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Tag: NEMA

  • We won’t abandon ‘NEMA N23b fraud probe’, says Rep

    THE House of Representatives Committee on National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said it would not be intimidated into abandoning its investigations into alleged N23 billion infractions in the agency.

    Briefing reporters yesterday, a member of the committee, Johnson Agbonayinma, said the investigation was not based on any petition before the House.

    “For the records, the investigation is on the following releases from January to December, 2017:

    “Release of N5.9 billion food intervention in the Northeast, release of N3.1 billion food intervention in Northeast, release of N1.6 billion for Libya returnees, release of N1.6 billion on flood intervention for 16 states, donation of 6,779 metric tonnes of rice by Chinese Government.”

    He said others include:  “Payment of about N800 million demurrage on the donated Chinese rice and the unaccounted N10 billion released from Ecological Funds.”

    The lawmaker said there was no hidden motive in the House investigation.

    Agbonayinma said the committee observed “with dismay, the campaign of calumny sponsored to pitch the House against the Presidency, especially the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN”.

    “The VP’s only involvement is because he is the Governing council’s chairman and we want to know if he chaired the sitting where the action was taken,” the lawmaker said.

    According to him, the committee was acting in line with its constitutional powers, insisting that anyone could be summoned.

    The committee, Agbonayinma said, made it clear that the VP could send anyone, if he so wishes.

    “We will not shield anyone no matter how high placed. No amount of campaign of calumny will deter the investigation”, he added.

    Agbonayinma denied that members obtained documents surreptitiously from NEMA, saying documents used by the committee were officially brought forward by the DG.

    Answering questions on allegations against members of the committee, he said anyone with such claims should  come forward with names of those who made demands on the agency for investigation and sanction.

     

  • Group uncovers attempt by indicted directors to scuttle EFCC investigation on NEMA

    An anti corruption group, the New Initiative for Credible Leadership (NiCReL) has raised the alarm over plots by some indicted directors of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to scuttle the ongoing investigation by the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    Addressing journalists in Abuja, Executive Director of NICReL, Patriot Gabriel Apeh said there is already a distortion of the facts and context such that the entire investigation exercise could be truncated.

    He said, “We have, in the course of monitoring development around this saga, discovered that the investigation is already on the way to being jeopardized unless urgent steps are taken to get the perspective right.”

    He therefore said the ongoing probe must therefore end in indicted persons being charged to court and convictions secured to act as deterrence for others who think it is okay to steal from the needy.

    According to him, the Chairman of the NEMA Board, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo must not cave in to the blackmail by the ex-NEMA DG and the directors that have been indicted for fraudulently skimming off money belonging to Nigeria.

    Apeh said attempting to rope in the incumbent Director General, Mustapha Maihaja, is aimed at roping in Professor Osinbajo, as Chairman of the Board, in the belief that he would call off the probe.

    He said,  “This plot, being executed by staff loyal to the indicted directors, was written as a petition to the various statutory bodies which investigated the activities of the Maihaja led executive of NEMA as Director General. These were all thoroughly investigated by the Board of NEMA and those indicted have been recommended to the EFCC as can be seen by the ongoing trial that many of these agents want to scuttle overnight.

    “The over 700 vouchers, contract documents attached to their various petitions in an attempt to hit back at the Director General, Mustapha Maihaja for failing to cover their track  is a clear indication that those behind it have unfettered access. Our finding is that the documents were questionably sourced over weekends and public holidays when the perpetrators used master keys to gain access to documents that were under the custody of other staff. The desperation to cast aspersion on the anti-corruption war is really high on their part.

    “At a later date, Vice President Osinbajo, as the Chairman of the NEMA Board, should order a separate information into launching  a separate probe into how these indicted persons unlawfully breached the internal security of the agency to steal documents.”

    He said the group is also aware that the Ex-DG, Mohammed Sani-Sidi, who is at the middle of the entire saga has activated his contacts in the National Assembly to pervert a probe by the House of Representatives that should shed light on what truly happened at NEMA.

    He said this is inspite of the fact that the House probe became derailed when the indicted directors and ex-NEMA DG started contacting the House of Representatives Members on the panel.

    He said, “We are further at a loss as to why the House of Representatives did not allow the EFCC, as a statutory agency, to complete its investigations before usurping its powers.  No Nigerian is in doubt as to the extent to which our members of parliament can behave and blackmail anyone that fails to play ball as usual. It is worrisome and remains a disgrace to our Democracy.

