….warns against political undertones

An anti corruption advocacy group, Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has written to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, urging him to direct a total inquiry on the ongoing investigative hearing which involves the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The letter addressed to the Speaker and signed by CESJET’s legal adviser, Edward Omaga, Esq, said the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness should be directed to invite the former NEMA DG, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, the six suspended Directors and other indicted persons or organizations for a holistic probe and not allow itself to be consumed by political vendetta against political enemies of the Speaker.

In the letter dated April 20, 2018, Omaga alleged that the ongoing probe appears to be targeted at the current Director General, while the real culprits are left to walk freely.

According to him, some elements within the House of Representatives are desperate to cover the tracks of the former Director-General and the suspended six Directors about the alleged fraud and violation of public trust.

The letter reads, “Honourable Speaker sir, you are very much aware that upon resumption of duty of the current Director-General, the funds left in the coffers of NEMA was a meagre N4.6 Million and a liability of N1.5 Billion.

“The immediate past Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sidi, paid for contracts without proper documentation and maintained 20 different accounts in various banks despite his public servant status. The EFCC found suspicious deposits amounting to 164, 000 US Dollars in a domiciliary account, all within 18 months. At the same time, he had up to £58, 000 in his Pounds Sterling Account.

“The records are clear that the suspended Director of Finance and Accounts, Akinbola Hakeem Gbolahan, also maintained many bank accounts with questionable transactions. In particular, his account in a bank (name witheld) contained suspicious deposits totalling N27, 650,000. Also, deposits of over £37,000 and $120,000 were found in his domiciliary accounts, and much of these deposits flowed directly from NEMA.