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Tag: Immigration jobs

  • EFCC: N676m Immigration jobs cash blown on houses

    EFCC: N676m Immigration jobs cash blown on houses

    Ex-Minister Abba Moro, four others to face trial for alleged 419

    SOME OF THE CHARGES

    • Conspiracy to induce 676,675 applicants to deliver N676,675,000 under false pretence
    • Collection of N676,675,000 under false pretence purportedly for online recruitment e-payment
    • Award of contract to Drexel Tech Nig. Ltd without advertisement of the contract
    • Award of contract without Needs Assessment and Procurement plan
    • Award of contract through selective tendering process without approval by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP)
    • Obtaining N676,675,000 to buy a property, No 1 Lahn Crescent Maitama, Abuja
    • Converting N120,100,000 to upgrade No 2, Sigure Close, off Monrovia Street, Wuse II, Abuja

    WHERE is the N676.6 million collected in 2014 from Immigration Service job seekers?

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) believes the cash was splashed on choice property. Former Interior Minister Abba Moro and four others are to stand trial for allegedly collecting fraudulently N676.6million from 676,675 job seekers.

    The EFCC said N202,500,000 was spent on buying No. 1, Lahn Crescent, Maitama, Abuja and N120, 100,000 was lavished on the upgrade of No.2, Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II Abuja.

    The commission said the recruitment firm, Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and  Mahmood Ahmadu converted N101, 200,000  to US dollars for personal use.

    Nineteen applicants died and scores  got injured in stampede in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Minna in March 2014 during the ill-fated recruitment.

    The EFCC made the startling revelations in the 11 charges preferred against Moro and  four other accused persons yesterday at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

    The others are a former Permanent Secretary, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia, F. O. Alayebami , Mahmood Ahmadu and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd.

    Ahmadu, who is described as being central to the scandal, is said to be on the run.

    According to an EFCC source, “the charges have been served on all the accused persons in preparation for their arraignment in court.

    “We are waiting for the court to give us a date for their arraignment but they are in our custody,” he said, pleading not to be named because he is not permitted to talk to the media.

    All the accused persons, including Moro,  will face trial for Advance Fee Fraud (otherwise known as 419), violation of Public Procurement Act No. 65 of 2007, misconduct, contrary to Section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission Act 2000 and offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011.

    The charges are as follows:

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel-Nwobia,  F.O Alayebami , Mahmood Ahmadu (at large) and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd on or about the 17th of March 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud conspired to induce a total number of 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to deliver property to wit: cumulative sum of N676,675,000 which sum represents the sum of N1,000 per applicant under the false pretence that the money represents payment for their online recruitment exercise into Nigerian Immigration Service and which pretence you knew was false, contrary to Section 8 and 1(1) (b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences

    Act, No. 14 of 2006

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia,  F.O Alayebami , Mahmood Ahmadu ( at large) and Drexel Tech Nigeria Ltd on or about the 17th of March 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud conspired to induce a total number of 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to deliver property to wit: cumulative sum of N676,675,000 which sum represents the sum of N1,000 per applicant under the false pretence that that you have followed the necessary procedure and that the money represents epayment for their online recruitment exercise into Nigerian Immigration Service and which pretence and you knew was false, contrary to Section 8 and 1(1) (b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and  F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited without advertising the contract contrary to Section 45 and punishable under Section 58(5) of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007.

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and  F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited without Needs Assessment and Procurement Plan, contract contrary to Section 16(1) (b) and Section 18 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and  F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited to develop recruitment portal through selective tendering process by inviting four(4) firms without seeking approval of the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) contrary to sections 40, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and  F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and signed by unregistered Drexel Tech Global Nigeria Limited when you knew that Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited was not responsive to mandatory prequalification contrary to sections 50(5) and 51  of the Public Procurement Act, No. 65 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 of the same Act.

