ICPC storm Ekiti, begins probe of N25bn alleged fraud against Fayemi
(Nigeria) Men of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission,
ICPC, were in Ekiti State for the better part of last week, in continuation of
the anti-graft agency’s investigation of the alleged misappropriation of over N25 billion.
The ICPC team of investigators, which included two men and
one woman, visited some of the projects claimed to have been executed with the N25
billion bond obtained from the capital market by the Kayode Fayemi administration, now Minister of Solid Minerals.
The visit was said to be at the prompting of petitions
written by the state government and a group, Save Ekiti Coalition, SEC.
Sources close to the commission also disclosed that the
Federal Government was no longer comfortable with the public perception of President
Mohammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption fight as being selective and most
importantly, Governor Ayodele Fayose’s claim that complaints from the state to
the ICPC and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, about how the
immediate past All Progressives Congress, APC, government of Fayemi fleeced the
State were ignored.
Apart from its petition, the state government also forwarded
a reminder to the EFCC and ICPC with Reference Number PB/894/5, dated September
14, 2015 and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade,
expressing the displeasure of the state government to the way and manner the
commissions were handling petitions submitted to them.
Some of the contracts being investigated were the
construction of earthwork for the New Governor’s Office was awarded to
PONTI-ITALWARE Nig Ltd on March 3, 2012 at the sum of N383, 900,911.06,
construction of new governor’s office awarded to Interkel Nig Ltd at the sum of
N2,027,495,857.45, Civic Centre awarded to Tiajin-Yuyang Construction Eng.
Company Ltd at a sum of N2,573,584,395.75, rehabilitation of roads among
others.
Also being investigated is the N852, 936,713.92 State
Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, counterpart fund, which was withdrawn
from the Access Bank account of SUBEB on October 8, 2014, eight days to the end
of Fayemi’s tenure.
The N852, 936,713.92 was SUBEB Counterpart Fund paid to
enable the Board access fund from the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC
and the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of the fund from SUBEB account eight days
to the end of Fayemi’s government was the reason Ekiti State Government was
blacklisted by UBEC.
ICPC is said to be interested in the rationale behind the
transfer of the N852,936,713.92 into what was called Ekiti State Government Capital
Project account and not used to pay SUBEB contractors.
Also, the ICPC team were said to have asked questions from
officials in the SUBEB about the contracts worth N4, 246,094,751.14 awarded in 2012
through the Bureau of Special Projects (under the Governor’s office). The
contracts were for renovation of schools, supply of school furniture and
construction of classrooms. Funds for these projects were taken from SUBEB and
Local Governments accounts.
Petitions to ICPC alleged that of these contracts, N3,
672,078,820.14 were for renovation of schools alone. Atlantic Offshore &
Properties got N1, 152,562,555.14, Strabic Nig. Ltd got N1, 107,744.408.21, Bam
Darley Nig. Ltd. got N924, 977,310.95 while Fatub Nig. Ltd got N486, 794,545.84.
“Immediately the renovation contracts were awarded, Atlantic
Offshore & Properties was paid N750 million (70% of contract sum), Strabic
Nig. Ltd was paid N600 million (65% of contract sum), Bam Darley Nig. Ltd was
paid N600 million (70% of contract sum) while Fatub Nig. Engineering Ltd was
paid N150 million (60% of contract sum). “A total of N2.1bn was paid from SUBEB
and LG accounts to these contractors even before the commencement of work, and
over 40% of the payment was diverted into private pockets.
“In the 2014 Capital Projects Report, payments to the
contractors were presented as; Atlantic Offshore & Properties (N1,
022,130,415.64), Strabic Nig. Ltd (N957, 237,829.62), Bam Darley Nig. Ltd
(N742, 730,990.25) and Fatub Engineering Nig. Ltd (N431, 327,270.41)
“As at the time N1, 022,130,415.64 was paid to Atlantic
Offshore & Properties, only 60% work had been done, meaning that Atlantic Offshore
& Properties was only entitled to N691, 537,551. Bam Darley Nig. Ltd that
was paid N742, 730,990.25 had done 60% work too and ought to have been paid
N554, 986,386.57,” one of the petitions written by a group, Save Ekiti
Coalition read.
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