ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said in Abuja that the commission would monitor the disbursements of the bailout funds by beneficiary states, with a view to ensuring strict application and stopping any attempt to divert the monies. “We understood that the bailout funds released to states by the Federal Government have not been going towards the proper channel.
It is important to state here today that the bailout is from the Federal Government to the states to assist them in paying the salaries of workers. “We will from now on be following how the funds are disbursed in different states to ensure that they get to the appropriate beneficiaries. This is because it is government funds,” Nta said yesterday.
The ICPC has also returned N924 million to the coffers of the Federal Government, being money allegedly diverted from the accounts of the Federal Ministry of Environment. Nta made the handover of the separate sums at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday. The money was handed over to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Fatima Mede, and the Director- General of the Great Green Wall Project, Ahmed Goni. The amount, recovered from different banks, was said to have been illegally withdrawn from the accounts of the ministry by some officials, who are currently facing trial in court.
The commission also handed over N58 million to three Federal Government Colleges located in Ogun State, namely: Federal Government College, Odogbolu; Federal Government Girls’ College, Sagamu and Federal Science Technical College, Ijebu Mushin.
The schools got N28 million, N8 million and N20 million respectively, through their principals. Nta said: “On December 1, 2014, we received a petition from this ministry in respect of a fraudulent electronic funds transfer from its accounts. A forged payment mandate in the sum of N924 million was presented to the First City Monument Bank Plc. where the ministry’s account was domiciled. The funds were diverted to different company accounts. “The funds were meant for the Great Green Wall Programme of the Federal Government meant to check desert encroachment through tree planting.
“The funds being returned today pursuant to a court order represent actual recovered proceeds by ICPC and a retained default guaranteed sum, all amounting to N924 million. “In furtherance of this case, ICPC is still tracking and investigating the movement of N468,794,613.79 through some financial institutions and Bureau De Change by Adeolu Olugbenga Adeyanju, the main accused, who is currently facing charges before the FCT High Court No. 4, Maitama, Abuja for forgery, theft, conspiracy and being in possession of forged documents.
“The successes achieved so far are hinged on the prompt reporting by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, especially by their permanent secretaries, and of course the balanced reporting by the media. “ICPC will continue to recover looted public finds and other proceeds arising from criminal activities linked to corruption investigations and return same to government coffers or to the victims in line with our mandate,” he stated.
On the recoveries for the three schools, the ICPC boss said the N103 million funds voted for students’ meal subsidies and capital projects in the schools were allegedly diverted by a federal pay officer. “This second case involves the alleged diversion of funds meant for meal subsidies of students and capital projects of three Federal Government Colleges by the Federal Pay Officer in Abeokuta, Ogun State who was reported to the ICPC by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
“The commission has, so far, recovered the sum of N56,211,086.23 out of the total sum of N103 million which the suspect diverted. Investigations continue and recoveries are ongoing with the cooperation of the suspect,” he stated. Nta spoke just as the presidency ordered all its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to compile the names of all employees who are being owed salaries.
The MDAs are expected to gather the information within seven days preparatory to the settlement of such liabilities. The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, and made available to reporters in Abuja.
The circular, marked: HCSF/428/S.1/128 was dated September 14. In the circular, Kifasi requested the MDAs to ensure that the “correct information” reached the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation on or before Monday, September 21, 2015.
New Telegraph could not ascertain which of the MDAs owed its workers’ salaries, but the directive was an indication of some indebtedness and the concerns it must have raised at the highest level of the Federal Government. President Muhammadu Buhari, in July, had announced a bailout for state governments owing workers’ salaries. The bailout was silent on the fate of the employees in the federal civil service, even though there were speculations that many of the MDAs were equally indebted to their workforce.
