Rector accused of killing staff over exposure of N1b fraud
Two petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission and the Nigeria Police by the chambers of Lagos-based lawyer, Festus Keyamo, said Moses was killed in his home in Bayelsa State by persons suspected to be protecting the interest of Ekpebu.
Moses, according to the petition to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, signed by Matthew Omonade and Esharefasa O. Samuel, was shot dead on November 8.
He was said to have dragged the Rector to court for allegedly embezzling N1 billion of the polytechnic’s money.
The petition to the ICPC detailed how the alleged funds were embezzled by Ekpebu.
Reproduced below are the two petitions:
Wednesday, 13th November, 2013,
The Inspector General of Police,
Force Headquarters,
Louis Edet House,
Abuja.
Dear Sir,
A CALL FOR THE ARREST AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF DR. DOUGLAS INEYI EKPEBU, RECTOR, FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC EKOWE, BAYELSA STATE, MR. TEI ZION, MR. ORUBIE KUROR, MR. NICKO EKEMENA AND MR. OVIE OLOMU ALL STAFF OF THE POLYTECHNIC FOR THE BRUTAL MURDER OF COMRADE FRANK MOSES
We are Solicitors to the family of late Comrade Frank Moses (hereinafter referred to as our Client) and on whose firm and express instruction we write this petition.
It is our brief that late Comrade Frank Moses hailed from Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State and until his brutal murder, he was a senior administrative staff of the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State and the Financial Secretary of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe Chapter. For about a year before his untimely demise, the deceased and the entire Union leaders have been embroiled in a strong industrial tussle with the Rector of the polytechnic and his management team over numerous unpaid workers’ benefits. Instead of following the path of honor in meeting the legitimate demands of workers, the Rector resorted to threats and administrative harassment of the deceased and the rest of the Union leaders.
These threats took the form of phone calls from the Rector as well as phone calls and text messages from the other four persons named above which can be confirmed from the phones of the deceased as well as those of the rest of the Union leaders. The Union leaders are willing to present these text messages to bolster police investigation. These threats were also extended to the national leaders of the Association who visited the institution on a number of occasions to wade into the dispute.
The industrial tussle between the Union and the Rector got to its climax when, after issuing a number of ultimatums, the Union embarked on an indefinite strike action on the 29th of August, 2013 and also sued the Rector to a Yenagoa High Court in Bayelsa State requesting for information concerning certain financial transactions concerning the institution. Against all expectations, these actions of the Union did not jolt the Rector to his senses. Instead, he and his cohorts named above unashamedly and blatantly intensified their threats and harassment of the deceased and the rest of the Union leaders. Specifically, on Thursday 17th November, the Rector invited the Union leaders for a meeting with management where he brought in armed thugs to harass and beat them up.
It is our further brief that on Friday, the 18th of October, 2013 the deceased and the rest of the Union leaders were issued queries for instituting a court action against the Rector. On the 22nd of October, 2013 one Mr Okilo, a member of staff of the polytechnic and a close friend of the Rector, sent Comrade Endurance Keyamo, the Union chairman, a text message stating that the Rector was planning to attack the deceased and Comrade Endurance Keyamo. The text message is still intact. On Wednesday, the 6th of November, 2013, the Rector’s cohorts had the entire Union leadership arrested over baseless allegations. They were released the same day.
On Friday, the 8th of November, 2013, the deceased was shot dead by gunmen at his residence at Agudama in Yenagoa, at about 8:45pm. Given the callous threats already issued by the Rector and his cohorts towards the deceased and the entire Union leadership, it stands to reason that the finger of blame for the aforesaid incident must point in the direction of the Rector and his above named cohorts. The brutal assassination of the deceased came barely a week to the first hearing of the court action instituted against the Rector.
On the strength of the foregoing, we hereby implore you to use your good offices to call for the arrest and commence a thorough investigation / prosecution of the Rector and the others named above in the unlawful breach of the deceased’s right to life, not only by reason of the need to bring them to book, but also because the lives of others are clearly at stake.
We look forward to your speedy action on this matter, as it will bring relief to our client and prevent a torrent of assassinations. Please find attached photographs of the corpse of the deceased as well as a newspaper report evidencing the incident.
Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.
Wednesday, 13th November, 2013,
The Chairman,
ICPC,
Plot 802 Constitution Avenue,
Central District,
Garki, Abuja.
Dear Sir,
EMBEZZLEMENT AND STEALING OF OVER ONE BILLION NAIRA (N1BILLION) BY DR INEYI DOUGLAS EKPEBU, RECTOR, FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC EKOWE, BAYELSA STATE; MR JAMES NEMINEBOR, BURSAR OF THE INSTITUTION; MR ABADANI WOYENGIKURO, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE RECTOR; MR ZACHARIAH OWUTUAMOR, PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE RECTOR; MR DENSON OJIGBARE, HEAD OF AUDIT; AMBASSADOR LAWRENCE EKPEBU, BROTHER TO THE RECTOR.
We are solicitors to Endurance Keyamo, Ebika Dariah, Sampe Collins, Nimizuo Perezigha and Stella Toruemi all staff of Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe Bayelsa State (hereinafter referred to as our client) and on whose firm authority this petition is written.
It is our brief that the Rector and the Bursar as well as their cronies brazenly embezzle the funds of the institution through illegal transfers of millions of naira from the institution’s salary account with Fidelity Bank having the account numbers 5060017396 (new) and 051503010000578 (old). These illegal transfers which are made without virement can be traced to the polytechnic’s overhead account and its project account, from which they make direct withdrawals after the illegal transfers, and their personal accounts as well as the accounts of their cronies. The polytechnic’s overhead account numbers with Fidelity bank are 5030009907(new) and 051503010000587(old) while its project account numbers with First Bank are 2013340298(new) and 6152040000143(old).
