Leadership (Abuja)
Iyobosa Uwugiaren
8 August 2008
Former Chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) board of directors, Chief Bode George, and former Managing Director of the same authority, Alhaji Aminu Dabo, have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
LEADERSHIP gathered that George, who was arrested in his Maitama, Abuja, residence, was taken to Lagos last night and is being detained at the commission's cell on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, while Dabo is being detained in Abuja.th June 2001 and Ref No. TRY A&B4/2002 dated 5th of July 2002, issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation respectively, all contracts above N50 million should be refered to the Federal Executive Council while those between N20 million and N50 million are to be referred to Ministerial Tenders Board, contracts worth between N1 million and N20 million are to be approved by board of directors, N1 million contracts by permanent secretaries and contracts worth N700,000 and below are to be approved by chief executive of parastatals.
Both George and Dabo presided over the affairs of the NPA during the Obasanjo Administration and billions of naira are been suspected to have been stolen during the period as investigated by the anti-graft commission.
George returned to the country early this week after several months of stay in the United Kingdom and the United States.
He had boasted that he was never on the run from the EFCC as being speculated and dared the commission to arrest him if it had anything against him.
However, a statement on oath by an EFCC official, Mr Bamanga Bello, one of the operatives who investigated him, said, "The board of NPA under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George approved various contracts without due process and in clear violation of extant government rules and regulations, orders and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"Under the Federal Government Treasury Circulars Ref No.F 15775 dated 27
"Contrary to the above circulars and the relevant laws, the board of Nigeria Ports Authority under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George illegally conferred approval limit of N60 million on the board, N30 million on the executive management, N10 million on the managing directors, N2 million on the executive directors, N700,000 on the general managers and N500,000 on the ports managers. The action of the board in disregarding the extant government rules and regulations on award of contracts contravenes section 203 of the Criminal Code.
"Investigation revealed that the Nigeria Ports Authority during the period under review awarded over 24,252 contracts valued at over N100 billion. The board, under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George during the period under investigation, approved various contracts which only the Ministerial Tenders Board or the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had power to approve, and thereby contravened section 61 of the Criminal Code 11.
"During the period under investigation, various contracts which ordinarily should have been referred to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or the Ministerial Tenders Board for approval were fraudulently split into many units by the board under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George with the intention of circumventing extant government rules and regulations so that the contract amount would fall within the boards approval limits for the purpose of gain making by the board. The Act of fraudulent split of contracts is tantamount to abuse of office contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal code.
"During the period under investigations, various contracts which ordinarily should have been referred to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or the Ministerial Tenders Board for approval were fraudulently split into many units by the board under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode Geoge with the intention of circumventing extant government rules and regulations so that the contract amount would fall within the board's approval limits for the purpose of gain making by the Board. The Act of fraudulent split of contracts is tantamount to abuse of office contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal Code.
"It was also revealed during the period under investigation that contracts awarded by the Board were generally inflated as can be seen from the Report of the Committee and annexures II. The act of inflation of contract prices is tantamount to conspiracy and stealing, contrary to sections 516 and 390 of the Criminal Code. This action also contravened Section 22(3) of the ICPC Act 2000.
"During the investigation, Chief Olabode George was invited, interviewed and interrogated by the committee.
"It was also discovered that Chief Olabode George left office with about four vehicles belonging to Nigeria Ports Authority which prompted the committee to write to him, as a result of which he returned the vehicles to the Nigeria Ports Authority.
"Contrary to government regulation, the claimant occupied two properties belonging to NPA at Ikoyi, Lagos, and Maitama, Abuja.
"Even as the claimant had been removed as the Chairman of the NPA he was still occupying the two properties, contrary to government regulations.
"It was also revealed that numerous contracts were awarded in foreign currencies at highly inflated rates for supply of items that were easily obtainable in Nigerian markets, items such as umbrella, ball pens, fire services equipment, etc. Most of the contracts awarded by the NPA under the leadership of Chief Olabode George were not budgeted for, contrary to Section 22(4) of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission Act (ICPC).
"Chief Olabode George presided over the meetings in which the decision to award the contracts were taken. It was observed in the investigation that the Nigeria Ports Authority was operating under serious pressure from top government functionaries, legislators and party leaders on patronage rather than need."
LEADERSHIP also gathered that 100% advance payments were made at the NPA's London office, in contravention of the provisions of the Federal Government circular No: F.15775 of June 27, 2001 which stipulates a maximum 25% for all upfront payments.
"Between August 2002 and August 2003, Nigeria Ports Authority made 100% advance payments to 23 contractors at their London office, and some of these contracts were yet to be executed as at the time of the investigation," the statement concluded.
A legal practitioner, Mr Festus Keyamo, has urged the EFCC to charge the former board chairman to court without delay.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, told newsmen that George should be prosecuted to determine his innocence or otherwise.
He commended the EFCC Chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri, for her courage in arresting George, saying that many Nigerians had been expecting the arrest.
"At a point when the EFCC was making mass arrests of embezzlers in Nigeria, the issue of Bode George and the NPA dampened the people's spirits as he seemed untouchable,'' Odumakin added.
Also reacting, the National Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Dr Olapade Agoro, said that George's arrest would make Nigerians to have confidence in Waziri.
"With Bode George's arrest, Waziri has opened a new vista for prosecution of suspected corrupt leaders and will convince the whole world that she is worth her salt.
"The issue should be executed to a logical conclusion through prosecution, and his arrest must not be a window-dressing for the EFCC," Agoro said.
However, the Leader of the O'odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasheun, urged Nigerians not to mistake George's arrest as conviction.
"EFCC should go ahead and prosecute him but until he is proven guilty, we cannot assume that he is," Fasheun advised.
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