    “That you Abba Moro, Anastasia Daniel Nwobia, and  F.O Alayebami on or about the 30th of April 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court  did award contract for the provision of online enlistment and recruitment services to Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and signed by unregistered Drexel Tech Global Nigeria Limited when you knew that there was no budgetary provision for the exercise in the 2014 Federal  Capital Budget and transferring responsibility to fund the project to applicants through mandatory payment of N1,000 without approval of the Board, contrary to Section 22(5) of the Independent Corrupt Practices Act 2000.

    “That you  Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu(At large) on or about the 17th of March 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N202,500,000 part of the N676,675,000 obtained from 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to buy property No. 1, Lahn Crescent Maitama, Abuja with the aim of disguising the illicit origin of the said sum, knowing same to be proceeds of illegal activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

    “That you  Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu(At large) on or about the 17th of March 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N120, 100,000 being part of the N676,675,000 obtained from 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to upgrade property No.2 Sigure Close, Off Monrovia Street, Wuse II Abuja  with the aim of disguising the illicit origin of the said sum knowing same to be proceeds of illegal activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

    “That you  Drexel Tech Nigeria Limited and Mahmood Ahmadu(At large) on or about the 17th of March 2015 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N101,  200,000 being part of the N676,675,000 obtained from 676,675 Nigerian job applicants seeking employment with Nigerian Immigration Service to United States dollars for your personal use knowing same to be proceeds of illegal activity and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act. “

  • Moro for trial over Immigration jobs scandal

    Moro for trial over Immigration jobs scandal

    ALL is set for the trial of former Minister of Interior Abba Moro, a former Permanent Secretary and a director over the N650million proceeds of the Immigration recruitment scandal.

    The three suspects were re-invited by the Economice and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ahead of their arraignment in court today by the anti-graft agency.

    The fate of  a former Comptroller-General  of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mr. David Parradang, was unknown as at press time.

    About 6.5million applied for 5,000 immigration jobs but the conduct of the test in March, 2014 led to the death of 15 applicants. Scores were injured in stampede in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Minna.

    Each applicant paid N1,000.

    Although Moro blamed the former Comptroller-General of Immigration for the incidents, those loyal to Parradang traced the tragedy to Moro and those they described as his business partners

    The EFCC  stepped into the job scandal to ascertain the whereabouts of the N650 million proceeds of the exercise.

    A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said last night: “We have detained Moro, a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and a director.

    “We need to tidy up a few things but it is likely that these former public officers will be arraigned in court any moment from now. I think they might go to court on Tuesday (today)  from detention.

    “No one can account for the whereabouts of the N650million collected from applicants. Out of the fees, N212million was budgeted for the March 2014 recruitment exercise but N45million was eventually released and some officers still helped themselves with it.

    “So far about N167million meant for logistics on the test day could not be accounted for by anyone or group. “

    Some of the issues that arose from the investigation are:

    • Why did the ministry sideline Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Service Board?
    • What accounted for the engagement of a consultancy firm, Drexel Technical Nigeria Limited and at what cost?
    • Did the  consultancy firm serve as a front for some powers that be?
    • Why has the ministry refused to refund the fees to applicants?

    Besides, there were evidence of financial mismanagement.

    On Parradang’s fate, the EFCC source said: “We have not taken a decision on him. But do not forget that we also quizzed him.”

    The Secretary to the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Service Board, Mr. Sylvanus Tapgun, told the former Senator Atiku Bagudu-led Senate Committee on Interior, that the consultant released N45million out of N212million requested by the board for the conduct of the exercise.

    Tapgun said Drexel Technical Nigeria Limited – the consultant who anchored the exercise on behalf of the ministry— provided only the N45million as “discretionary contribution” for the screening.

    He admitted that the development created “serious logistics problems on the day of the exercise.”

    Earlier, Moro, said Parradang should be held responsible for the tragedy.

    He said Parradang abandoned the important recruitment exercise for birthday parties in Jos.