It should be emphasized that these transfers are made without virement which is tantamount to gross fraud and a breach of regular budgetary rules. While these fraudulent actions of the Rector and the Bursar as well as their cronies have become so numerous to enlist, a detailed investigation would reveal a tale of callous looting and embezzlement of public funds in broad daylight. However, a few specific examples would suffice.
On or around 7th July 2009, the Rector transferred the sum of five million naira (N5,000,000) from the salary account into the account of one Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu. Similar transfers were made in a number of months in 2010.
On or around 1st March 2010, the Rector and the Bursar connived and transferred the sum of two million and sixty-four thousand naira (N2,064,000.00) without virement from the institution’s salary account into the UBA account of one Q HOMES AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES LTD. The account number of the said firm is 04120030000873.
On or around 2nd March 2010, the same amount in 1 above was transferred between same parties.
On or around 22nd March 2010, the Rector and the Bursar transferred the sum of two million naira without virement from the salary account to the overhead account from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
On or around 28th October 2010, the Rector and the Bursar transferred the huge sum of fifty-four million and ninety-five thousand naira (N54,095,000.00) from the institution’s salary account to one ELIZADE NIGERIA LIMITED at First Bank, Plc, Ogba Branch, Lagos. The account number of the said company is 2462030004600.
On or around 6th December 2010, the Rector and the Bursar in their usual fraudulent manner connived and transferred the staggering amount of fifty-one million naira (N51,000,000) without virement from the institution’s salary account to its project account from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
On or around 22nd May, 2012, the Rector and the Bursar connived and transferred the whopping sum of forty-five million naira (N45,000,000) without virement from the institution’s salary account to the overhead account from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
Sometime in 2012, the sum of thirty million naira (N30,000,000.00), was transferred from the salary account into the account of Zachariah Owutuamor, the personal assistant to the Rector.
Our clients’ brief further reveals that in the face of these racketeering, Mr Denson Ojigbare who happens to be the head of audit, has kept mute as he is also a beneficiary of the fraud. For instance, on 7th and 8th of May 2012, the said Mr Denson Ojigbare withdrew an amount totaling three million, five hundred thousand naira (N3,500,000) from the salary account. A study of the annual salary account reveals numerous other withdrawals by the same Mr Denson Ojigbare.
Our clients are baffled that the Rector and his cronies did not only limit their shameful activities to pilfering from the salary account of the institution but also defraud the Federal Government through the use of ghost workers and shadowy promotion of staff of the institution without their knowledge. The Rector initiated this callous fraud bothering on the use of ghost workers and clandestine promotion exercise through a letter dated 16th April 2010 sent by him to the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). In the said letter, which was written by the Rector in response to a circular by the NBTE demanding from the Rector the increase in personnel cost for the implementation of the February 2010 agreement with staff unions of Federal Polytechnics as it affects the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe; the Rector presented to the NBTE some one hundred and fifty (150) ghost names as lecturers when the institution had less than
fifteen lecturers being a new institution.
Moreover, he increased the grades and levels of over five hundred (500) non-academic staff thereby promoting them without their knowledge. As a result, the staggering amount of six hundred and twelve million, eight hundred and ninety six thousand, three hundred and sixty four naira (N612,896,364) was paid into the polytechnic’s coffers. Today, this amount cannot be accounted for by the Rector and his cohorts as the money has been embezzled.
In his unquenchable thirst to milk dry the polytechnic which he is supposed to nurture, the Rector closely aided by his cronies, engage in the award of fictitious contracts for which they collected unspeakable amounts of monies for themselves. Sometime in March 2010, the Executive Assistant to the Rector, Mr Abadani Woyengikuro, signed a contract amounting to ninety six million naira (N96,000,000) awarded to one LIVE WATERS AGRIC CONSULT for the building of a farm for the polytechnic. While the polytechnic’s annual account claims that the polytechnic farm has been completed, there is no modicum of doubt that no such farm exists. Other projects awarded by the Rector sometime in 2010 and 2011 which are non-existent but purported to have been completed are:
Construction and equipment of sick-bay awarded for the sum of one hundred and fifteen million, nine hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and six naira (N115,977,706).
Procurement of river crafts awarded for the sum of two hundred and twelve million, one hundred and eighty-one thousand, two hundred naira (N212,181,200).
Procurement and installation of medical lab for the sum of one hundred and eighty-five million, one hundred and forty-three thousand, four hundred and seventy-two naira, ninety seven kobo (N185,143,472.97).
Construction of two units of ICT centers for the sum of fifty-four million, one hundred and ten thousand, two hundred naira (N54,110,200).
A visit to the polytechnic campus at Ekowe in Bayelsa State would clearly reveal that these projects purported to have been completed on paper are non-existent.
It is most disheartening that an institution which is supposed to build the character of individuals for a better society has now become a hotbed for criminals who sit comfortably at the helms of affairs. Our clients cannot rest on their oars and allow this to continue.
It is in the light of the above that we call on you to use your good offices to order for the immediate arrest and thorough investigation/prosecution of the aforementioned persons.
Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.
Yours sincerely,
For: Festus Keyamo Chambers,
MATTHEW OMONADE, ESQ, ESHAREFASA O.SAMUEL, ESQ.
Source:http://theeagleonline.com.ng/news/rector-accused-of-killing-staff-over-exposure-of-n1b-fraud/
Comments
Post a Comment