces N1.1b pension cash to woman accountant

    Police Pension Office official, six others to face trial today

    There seems to be no end to the Police Pension fund scandal.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday that about N1, 141, 309, 080.25 has been traced to a chief accountant in the Police Pension Office, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang.

    The fraud was allegedly perpetrated through seven companies. About 20 assets have been traced to her.

    The suspect will be arraigned today before Justice Hussain Baba of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

    She is facing trial alongside six others, including a suspended Permanent Secretary, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, and Christian Madubuke.

    The other six suspects were arraigned before Justice Abubakar Talba on January 28, but there are indications that all pension fraud cases may have been withdrawn from Justice Talba.

    Justice Talba is being investigated by the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the controversial judgement he gave in respect of a pension fraud convict, John Yakubu Yusuf.

    The convict, who admitted involvement in a N32.5billion pension fraud, was sentenced by Justice Talba to two years imprisonment with an option of N250,000 fine for each of the three counts.

    But the EFCC last night said the trial of the woman and six others would begin afresh today.

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has concluded arrangement to arraign another major suspect in the billion naira Police Pension scam. Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang will on Wednesday April 10, 2013 be docked before Justice Hussain Baba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja on charges bordering on stealing and criminal breach of trust.

    “She allegedly abused her position to enrich herself while she served as chief accountant in the Police Pension Office between 2003 and 2008.

    “She is to be arraigned alongside Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, and Christian Madubuke. The other six suspects will be taking fresh pleas, having previously been arraigned before Justice Abubakar Talba on January 28, 2013.

    “Attang, who was absent in court when the others were first arraigned, was in charge of the police pension fund when N7.8billion was stolen through 10,863 cheques.

    “She was also discovered to have personally signed 1,042 cheques to the tune of N1, 141,309,080.25.

    “Investigation revealed that Mrs. Attang used several companies to defraud the Police Pension Office.

    “Some of the companies, which she allegedly used, are Royal Diadem Business Logistic Limited, Amazing Grace Property Development Company, Enyiuzo Ventures Limited, Status Symbols Rentals Limited, Status Travels and Tours Limited, Quillponte and Anifon Nigeria Limited.

    “Operatives of the Commission have traced more than 20 assets to her, which are currently under investigation.”

    Mrs Attang could not be reached for comments last night.

     

  • Berlusconi’s accountant ‘kidnapped’

    Berlusconi’s accountant ‘kidnapped’

    Police in Italy have arrested six people accused of kidnapping the accountant of ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and attempting to extort money.

    Giuseppe Spinelli and his wife were held hostage for 11 hours at their home last month, police in Milan said.

    The armed intruders are said to have asked for 35m euros (£28m; $44m) in exchange for documents they said could help Mr. Berlusconi in a legal case.

    BBC says Mr. Spinelli was forced to call Mr. Berlusconi, who then called his lawyer.

    The intruders left after speaking to the lawyer, a news conference was told.

    Police said they had arrested three Italians and three Albanians on suspicion of kidnapping and extortion. Three had forced their way into Mr. Spinelli’s apartment and the other three were accomplices, they added.

    However, Italian media said many questions surrounding the episode remained unanswered.

    The hostage-takers are said to have told Mr. Spinelli that the documents could overturn a 2011 court ruling that had forced one of Mr. Berlusconi’s companies to pay compensation to a rival media firm.

    The authorities were not informed about the kidnapping until more than 24 hours later, although police did not explain why.

    The news conference was told that no money had been handed over. Police said they had used closed circuit TV footage to track down the extortionists.

    Mr. Berlusconi has faced a number of legal cases over the years, mostly involving his business activities.

    Last month he was convicted of tax fraud, although his lawyers say he will appeal the verdict.