    Moro said: “If I prevented Mr. Parradang from carrying out the job of recruitment as Minister of Interior, did I go with his sense of responsibility of knowing how not to conduct employment without budgetary provision and utter disregard for extant rules?

    “Yes, I wrote to the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice to seek clarification to guide the Board when I discovered that the Presidential Committee assisting the Board had assumed a life of its own and was conducting the recruitment rather than assist the Board.

    “What value was Parradang adding to the work of the Presidential Committee when on March 15, 2014 he abandoned his duty to provide leadership to the conduct of the recruitment to attend birthday parties in Jos?

    “The same way he chose to gallivant in America and the UK during the 2014 Promotion Exercise against official advice.

  • Immigration jobs tragedy: EFCC invites board secretary

    Immigration jobs tragedy: EFCC invites board secretary

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited the Secretary to the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prison Service Board, Mr. Sylvanus Tapgun, in continuation of its probe of the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment scandal.

    Tapgun is expected to explain how N212million voted for  the ill-fated job test ‘disappeared.’

    It was also learnt that the immediate past Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) Mr. David Parradang, might return for a another round of grilling within a fortnight.

    He was granted an administrative.

    Tapgun is expected to appear before the commission to testify how the Ministry of Interior arrived at the job test, the choice of a company, Drexel Technical Nigeria Limited, the management of the funds voted for the interview and the actual amount released.

    A source said: “We have invited Tapgun for an interaction. He is expected to meet with our team before the week runs out.

    “Preliminary findings confirmed that N212million, out of N650million fees, was voted for the March 2014 recruitment test for immigration officers but N45million was actually released.

    “In essence, about N167million meant for logistics on the test day could not be accounted for by anyone or group. We are interested in what the N45million was used for.

    “We are inviting the secretary of the board to explain the role of the statutory body in the failed recruitment.

    “The board is legally empowered to conduct the recruitment into the service. We want to ascertain the extent of the involvement of the board.”

    The source added: “Parradang has been granted an administrative bail on personal recognition. We have left his travelling documents intact with him because investigation is yet to reach a level of restriction.

    “But Parradang will be invited again to clarify some findings based on our pending quizzing of Tapgun and others already short-listed.

    “Parradang claimed that no money was given to the NIS to conduct the aptitude test. There are so many gaps to fill.

    “No one can trace the account the N650 million was paid into, let alone the budget for the D-Day.”

    While appearing before the then Senator Atiku Bagudu-led Senate Committee on Interior, Tapgun admitted that the consultant released N45 million out of N212 million requested by the board for the logistics of the interview.

    Tapgun said Drexel Technical Nigeria Limited – the consultant who anchored the exercise on behalf of the ministry— provided only the N45 million as “discretionary contribution” for the screening

    He admitted that the development created “serious logistics problems on the day of the exercise”.

     

  • Another Immigration jobs stampede victim is buried

    Another Immigration jobs stampede victim is buried

    It was a poignant occasion marked by tears and weeping. The people of Kalaibiama Community in Opobo Nkoro Local government Area of Rivers State buried 26-year-old Brown Darlington, one of the victims of Nigerian Immigration Service stampede in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    He was one of five victims who died on that inglorious in the state. About 19 deaths were recorded across the country during the shambolic exercise.

    Brown, a secondary school certificate holder, was described by his the stepmother, Mrs Victoria Brown, as an intelligent gentleman who struggled for self-survival.

    His friends from Port Harcourt wept inconsolably as they accompanied his remains from the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) mortuary, Port Harcourt to his hometown. It was their last respect for the young man whose life was cut short. His remains eventually left the mortuary by 8am and got to Uta-Ewa waterside by 12 pm where the youths of Kalaibiama received his corpse with tears and pains.

    At his family house, his bereaved mother Mrs. Grace Jaja slumped and became unconscious when she saw her son’s corpse. She was revived two hours later.