    “We demand that the House of Representatives allow the EFCC to investigate the matter without undue interference since that is the agency that can prosecute those indicted. It will be against national interest to reduce this grievous theft of national funds into an issue for political investigation that will not go anywhere.”

  • Alleged N2.5bn fraud: EFCC invites 13 more top officers of NEMA

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has invited 13 more top officers of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for questioning over alleged N2.5billion scandal in the agency.

    The development has made the list of those implicated in the fraud to 20 because the anti-graft commission  had earlier quizzed a former Director-General and six serving directors of the agency.

    The Board of the NEMA, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had suspended the six directors based on an interim report from the EFCC.

    It was, however, learnt that some of those fingered in the looting of the NEMA accounted for the ongoing ‘war’ against the current DG of the NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja.

    The same forces were said to have complained to an Ad Hoc Committee of the House which led to the invitation of the Vice President, the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and some government officials.

    But the EFCC was continuing with a comprehensive investigation of the scandal in the NEMA.

    A fact-sheet obtained by our correspondent yesterday showed that the 13 officers invited are Deputy Director( Finance);  Assistant Director( Finance); PEO; ACT 1; SEO ACT1; CA; ACT; ACA; SA; another ACT and three others whose ranks were unspecified.

    Although the list of the officers was obtained by our correspondent, it was not yet made public by the EFCC because it was waiting for the officers to comply with the invitation from the agency.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are expecting the 13 officers to appear on or before Monday. But if they do not come, we may effect their arrest accordingly.

    “They were summoned by this agency as part of the ongoing probe of large scale financial impropriety in the NEMA.

    “We had earlier interrogated some directors who made references to the roles played by these 13 officers.”

    As at press time, findings confirmed that some of the suspended directors might be arraigned in court soon by the EFCC.

    Another source added: “We have released our findings on these officers to the Presidency and there are prima facie evidence against them to be put on trial. So, very soon, they may be arraigned in court.

    “The EFCC specifically recommended their suspension in order to have more access to some documents and unravel fresh evidence of fraud.

    According to the EFCC, the  investigation bordered on “alleged case of conspiracy, abuse of office, misappropriation and diversion of public funds reported to the Office of the Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria against the former Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Sidi Sani, and others and forwarded to the commission for discreet investigation.”

    Some of the alleged sharp practices uncovered by the EFCC are:

    •   Whereabouts of N166m out of N285m realized from the commercialization of NEMA’s air ambulance;
    •   Alleged short-change of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) with N354, 900, 105. 24
    •   N238million NEMA cash placed in Fixed Deposit  by a director
    •   Interest on Fixed Deposit diverted single-handedly by a director
    •   Some directors have about 5 to 20 accounts
    •   NEMA funds moved into personal accounts of directors
    •   Frivolous emoluments claims that were wrongly processed by Directors and some officials of the agency.
    •   About N66m out of N280m meant for displaced traditional rulers in the North-East still unaccounted for
    •   Curious deposit of suspicious funds into domiciliary accounts of top directors

     

    The report said in part: “From the investigation carried out so far, officials could not account for funds transferred from the NEMA account to their personal accounts.

    “Moreover, the funds were being withdrawn in cash and in some cases transferred to family members. Also, it was discovered that some of these funds were placed in fixed deposit; while both the principal and interest were withdrawn in cash by the depositor.

    “Furthermore, the issue of companies incorporated by the officials of the NEMA who are public servants is against the Public Service Rules. This is more so as the companies are active and still receiving funds in some cases from the NEMA.

    “There were frivolous emolument claims that were wrongly processed by directors and some officials of the agency.”

    As at press time, there were indications that some of those fingered in the looting of NEMA accounted for the ongoing ‘war’ against the current DG of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja.

    The same forces were said to have complained to an Ad Hoc Committee of the House which led to the invitation of the Vice President, the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and some government officials.

    A presidency  source said: “The findings on the affected officers  will be made available to the House. The Board of NEMA has the statutory right to hire and fire. But in this case, they were suspended pending the conclusion of ongoing investigation by EFCC.

    “As you can see, more officers have cases to answer and they have been invited. There is no  going back in cleaning up the Augean Stable in NEMA.

    “When this government came into power, it inherited so much rot in NEMA and it was in the process of cleaning up the system that the massive fraud was uncovered.

    “But since corruption will always fight back, some of them had taken their battle to the House Ad Hoc Committee. The House will be given the facts and figures so that we can all be on the same page.”

