Business & Economy
Concern Staff Of ITF Drags DG , Oluwatoyin Ogun Before EFCC … How Hundreds of Millions of Naira is being Siphoned …Operates as Sole Administrator
By George Mgbeleke
Concern Staff of the Industrial Training Funds, ( ITF ), might have concluded arrangement to drag Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), for an alleged Financial infraction since his appointment.
Sources at the Headquarters of ITF, in Jos who pleaded anonymity told our Correspondent that against extant law Mr. Oluwatoyin since he assumed office had acquired official accommodation instead of one, in Lagos, Jos and Abuja for his three wives.
” The DG is entitled to one Guest House, but when he took over he paid for three Houses in Lagos, Jos and Abuja” said our sources.
Continue the sources disclosed that
” You could imagine a retired Director of Finance in ITF still making payments”
” The DG when he assumed office inherited a good number of vehicles , but as we speak, he abandoned them purchased new ones and he is in the process of purchasing another ones with plans plan to acquire a new jeep used by the FCT minister for the Edir Fitr as a status symbol ‘”
While the allegations of financial infractions hangs on his head like the swords of Damascus, the allegations of abuse of procurement procedures against Oluwatoyin stinks to high heaven.
A senior staff in the Maitama office told our Correspondent that” apart from the retired deputy Director ( name withheld), who the DG is using as conduit, several contracts awarded since he assumed office , he did not adhere to the procurement Act, in fact he just a sole administrator ”
” He said he is Tinubu’ boy and nobody can touch him, in fact he threatened Staff with transfer”
Apart from the petition to the anti graft commission, the staff are on the verge of staging a massive protest for the removal of the DG.
His appointment as DG did not come without reservations and apprehension as our checks revealed that he lacked requisite qualifications to manage such agency.
Our checks at the headquarters of the industrial Training Funds (ITF) in Jos and corporate office in Maitama, in Abuja paint a picture of once bubbling institution going down the drain with staff morale on the edge.
The development has turned the once bubbling organisation into one of despair, just as staff morale and attitude to work have hit the lowest mark so far since the establishment of the Fund by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) in the 1970s.
Seven months after his appointment and takeover of the Fund’s leadership, multiple sources in Jos and Abuja told our reporter they are aware that there are grumblings within the organisation.
These are not unconnected with the new leadership style and certain ‘reforms’ and policy tincturing that have amounted to high-level administrative missteps that have dampened the cognate mood of the personnel, and set the Fund on the course of collapsing from within.
According to the staff, “the transfers have led to queries by the Fund’s workforce’’ concerning the plans of the DG for the future of the organization.
According to the insider source, “in the latest round of transfers released on May 13, 2024, by the Administration and Human Resources Department of the agency, several top officials of the Finance and Procurement Departments were redeployed to other departments in an exercise that has been condemned by workers within the organisation as a serious infraction of the organization’s career policy”.
The redeployments indicate that “top Directors in the Finance and Accounts Department were moved to Departments other than their fields of specialization. For instance, Mr. Steve Ivarave, an ICAN chartered accountant was moved from finance and accounts to Administration and Human Resource Department to head General Services”.
The source also stated that “Yusuf Abdulmajid was moved to the Corporate Planning Department while Ibrahim Ahmed Bakori was moved to the Estate Management unit to head Project Management, while Ocheme Linus Agbo was redeployed to the Technical and Vocational Skills Training Department just as John Etim was moved from revenue to Internal Audit with no assigned portfolio”.
Our checks indicated that the haphazard transfers have striped the Finance Department of competent professionals in the leadership of the division.
This was as it was gathered that the redeployment exercise was based on a pattern that is completely alien to laid down rules and career progression in addition to being inconsistent with established rules of assignments and redeployments.
Further checks indicated that on April 3, 2024, 16 officers were redeployed to various offices of the Fund.
What especially stood out in that exercise was the redeployment of the Area Manager of one of the Lagos Offices, a Senior Deputy Director, who was posted to Sokoto Area Office, where he was expected to serve under an Assistant Director who is his junior officer.
Similarly, barely two months into office in December 2023, the new Director General who is hardly on the seat, reshuffled his Management team in an exercise that effectively put square pegs in round holes in an apparent effort to entrench his tribesmen in departments perceived to be lucrative.
A source said; “in that exercise, the Director General transferred Fulera Dikki, a career Administrative officer to the Business Training Department while Suleyol Fred Chagu, a career Public Relations officer was redeployed to the Corporate Planning Department just as Chioma Ogbonna, an ICAN Chartered Accountant was moved from Revenue Inspectorate and Compliance Department to the Research and Curriculum Development Department.
When our reporter visited the ITF headquarters, there was melancholy amidst apprehension as a result of fears of more deployments in the coming weeks.
The Director General could not be reached as he was said to be away from the office even as calls to his phone did not go through.
Business & Economy
Unaccounted N210trillion : Senate orders arrest of Kyari as Ajiya says no money is missing
By George Mgbeleke
Drama as the Senate on Wednesday through its Committee on Public Accounts , ordered the arrest of immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer ( GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited ( NNPCL), Mele Kyari for refusing to appear before it over unaccounted N210trillion from 2017 to 2023.
This was as former Chief Financial Officer ( CFO) of NNPCL , Umar Ajiya Isa , tackled the committee on the allegation by declaring that no money is missing and that the N210trilion being bandied as unaccounted for , was more than N54.5trillion the company generated within the same period .
Warrant of arrest issued against Kyari , arose from his physical absence at the investigative session conducted by the committee on the alleged unaccounted N210trillion .