    She said her late son was born in May 1988; he was the first of two left children, regretting that he left Port Harcourt on the day of immigration recruitment exercise and did not return home as he was wont to do.

    “On that Friday, which is a day before the recruitment exercise he went out to buy white cloths and other materials for the recruitment. That night he set his phone on alarm to enable him wake up on time. Before he left the house he went on his knee asking God that even if it is 10 persons the immigration authority want for the recruitment his own name should be among. He did not eat that morning because there was no food except the one we ate last night. He told me to recharge his phone which I did. In our yard two women also went for the immigration recruitment.

    “When it was time to come back I did not see him, so I waited for one hour, I did not see him. The two neighbours that went for the same recruitment came back. When I ask them if they saw my son they said the crowd was much nobody could see each other. But my son was yet to come back. So I started calling his line, it was rigging but nobody was picking. Suddenly somebody picks and told me if the person I am calling is my son I should run to Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH). When I got there I search the emergency ward where people who sustain injuries and those unconscious were kept but I did not see my son. It was later they directed me to check the Hospital mortuary, when I got there I saw Darlington my son dead. “

    She said there is no amount of compensation that will bring her son to life and want the Federal government to take care of her family as her late son was their only hope. She said what happened to her son is like a dream as she is yet to believe that Darlington is dead. She regretted that Federal government with their partners could conduct shoddy recruitment.

    She said: “Look at my life, my son is dead because he made effort to be like others and to get something doing to take care of me and the young one. I have only two children Darlington and his brother now that my first son is dead what do they want me to do? The only thing I want Federal government to do is to take care of me and my family.”

    Some of the youths of the community who spoke to our reporters expressed dissatisfaction with the sloppy recruitment exercise and the inability of the immigration authority to send a representative during the burial of the victims.

    The youth leader of Kalaibiama Community, Comrade Tamunoipirinye Rogers Tolafari, said there will be war if at the end Federal government did not redeemed its promises to the victims’ family. He said their greatest annoyance is the inability of the immigration authority to send a representative for the funeral of their friend and brother.

    Addressing his follow youths at the funeral Comrade Tamunoipirinye said it is an act of wickedness for immigration authority to conduct a careless recruitment exercise that led to the death of youths of this country. He said there should be remorse on the side of the immigration.

    “We are not happy, but we have to take things the way we see it, the worst thing that will happen is to hear that the Federal government at the end of the day did not fulfil the promise they gave to the deceased’s family, it will be war. I trust Jonathan he will redeemed the promise.”

    On March 5, five victims were confirmed dead in Port Harcourt during the stampede. They include Grace Nwokaku Amah, 28, from Ubima Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State; Kalu Sunday Okezie, 30, from Okon-aku Community in Ohafia, B Darlington and two others.

  • Minister’s home, office under siege over Immigration jobs deaths

    Minister’s home, office under siege over Immigration jobs deaths

    THE Minister of Interior Comrade Abba Moro’s official home in Garki 2 and his office at the Area 1 Secretariat are now being guarded by security men.

    Yesterday afternoon, officers from the Arms Squared department of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) were seen at the minister’s home checking and searching everybody in the vicinity.

    It was the same situation at the Area 1 secretariat. Our correspondent saw that the entrance to the Old Secretariat was shut at 4pm by the police, who prevented even workers from either going out or coming in.

    According to a security operative, who pleaded anonymity, there was information that a group would be protesting to either the home of the minister or his office over the failed Immigration recruitment, during which 19 applicants died across the country.

    The source said: “We were ordered to move to the home of the minister and his office to prevent the group from protesting. All formations were told to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

    “We are obeying orders from above. We must do our job.”

    NSCDC spokesman Emma Okeh told The Nation that the minister is entitled to security men and that it is not “because of the Immigration recruitment incident. It is a normal exercise to protect the minister. All forces operate like that.”

    Efforts to speak with other corps to react to the development were unsuccessful.