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Nigeria: EFCC Quizzes Grange, Aduku, Iyabo Again
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This Day (Lagos)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 27 March 2008
Onwuka Nzeshi and Dayo Thomas
Abuja
The Economic and Fina-ncial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday quiz-zed the principal characters in the graft allegations rocking the Ministry of Health.
Questioned for over three hours were the former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, and her former Minister of State, Chief Gabriel Aduku, both of whom were forced to resign their positions in President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's cabinet on Tuesday.
Also interrogated were Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Hon. Alaba Ojomo Oladoyinbo, chairman of the House Committee on Health.
Both were said to have been indicted in the graft probe into the sharing of N300 million unspent votes as Christmas bonuses last December.
An EFCC official told THISDAY yesterday that the commission did not go ahead to arrest them in preparation for prosecution because the paper work was not yet ready.
"By law we cannot keep them for more than 48 hours before charging them to court," the official said. "We only quizzed them again today and asked them to report again on Friday."
There is every likelihood that they and the indicted directors of the ministry would be charged to court next week by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, THISDAY learnt.
Aduku, one of the principal characters, said yesterday that his resignation from the Federal Executive Council was to give "unfettered access" to the EFCC to conclude its investigations into the contract scam and non-return of the 2007 unspent budgetary funds at the Federal Ministry of Health.
Maintaining the same line as Grange, Aduku said though he resigned in view of the prevailing circumstances arising from the interim report of the EFCC, he remained innocent of all allegations of financial malpractices.
"In my brief service in government, I have endeavoured to serve with commitment, dedication and loyalty to implement Federal Government's policies and programmes in the health sector. As I leave government, I pledge my unalloyed loyalty and commitment to serve my dear country, Nigeria as the nation continues the drive to achieve the seven-point agenda and the challenge of the Vision 2020 project," he said.
Aduku's explanation came on the heels of the assumption of duty by the Minister of Labour, Dr. Hassan Muhammad Lawal, as interim Minister of Health.
The appointment of Lawal to oversee the Federal Ministry of Health, followed Tuesday's forced resignations of Grange and Aduku as well as the suspension of the Permanent Secretary and a number of directors implicated in the affair.
Lawal, who arrived the Phase 3 wing of the Federal Secretariat Complex at exactly 1.40pm, was ushered straight into the Conference Room of the Ministry on the sixth floor where he met with the directors and staff of the Ministry.
He later went into a closed-door session with the directors apparently to enable them brief him on the current situation of things in their various departments.
But a mild drama played out as Dr. Shehu Sule, Executive Director, National Tertiary Hospitals Commission was introduced as the Acting Permanent Secretary a position that was until that time still vacant. This caused a momentary stir in the room as other top officials were either not aware of the elevation or were expecting another director to step into the shoes of the suspended Permanent Secretary, Professor Simon Ogamdi.
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THISDAY checks revealed that under the current situation, the most senior director in the Ministry ought to have stepped into the position of Acting Permanent Secretary. It could not however be confirmed if Dr. Shehu Sule was indeed the most senior and rightful aspirant to the position. The mild drama, sources said, might just be the beginning of intrigues by some top officials of the Ministry to take vantage positions in the emerging hierarchy.
Addressing the gathering, Lawal said his coming to the Ministry was to ensure that there was continuity in government business. He described government as an institution that will out-live "each and everyone of us" and urged all staff of the Ministry not to be disturbed by the recent developments but to continue with their normal duties with renewed commitment and determination.
Lawal said that the task of moving the Health Ministry forward and achieving the desired improvements in the health indices of Nigeria required total loyalty, support, cooperation and dedication from both management and staff. He however disclosed that his tenure would be characterized by the virtues of team work, objectivity, transparency and accountability and warned all and sundry to embrace these principles if they must remain relevant in the system.
The Obasanjo family constitute as the financial terrorists that has carted away the nation's wealth making the Abacha's IBB, Abdulsalami a child play. It is seemingly obvious that former President Obasanjo's notorious lawless and shameless daughter is treated with a different standard by the law enforcement Agencies, Legislatures and the Presidency otherwise she should be asked to step down as a senator pending her investigation.
From records available, Ms. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has exhibited such character that makes her unfit to govern ranging from her traffic violations conviction, a warrant for kidnapping all in the US courts and her false fronting... [Read Full Text]
You made a sound argument and I support it 110%. The officials of EFCC are selective who to prosecute otherwise Ms Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello should be behind bars as we speak. Remember a few weeks back she argued that probing how the $16B was spent during her father's administration on power was a waste of time. She said that this is the time to move forward.
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