Senators l Saliu Mustapha ( Kwara Central ) and Tony Nwoye ( Anambra North ) , had in their capacities as members of the committee , separately informed the Chairman , Senator Ibrahim Dankwabo ( Gombe North ) and other members that Kyari should be given another chance to appear before them as he is currently sick in Germany .
But other members of the committee vehemently opposed their suggestion by calling on the Chairman to issue warrant of arrest against him .
Specifically , Senator Abdul Ningi ( Bauchi Central ) in opposing possible voluntary appearance by Kyari said verbal excuse should not be accepted but documented evidence of sickness followed by Senator Victor Umeh ( Anambra Central) , who raised motion on issuance of warrant of arrest against Kyari .
In seconding the motion , the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi ( Ebonyi North) , said giving Kyari another chance of making voluntary appearance , would be tantamount to wild goose chase .
” This is the 9th time this committee is meeting on the 19 queries raised against NNPCL by the Office of Auditor – General of the Federation three of which were chaired by me .
” Mr Chairman , the time to issue warrant of arrest against Mele Kyari is now because the committee must conclude its assignment and report back to Senate “, he said .
The Committee Chairman , accordingly after putting the motion to voice votes and got affirmation from members declared that : ” Anywhere Mele Kyari is , should be arrested and brought before this committee” .
The alleged unaccounted N210trillion was however kicked against by Hajiya in his submission before the committee saying if such humongous amount was missing , there wouldn’t have been any audited report.
” To be clear: if money had gone missing at NNPC during our tenure, we would not have had the courage to publish audited accounts. For over 40 years, those accounts were either not prepared, not made public, or not even shared with the Auditor-General.
” ₦210 trillion is an enormous sum. NNPC’s total revenue in the period under review was about ₦54.5 trillion, even before deducting production costs. It’s impossible for ₦210 trillion to be missing or unaccounted for “, he said .
He added that the claim that ₦5.8 billion was used to register NNPC Limited was untrue and damaging .
He tasked the committee to make verification of the claim from the Corporate Affairs Commission and the Federal Inland Revenue Service now Nigeria Revenue Service .
” Unfounded claims do real damage. They harm the reputations of individuals, the company, and Nigeria itself. International rating agencies use public information to assess countries. Negative, inaccurate reports can hurt Nigeria’s credit rating and our national interests.
“We’ve seen this before. While seeking about $2.5 billion in Chinese financing for the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline, an unpatriotic petition was submitted to Chinese authorities. Despite a sovereign guarantee, the financing was disrupted and the project remains uncompleted.
“Actions like that discourage public servants. At times it’s frustrating. But as Nigerians, we remain committed to serving our country and contributing to its development.
“When people claim ₦210 trillion is missing, they should be asked: where exactly did it go? Agencies like the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and the EFCC should investigate and establish the facts so Nigerians can trust the truth”, he said .
In continuation of the investigation, the committee directed Hajiya and Bala Wunti who served as Chief Upstream Investment Officer during the period under review , to reappear before it in two weeks time
Business & Economy
South East Dev.Commission’s MD under fire in Senate over financial mismanagement ….Orders to account for N16.6billion collected from 2025 budget
9By George Mgbeleke
Business & Economy
Senate gives one week ultimatum to Bank of Agric,NSPMC,Rural Electrification Agency to Appear before it
By George Mgbeleke
Senate Committee on Public Accounts has given Bank of Agriculture, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, and Rural Electrification Agency
one week to appear before it and respond to outstanding audit queries.
The directive followed their failure to appear before the committee during the committee’s hearing on Tuesday in Abuja.
However, the secretary of the committee informed the chairman of the committee,
Sen Ibrahim Dankwambo ( Gombe North) that he received a correspondence from the Bank of Agriculture signed by its legal adviser.
The letter stated that the bank had previously appeared before the panel between February 2023 and November 2024.
In the letter, the bank also stated that issues raised during those appearances had been resolved with the committee and relevant government authorities.
The bank, however, requested details of any unresolved matters and sought at least two weeks to enable its management collate documents.
The chairman of the committee, Sen Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe North)
faulted the letter, noting that it was signed by officials below the rank of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Dankwambo maintained that all communications relating to committee invitations must be personally signed and transmitted by agency chief executives.
He also criticised the bank’s failure to present its Managing Director before the committee in spite of the fact that they were invited to explain outstanding audit issues.
The committee rejected the request for two weeks, insisting that agencies could not determine timelines for legislative oversight proceedings.
The committee members unanimously resolved that the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture must personally appear before the committee within one week.
The lawmakers stressed that previous audit concerns involving the bank remained unresolved, contrary to claims contained in the correspondence.
The committee further warned that future communications signed by subordinate officers instead of chief executives would no longer be entertained.
The lawmakers also described the absence of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and the Rural Electrification Agency as unacceptable and directed that the organisations be given a final one-week opportunity to appear before the panel.
Several members of the committee expressed concern over what they described as a growing pattern of disregard for legislative summons by government agencies.
They noted that audit queries were serious accountability matters requiring prompt responses and should not be treated with indifference by public institutions.
The committee emphasised that it was acting on reports submitted through constitutional processes and not pursuing issues outside its statutory mandate.
The committee warned that agencies failing to honour invitations after the final notice would face sanctions in line with its powers.
Dankwambo said strong letters would be issued immediately to the defaulting agencies outlining unresolved issues requiring their attention.
He added that the agencies must appear within one week or risk sanctions for failing to cooperate with legislative oversight responsibilities
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