Finance

N434.5M Contract: CCT Denies Wrongdoing, Says Mischief Makers At Work

Published

2 years ago

December 23, 2021

The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has denied reports that it couldn’t justify payment to contractors to the tune of N434.5 million.

It said the report was laced with mischief as projects with which the said fund was released in 2019 have been well executed and put to use.

The CCT management recalled its appearance before the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate and that of the House of Representatives on the basis of the audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) and defended the said capital expenditure for the 2019 satisfactorily.

A statement by the Spokesperson for the CCT, Atekojo Samson Usman on Thursday in Abuja, said, “the Tribunal which has the sole power to adjudicate on conducts of public officers has only its head office in Abuja, the nation’s capital handling the entire public officers through the federation.

“A task too over burden with pendency of cases for long period of time, hence, it thought it wise to open offices across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“It was based on that, that members of CCT recommended the opening of States offices, i.e. Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Bauchi and which eventually necessitated construction of office accommodations.”

Denying any wrongdoing as reports would want to portray the Tribunal, the statement explained that due process was followed in the handling of the projects.

It said: “In line with the public procurement act, the projects were competitively bidded after calling for expression of interest and bidders emerged through due process before the award of contracts to winners. It’s worth noting that the bidding was conducted in most transparent manner with the presence of some Civil Society Organisations and media coverage.

“It’s gratifying to note that every bit of documents involving the 2019 expenditure are available for record purposes including those of payment vouchers.

“The CCT is categorically putting on record that the said N434.5 million was for 2018/2019 capital projects. The projects are verifiable in Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Bauchi as the projects have been completed and are now being used.

“The likelihood diversion of the said capital projects fund by the CCT as reported was not only mischievous, but a figment of imagination of some elements within, but working in cahoots with outsiders who wanted the agency flattened in order to sustain their corruption against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Meanwhile, the audit report, the latest in the OAuGF’s annual series, titled, ‘Non-compliance/Internal Control Weakness Issues in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Year ended December 31, 2019’ was not the latest exercise that perused the financial transactions of CCT.

“The same auditors from the AuGF’s office have carried out the 2020 exercise and found no in financial infraction in the agency.

“The CCT paid out the sum of N434.5 million to contractors after the projects were satisfactorily executed in Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Bauchi and it remain to be known when it’s wrong to pay for projects executed in Nigeria.

“Moreso, at the time of auditors’ visit, original payment vouchers, Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), Consultants Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) and other relevant documents that would have aided the auditors were in custody of Tenders Board Secretary who was bereaved and was unavailable.

“The documents were later assembled and forwarded to the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, while their report is being awaited.

“The Justice Danladi Umar-led CCT was currently carrying out reforms that would make the Tribunal foremost in discharging its adjudicative responsibility, a development that has seen to the provision of the 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for execution of virtual court proceedings and automation of court system”, the statement concluded.

Finance

EFCC Chairman Tasks Nigerian Youths Against Crimes And Fraudulent Acts

Published

5 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Chairman of Economic Finance Crime Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has stressed the need for Nigerian Youth to see themselves as agents of positive change that have a lot to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the Nation.

Speaking at the 2nd edition of a Leadership Trainings Programme in Abuja, Olukoyede, who was represented by the Head Enlightenment and Re-orientation unit, (EFCC), Aisha Mohammed, said the commission’s dream is to see the youth contribute meaningfully to the society, emphasizing on the need to work together in bringing positive change to society.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Boss declared the readiness of his agency to work with all Stakeholders, including the youth towards changing the narrative and reposition the country to greater exploit.
Also speaking, the representative of the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Sonny Echono, appealed to the youths is to eschew social vices that could deter their full potential in life.

Other speakers at the event, including the Chairperson, Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZEITI) Africa, Rasak Jeje called on all stakeholders to join hands in collective pursuit of empowering new generation of leaders to curb the rising tides of social Vice among Nigerian youths.

The Chairperson, Zero Tolerance for Social Immoralities Initiative (ZEITI) Africa, Rasak Jeje made the call while addressing journalists at the 2nd edition of it Leadership Trainings Programme in Abuja on Thursday.
He said the training was aimed to intimate students leaders with knowledge and insights that will help them drive positive change and become exemplary leaders in their respective spheres.

Finance

AISA Has Refunded The Fees Paid By Yahaya Bello To EFCC

Published

1 week ago

April 27, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says the American International School Abuja (AISA) has refunded the fees paid by the immediate past governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, for his children attending the school.

In response to a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said $845,852 was paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date”.

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family.

Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Two US Dollars and eighty four cents) in tuition and other fees has been deposited into our Bank account.

We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty Four cents).

No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

In a chat with The Cable, the spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the school has refunded the money.

‘’The money has been paid into public account,” Dele Oyewale was quoted as saying

Finance

Godwin Emefiele Disobeyed Direction Of Law With Intent To Harm The Public, He Printed ₦684.5M Using ₦18.9B Says EFCC in fresh charge

Published

2 weeks ago

April 23, 2024

Alice Ginika Simon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a fresh charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory against the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

EFCC in the charge accused Emefiele of approving the printing of N684,590,000 at the rate of N18.96 billion.

EFCC also alleged that Emefiele broke the law with intent to harm the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

EFCC’s top prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN revealed that Emefiele will be arraigned on a new four-count charge before Justice Hamza Muazu

Counts one to four of the charge, read,

“STATEMENT OF OFFENCE: Public Servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.

“PARTICULARS OF THE OFFENCE: That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

This and three other charges were stated against him. They read;

“COUNT 2: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.

“COUNT 3: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”

“COUNT 4: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”