  • NEMA has complied with Procurement Act, says DG

    Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Mustapha Maihaja yesterday said the agency complied with the Public Procurement Act in the award of the N1.6b contracts for the supply of materials to flood victims in 16 states last year..

    He said N1.5billion “suspicious contracts” were awarded in the agency before his assumption of duty.

    He said the alleged N1.5billion contracts he inherited were still being verified.

    He said he met NEMA in a bad shape as a result of which there is an ongoing cleansing exercise.

    The House of Representatives has mandated the Director-General of NEMA to ask the suspended directors and the present and former Procurement officers to appear before its panel investigating the agency today.

    Maihaja spoke while testifying before the House Ad Hoc Committee led by Hon.  Ali Isa, which is probing the allegation that NEMA breached due diligence in the ward of N1.6b contracts.

    The DG was also accused of distributing relief materials six months after release of funds, while also engaging companies that have tax issues.

    But Maihaja  said due diligence was strictly followed by the agency under his management after realizing that the system he met was flawed on procurement and administration.

    The DG said the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) did not find fault with its Procurement procedure after which Certificates of no objection were released.

    He said the beneficiary companies were qualified for the contracts because the Bureau of Public Procurement did not raise any objection.

    The DG said no law was breached because steps were taken to adhere to the Procurement Act.

    He said: “We adhered to the Procurement Act, to the best of my knowledge we complied, we did not violate the Act.

    “By virtues of the relevant provisions of the Procurement Act, we have not breached any rule. What we do is we looked at the Act and we took our time to follow it.

    “While this was going on, we wrote to the BPP and they replied and they never faulted our process.

    “The BPP did not say we have done any wrong but that we should submit the list of missing items identified and kept on updating. We have done that and submitted to them”.

    He said the agency did not commence distribution of relief materials to 16 states affected by flood in 2017 because the financial and administrative conditions of the agency were not encouraging as at April, 2017 when he assured duty.

    He said: “The floods started from about March through October in 27 states and funds were released in September. We have documentary evidence to support this.

    “The agency was approached in July to give a list of the affected states and 26 were identified. N1.6b was released for the procurement of materials for them.

    “The delivery of relief material did not take six month after release of funds as being alleged.

    “I will never intentionally tell the House a lie. On this question, documents were asked for by the Committee and the answers to all the questions were contained in the documents we provided.

    “Because of the situation at hand, we were able to delivered materials to nine states within five days but I can’t remember the specific dates.

     

    “I plead that opportunity is given to us to present records on delivery because some states don’t acknowledge receipt of supplies on the actual day of delivery but much later.

    “For instance Edo State has not acknowledged receipt of materials till now, so the date of acknowledgement doesn’t signify the actual date of delivery sometimes.

    “There are delays at time on deliveries but we don’t take six months to begin intervention. We did not start delivery after six months, we started much earlier in some while some started late due to procurement and delivery issues which may be responsible for the delay but we delivered majority  in good time.”

    Maihaja explained how he inherited N1.5billion liability as a result of the award of N1.5billion suspicious contracts.

    He added: “When I came on board in late April, 2017, I met N4.6m in our coffers and liability of N1.5b and our monthly allocation of N500m cannot go a long way in procuring these materials.

    “This was also the time when the international agencies announced the scaling down of their funding by 80 percent. That was the situation on ground when u came on board.

    “Before I came contracts were paid for without proper documentation and that is why N1.5billion is unpaid till date because there was no certificate to prove that.

    “A memo was just submitted that due diligence process be instituted and that is what we are doing

    “We now have Maintenance and Operation unit and make sure we implement as approved.  There was no Human Resources, no Verification Unit and this applied to everything across board, all we are doing is to put things in place”.

    The House asked the suspended personnel of the agency  as well as present and former Procurement officers to appear before its panel investigating the agency today.

    Maihaja said: “We will ensure that the affected officers appear before this committee.”

    The hearing continues today with the appearance of the suspended personnel.

     

  • IDPs protest over shortage of food in Adamawa

    IDPs protest over shortage of food in Adamawa

    Hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons ( IDPs ) from Fufore and Malkohi camps in Adamawa staged peaceful protests over lack of food in their camps.

    The IDPs mostly Women and Children on Wednesday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in their plight.

    Adamawa has only two designated camps managed by NEMA and they are situated at Fufore and Malkohi villages with a total number of about 3,000 IDPs.

    The IDPs, who mostly are from Borno, were in the two camps for over two years waiting to be evacuated to their state of origin.

