Leadership (Abuja)
Gowon Emakpe
28 April 2008
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will this morning arraign the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, before an Abuja High Court over alleged retention of N10 million stolen from the Federal ministry of Health.
Former health minister Professor Adenike Grange and 10 others had earlier been charged over the same matter of "conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery to withdraw money from the federal government treasury and fraud."
They were charged for withdrawing N300 million unspent fund of the ministry for the 2007 appropriation account.
The Obasanjo-Bello-led committee is also accused of taking N10 million of the money.
The EFCC had declared Obasanjo-Bello at large when Professor Grange and 10 others were arraigned at an Abuja high court, and later granted bail.
The court is expected to hear preliminary objection by Obasanjo-Bello seeking to strike out the charges slammed on her, on grounds that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
But counsel to EFCC, Mr. James Binang, told the court that the "application is an abuse of court process," arguing that "since it is a criminal matter, the accused ought to be brought proper before the court."
Obasanjo-Bello, who is the 12th accused person, is charged with count 55 and 56, which reads conspiracy for retention of proceeds of criminal stolen property: "That you Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, now at large, some time between December 2007 and March 2008 at Abuja, within the judicial division of the high court of the Federal Capital Territory, while serving as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health dishonestly received the sum of N10 million belonging to the Federal Government, having reason to believe such/same to be stolen by you, thereby committed an offence punishable under section 317 of the penal code Act Cap 352 law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abuja, 1990."
Obasanjo-Bello had, in a letter to the Senate president and the Senate, appealed to them to stop the EFCC from harassing her and the "false impression" it is giving to the whole world that she is a criminal or above the law.
She had also requested the Senate president to direct the EFCC not to take any further action on the issues of jurisdiction and competence, which have been turned over to court.
LEADERSHIP gathered from a reliable source that Obasanjo-Bello will be in court today.
Meanwhile, more revelations emerged at the weekend over the alleged N300 million scam as the cashier to the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. J.B. Faniyi, disclosed to the EFCC how he was given N24,000.00 by the suspended director of administration, Dr. H.B. Oyedepo, to enable him cash the N300 million cheques raised in favour of the fictitious contracts approved by Professor Grange.
It would be recalled that the suspended permanent secretary in the ministry, Professor Samuel Ogamdi, in his written statement to the EFCC, had fingered Dr. Oyedepo as the initiator of the non-existing contracts on which the sum of N300 million was purportedly expended by constituting a six-man "welfare committee."
Mr. Faniyi said that for doing the "dirty job," he was paid a paltry sum of N24,000.00. "The amount given to me out of the money was about N24,000.00 only."
According to him, the money will be refunded when he collects his January and February 2008 salaries.
He added that most of the cheques of the scandalous N300 million contracts were cashed by him and handed over to the director of administration in the ministry.
He said, "On the issue of cheques which were cashed by me, the payees endorsed them to me and give me the photocopy of their identify cards.
"The cheques were cashed from the overhead account of the ministry at Oceanic Bank Plc, Account No. 066-1301005284. In respect of cheque No. 08497504, dated December 27, 2007, in favour of Mr. Ogbonnaya I.K., which was cashed by me, I handed it over to the director of administration in the ministry. In respect of cheque No. 1625, dated December 27, 2007, in favour of Bogdan Ventures, but later changed to Mr. J.A. Olomo, it was cashed by me and handed over to the director of administration after it was endorsed to me.
"In respect of cheque No. 00001754 in favour of Mrs. Ndubuisi B.I., this cheque was cashed by me when it has been endorsed to me and I handed it over to Mr. Ibrahim, A.M. who in turn handed it over to the director of administration. In respect of cheque No. 10448423, in favour of Mr. Dora A. Inyang, which was handed over to the director of administration, cheque No. 8497498 was on 03/1/08 endorsed to me after which I handed over the cash to the director of administration."
Again, he said, "I, on the January 3, 2008, cashed cheque No. 8497524 in favour of Henry Onyeagwalam, which I also handed over to the director of administration. Cheque No. 00001672, in favour of Ekanem Donald, was endorsed to me and on instruction, I forwarded the cash to the director of administration. In respect of cheque No. 00001702, it was endorsed to me and I handed over the cash to the director of administration. Cheque No. 00001699 was endorsed to me by Henry Onyeagwalam and I, after the cashing, handed over the money to the director of administration. Cheque No. 00001747 was endorsed to me for cashing by Mr. O. Oke and the cash was handed over to him on my way from the bank."
"Cheque No. 1675 was on December 13, 2007, endorsed to me and I gave the cash to the director of administration. Cheque No. 084997508, in favour of Mr. K. O. Busari was endorsed to me and the cash forwarded to the director of administration. The amount given to me out of the money was about N24,000.00 only."
A principal administration officer in the ministry, Mr. Donald Ekanem, had earlier confessed to the EFCC as follows: "I wish to state that in December 2007, my director of administration called six of us to think of jobs to execute in December under the leadership of my AD (Assistant Director) Welfare, Menoma."
Also the suspended permanent secretary in the ministry, Professor Samuel Ogamdi, said, "Proposals were generated and recommended for my approval by the director of administration. I then recommended to the honourable minister, Professor Adenike Grange, for amount beyond my limit. I have never seen these payment vouchers before. I do not know any of the companies. I was posted to the ministry within a month (then) and depended on the judgement of the director of administration to follow due process."
Grange and 10 others are standing trial before an Abuja High Court for allegedly sharing N300 million unspent budget of the Federal Ministry of Health.
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