The withdrawal of of N1.5 billion from the account of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and what the money was used for are some of the questions the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and security agencies are currently trying to unravel with a view to retrieving the funds and bringing those who stole the cash to book.
In connection with the said money, two senior accountants in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs have already been queried and suspended from office pending the conclusion of investigation into their roles in the alleged theft of the fund.
Vanguard learned that although the two officers promptly responded to the query by pleading that they were simply carrying out their duties as civil servants, the ministry immediately suspended them, rejecting their excuse.
They had argued that they withdrew the money based on the instruction of superior authorities and that as civil servants they could not have disobeyed their ‘superiors’ who asked them to make the said amount available for official use.
The amount in question was reportedly taken in two withdrawals on the instructions of senior political aide, claiming to be working on the directives of a top presidency bigwig.
The first sum of N605 million withdrawn by a minister from the account of the ministry went missing after being withdrawn from the CBN and is the subject of investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, while another withdrawal of over N800 million attracted the attention of the HoS which queried the two accountants and finally suspended them.
There were indications that the suspended accountants had named those who were behind the cash withdrawals and had tried to exonerate themselves from the deal.
It was learned that the Federal Government is bent on inviting a former minister in the ministery to appear before its anti-corruption bodies to explain his role in the missing cash.
Already, one of the former ministers and close confidant of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has been questioned by the ICPC and freed by the commission.
The former minister claimed that he had already resigned before the cash went missing and that he never asked anyone to withdraw such amount for him, knowing that it was against service regulations.
Already, the Presidency has been given a brief on the finances of the ministry and the roles played by some senior political actors in the dying days of the last administration.
Vanguard.
I shover when i think of how much money has been pocketed by some people in Nigeria.If it was me,i would return any money i have stolen before it gets to me.I hereby urge all those who took to return quietly.
Na wah!
SDK,chai,you do think like Oyibo o. They withdraw the money n go on a spending spree. Cars,women,properties,name it. Some will prefer to go to prison,come out,then use the money they stole in establishing themselves.
ReplyDeleteThese politicians aint loyal,at all
Lord have mercy.. See money.. Naija treasury don suffer. Choi
DeleteNa wah..Nigeria my country..
ReplyDeleteAnother one, na wa
ReplyDeleteAnd the masses remain poor.
ReplyDeleteNa to begin use sango curse these people remain. Cos there's no grammar that we haven't used to analyze these loots. The amounts sounds impossible but are true. Just tired abeg
DeleteNigerian politicians looting since God knows when.
ReplyDeleteI stand to be corrected, am yet to see that politician who will "RETURN" stolen funds willingly.
I weep for this country.
I am not believing all these tales of corruption sponsored by the new govt until the accused is convicted in a law court.
ReplyDeleteWas it not some days ago that the US state totally denied Oshimole's story of how the US told them an ex minister stole $6B?
*state department
DeleteHow will you believe? Even before the elections was upon us, didnt you feel it? Or maybe you couldnt have, having profited from the lawlessness in this country. While we await conviction in a court, the government has evry right to investigate or probe any corrupt government official.
DeleteOnly in Nigeria will people suggest that money on its own went to the bank met the officials therein and withdrew itself.
WAMGWS
ReplyDelete#GODWIN™
Sai BaBa Bu bu! We are working! Gej Regime na wa oh! Thief thief pipu!
ReplyDeleteFruiterer/EventsManager
What are they doing about all this people or is it just 2 make noise!
ReplyDeleteThey should start prosecutions naa
Mtcheew
The way money goes missing in this country eh.
ReplyDeleteIn every effing sector.
It's really alarming o.
#WhiteDiamondOut
Every where you turn in Nigeria, you are faced with corruption. But the corruption in Abuja especially amongst civil servants is just mind boggling. Take a drive through Gwarimpa in Abuja and you wonder how civil servants can afford afford the rent, how much more, own the properties there.
ReplyDeleteAnother thief? Na wa o
ReplyDeleteAnd the masses remain poorer
Our anti corruption agencies need to be overhauled, let's get fresh blood in there
ReplyDeleteMake I just see 10million e Don do me
ReplyDeleteIf it was me i will not return any money stolen because it is part of my national cake. That Niger Delta ministry is something else. they should probe them well well. they are just thieves.
ReplyDeleteEvery body wants to eat from the national cake
ReplyDeleteAbi ooo.
DeleteNa wa oooo
ReplyDelete