The Nation Newspaper

Tag: ex-Perm Sec

  • I did not steal N14.1m, ex-perm sec tells court

    A former  Permanent Secretary,  Federal Ministry of Labour, Clement Illoh, yesterday denied the alleged theft of N14.1 million from the defunct Federal Government’s Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).

    Led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. U. Nwakwe , Illoh absolved himself  in his ongoing trial of alleged stealing by conversion of property to the tune of N14.1 million brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC).

    In his defence  before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of a Special Offences Court sitting Ikeja Illoh said: “I did not steal the said sum neither did I divert the money to one Theresa Braimoh.”

    Illoh maintained in his testimony that N3. 5m was still in the account it was paid into.

    The judge subsequently adjourned the matter till October 25 for continuation of trial.

  • N6b rural electrification fraud: Court convicts ex-Perm Sec, directors

    N6b rural electrification fraud: Court convicts ex-Perm Sec, directors

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Gudu, Abuja has convicted and fined a former Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Samuel Ibi Gekpe, an engineer.

    He and other directors of the agency were charged with disregarding the provisions of the Public Procurement Act by misappropriating N6 billion.

    The fund was mismanaged in the payment for rural electrification contracts, which they purportedly awarded as the agency’s Public Procurement Committee in 2008.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned them for criminal breach of trust before Justice Adebukola Banjoko.

    The other defendants are a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power Dr. Abdullahi Aliyu, an accountant in the agency Simon Kirdi Nanle, a director Lawrence Orekoya, an assistant director Abdulsamad Jahun and the agency’s former Head of Legal Department, Kayode Oyedeji.

    The prosecution team, led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), called seven witnesses from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, the agency’s officers and an EFCC operative Ibrahim Ahmed.

    The defendants, represented by Paul Ewekoro (SAN), made a no-case submission, which was dismissed.

    In a February 8 verdict, Justice Banjoko dismissed the first defendant’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charge.

    The court found that the prosecution proved the ingredients of the offences of criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.

    Justice Banjoko held that the defendants, who disregarded Public Procurement Act, misappropriated over N6 billion in contract payments.

    The judge found the defendants guilty as charged.

    She convicted and sentenced Gekpe to three years imprisonment with an option of N5 million fine.

    The judge also sentenced the other defendants to three years imprisonment but with an option of N500,000 fine each.

    The fines are to be paid within  30 days from judgment day.

     

  • Ex-Perm Sec forfeits N664m, $137,680 to Fed Govt

    Ex-Perm Sec forfeits N664m, $137,680 to Fed Govt

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the forfeiture of N664,475,246.6 and $137,680.11 allegedly recovered from a retired Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr Clement Illoh Onubuogo.

    He is on trial for allegedly failing to declare N97,300,613.44, $139,575.50 and £10,121.52 found in three of his bank accounts while in office.

    Onubuogo pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    He was re-arrested over an alleged diversion of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P) fund.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Onubuogo converted the forfeited funds from N10billion released by the Federal Government during his supervision of SURE-P.

    The court, based on an August 15, 2016 motion ex-parte by the EFCC, also ordered the interim forfeiture of properties described as “Clement Illoh’s Mansion” at Ikom Quarters, Issala-Azegba in Delta State and a hotel on 19, Madue Nwafor Street, off Achala Ibuzo Road, Asaba, Delta State.

    Onubuogo’s lawyer, Tom Awhana, filed a counter-affidavit challenging the interim forfeiture, adding that the court lacked jurisdiction to make the order because all the alleged transactions leading to the suit were done in Abuja.

    Yesterday, Awhana told Justice Saliu Saidu that his client was in talks with the EFCC to resolve the matter out of court.

    He withdrew his pending applications challenging the court’s jurisdiction and seeking to discharge the interim order.

    Prosecuting counsel Mr Rotimi Oyedepo confirmed that plea bargain talks were ongoing with the defendant.

    He urged the court to discharge the interim order with regard to the properties and moved his motion for the final forfeiture of the monies.