    The IDPs in separate interviews with our reporter complained that many families in the camps were in critical living conditions due to hunger.

    Malam Adamu Bukar from Malkohi camp said that he has one wife and three children and they only eat once in a day.

    “Since early January, when they distributed the normal thirty days food items to us, we have never received anything again.’’ Bukar said.

    According to him, people living in the camp need urgent food intervention, because any moment from now some people, especially children would die of hunger.

    Also speaking, Malam Haruna Bana, from Borno and living in Malkohi camp expressed fear of imminent starvation and malnutrition in the camp.

    Bana said that they received the last food in December 2017 and since then they were not given anything.

    He appealed to Borno government to come to their aid and evacuate them.

    A security officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, at one of the camp also confirmed the situation, saying that the development was a threat to the camp security.

    “On daily basis, the IDPs in sizeable number go out of the camp to look for food, which is a security challenge to the entire people living in the camp,’’ the source said.

    When contacted over the situation, Malam Abbani Imam, the state Coordinator NEMA in charge of Adamawa and Taraba confirmed the development but said the challenge would soon be addressed.

    Imam said that the state office had already informed the NEMA headquarters of the situation and were waiting for the approval to release food to the camps.

    NAN

  • Libya returnee dies in Port Harcourt

    Libya returnee dies in Port Harcourt

    A Libya returnee, Miss Towabola Adebayo, has died at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).

    Adebayo, who hailed from Ogun State, was among the 5th batch of Libya returnees that arrived Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday night aboard Medview Airline.

    A statement issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Port Harcourt on Friday and signed by its head of Public Relations, Sani Datti, said the deceased took ill in Libya and was taken to the UPTH in a waiting NEMA Ambulance on arrival at Port Harcourt airport where she was immediately admitted at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital.

    The woman was reportedly treated for vomiting, general weakness of the body, abdominal pains and its associated illnesses before she died on Thursday.

    He said the deceased died three days after she was admitted in the hospital.

     

     

  • EFCC UNCOVERS N2.5B FRAUD IN NEMA

    EFCC UNCOVERS N2.5B FRAUD IN NEMA

    • Top directors, officers own companies to secure relief materials contracts
    • Four fake IDPs’ camps created to make money

    The National Emergency Manage-ment Agency (NEMA) is currently enmeshed in a massive scandal after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) uncovered an alleged N2.5billion fraud in the operations of the organisation.

    The scandal was perpetrated through incorporation of fake companies, creation of fake IDPs’ camps and award of frivolous contracts.

    The EFCC may invite a former Director-General of NEMA and some serving directors for interrogation on the fraud.

    Some of the companies engaged by NEMA are alleged to have failed to remit N354,905,000 as accumulated taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS).

    Besides, the anti-graft agency is probing alleged diversion of foods and relief materials meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East to Chad and Niger Republic.

    The Nation gathered that the EFCC launched the probe following intelligence that the ex-DG of NEMA and some directors “siphoned, misappropriated and diverted public funds to the tune of over N2.5billion.”

    A source familiar with the investigation said: “Preliminary investigation indicated that fake companies were incorporated and fake way bills were used in securing contracts in NEMA.

    “Funds were diverted under the guise of some purported training of some staff which was never conducted. Some of the directors involved had incorporated personal companies and secured contracts with the agency.

    “Some of the companies engaged by NEMA have also failed to remit N354,905,000 as accumulated taxes  to the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS). The unpaid taxes were from 2014 to date.

    “There are cases of some directors, who are civil servants, owning about five to 10 companies in order to corner contracts in NEMA. There is an instance of a director with about 20 accounts in which fake contract sums were paid into.”

    A well-placed source said: “As part of our investigation, we are looking into alleged diversion of foods and relief materials meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East to neighbouring countries, especially Chad and Niger Republic.

    “We have discovered instances where trucks loaded with relief materials were diverted to these neighbouring countries for sale.

    “There is also a case of inflated household for phantom purchase and delivery of relief materials. At a point, they even created three to four fake IDP communities where relief materials were diverted.

    “Another dimension to the scandal in NEMA is alleged frivolous and overtime claims by some directors and workers of the agency.

    “Some of the vouchers showed some staff, who are civil servants, demanding refund of N20million as claims they spent on behalf of NEMA. How did a civil servant incur N20million debt on behalf of his or her agency?”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The EFCC will soon invite a former Director-General of NEMA, some directors, staff, companies and contractors for questioning.