    He said the application was based on Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act of 2014.

    Awhana did not oppose the application for monies’ final forfeiture.

    Justice Saidu consequently granted the application, ordering the defendant to forfeit N437,348,181.16 found in Onubuogo’s possession, which EFCC said is reasonably suspected to be  proceeds of unlawful activity.

    The court also ordered the final forfeiture of another N97,300.613.44 found by the commission in the defendant’s account, as well as N129,826,452.00.

    Onubuogo was also ordered to forfeit of $137, 680.11 to the Federal Government.

  • Ex-perm sec forfeits 47 cars to Fed Govt

    Ex-perm sec forfeits 47 cars to Fed Govt

    A former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, has forfeited 47 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to the Federal Government, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said.

    The information was contained in a report the EFCC submitted to Senate Committee on Financial Crimes and Anti-corruption.

    The report said the cars were seized in the Utako, Abuja, residence of the former permanent secretary.

    Igali is undergoing investigation by EFCC for alleged corruption.

    But the Senate yesterday kicked against donation of building and furniture to EFCC by an unnamed governor.

    It said such donation could hamper the war against corruption.

    Senator Dino Melaye, who spoke at a budget defence session with the EFCC, decried a situation where governors donate money to the anti-graft agency.

    Melaye (Kogi West) insisted such development would tamper with the independence of the EFCC.

    The committee demanded review of the contract details of EFCC building, which is put at N26 billion against the initial N18.8 billion awarded to Julius Berger.

    The committee wondered how a contract awarded at N18.8 billion would be increased to N24 billion and later a request for additional N2 billion for power plant and sewage.

    It asked how a 10-storey building would be awarded without sewage and power plant.

    The committee chairman, Senator Chukwuka Utazi, said the contract was signed against the advice of the Bureau of Public Procurement.

    Utazi noted on account of what was going on with the EFCC building, Julius Berger management should be invited to appear before the committee.

  • Why civil service is ineffective, by ex-Perm Sec

    Why civil service is ineffective, by ex-Perm Sec

    The immediate past Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, Dr Tunji Olaopa, has identified the pitfalls in the civil service system, which may hinder the changes that Nigerians want desperately in governance

    Olaopa explained that the civil service system has remained stagnant since the First Republic in spite of the many changes that institutions of government have gone through.

    According to him, the colonial rulers laid the theoretical and value foundation for the civil service but the nation has refused to undertake a deconstruction of the system to reflect the changes which government institutions have gone through since then.

    The stagnancy, Olaopa said, makes the civil service incongruent with modern governance system to drive the change agenda of the current President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    Olaopa spoke while addressing reporters in Ibadan on the establishment of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy, which he said was established to fill the gap.

    He said: “A lot of the things we practise in government lack theoretical basis when talking about public sector management system.

    “They are more like common sense. A whole lot of these were conceived properly in the First Republic because the colonial administrative system taught the first generation, brought them up in the knowledge of what the parameters are what you can call the theoretical and value foundation for the civil service institutions.

    “But even the institutions have changed over time. Yet, we still carry on based largely on experience, rarely rigorously deconstructing the institutions to reflect the changes.

    “These are the factors constraining effectiveness of some of these institutions.”

  • EFCC quizzes ex-Perm Sec over N500m Sure-P fund

    EFCC quizzes ex-Perm Sec over N500m Sure-P fund

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday grilled the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mrs Nkechi Ejele, for her alleged  role in the misapplication of N500 million Sure-P funds appropriated to the ministry in 2013 and 2014.

    Some directors of the ministry are also expected to face a team of interrogators next week.

    But the probe of Ejele was the first among five former permanent secretaries allegedly under investigation.

    According to a top source in the commission, Ejele arrived at the commission’s headquarters at 10am and was ushered into a room for questioning.

    The source said: “We invited her in connection with N500 million vote for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation. We received a lot of observations that the funds were mismanaged.”

    Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said: “The ex-permanent secretary was quizzed on Thursday by the commission.”

    He declined further details.