    “Already, the detectives handling the case have retrieved relevant vouchers and documents relevant to the ongoing investigation.”

  • NEMA donates relief materials to flood victims in Anambra

    NEMA donates relief materials to flood victims in Anambra

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has donated relief materials worth millions of Naira to flood disaster victims in some council areas of Anambra.

    The victims were those affected by the September 2017 flood which devastated five council areas of Anambra where farmlands and other means of livelihood were lost.

    The affected council areas were Anambra East, Anambra West, Awka North, Ayamelum and Ogbaru, which all fell
    within the agrarian belt of the state.

    NEMA’s South-East Zonal Coordinator, Mr Walson Brandon, handed over the relief materials at the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Warehouse in Awka on Tuesday.

    He gave the assurance that Federal Government would continue to be responsive to the plight of disaster victims in the zone.

    Brandon said “these materials can never replace the people’s losses during the flood disaster but serves as a way of cushioning the effect of the unfortunate incident.

    Read also: ‘ NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    “NEMA will undertake several flood-risk reduction measures in the zone to reduce loss of lives and property.

    “There would be a lot of sensitisation and awareness programmes in affected communities to prepare residents against such occurrence.”

    The Anambra Governor, Mr Willie Obiano, represented by a Director in Government House, Dr Dan Ezeanwu, thanked the Federal Government for the gesture.

    He said that the government, through NEMA, had intervened in so many disasters and emergencies in the state.

    He appealed to stakeholders to ensure transparency in the distribution of the relief materials.

    Dr Paul Odenigbo, the Executive Secretary of Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, who formally received and gave an acknowledged letter detailing materials received, thanked Federal Government and NEMA for coming to the state’s assistance.

    Odenigbo noted that the relief materials would go a long way in cushioning the effects of the disaster on the affected persons.

    A representative of the affected persons, Chief Innocent Okeke, thanked government for the assistance.

    Okeke, who is a farmer at Aguleri Uno in Anambra East council area, assured that the people would make judicious use of the relief materials given them.

    The materials included 300 bags of 50kg rice; 200 bags of 100kg beans; 300 bags of garri; 200 cartons of tin tomato; 100 bags of sugar; 1,000 bags of salt; 100 kegs of vegetable oil; 100 kegs of palm oil and 200 cartons of powdered milk.

    Others were 300 cartons of 3-in-1 tea; 200 cartons of Milo; 200 cartons of bathing soap; 200 pieces of men’s wear; 200 mattresses; 1,000 blankets; among others.

    NAN

  • Communities raise alarm over cracks in Kaduna dam

    Communities raise alarm over cracks in Kaduna dam

    Six communities around Kangimi Dam in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have called on the state government to quickly repair the damaged walls of the dam to avert imminent disaster.

    The communities in a statement said the walls of the dam had developed cracks after a thunder hit the site in October 2017.

    The statement signed by Malam Usman Jikan-Mudi, said thousands of communities living in the area now live in perpetual fear that the dam may burst at any time.

    “If you look at the place where the thunder struck, you will see clearly that water is coming out, some grasses are growing up from the cracked wall and once it is not tackled we are scared of what will follow.’’

    He listed the villages as, Gobirawa, Ruhogi, Barkonu, Cikaji, Unguwar Yamman Likoro and Girkawa.

    “There are thousands of people that are residing with their families in those villages, we are really afraid of what will happen when the dam breaks.

    “We are worried about the situation and are living in fear; we are scared of what will happen to everyone in this area.’’

    “Kangimi dam is the largest dam in the state and has many links to many  rivers and is the source of water for the state.’’

    Jikan-Mudi said the communities had written series of letters to the state Ministry of Water Resources and the Water Board without response.

    “It seems as if they don’t care about the lives of the people that are residing around the dam.

    “The volume of water in the dam is very high presently and it is advisable for the authorities concerned to start gradual release of the water.

    “We are begging the state government to come to our rescue.’’

    Also, the ward head of Gobirawa, Malam Umaru Gobirawa, said: “We are living in a critical situation and that is why we are calling on NEMA, SEMA, the Red Cross, and other humanitarian agencies, to intervene before we are washed away.

    “They should compel government to take quick action before it is too late.’’

    Responding, Alhaji Sa’idu Adamu, Councillor on Information and Communication Strategy to Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i, assured that the state government would respond swiftly to avert the impending disaster.

    “The governor will be intimated on the situation and I assure the communities that government is going to look into the situation and tackle it swiftly before any damage is done.’’

    NAN