Lagos — Four senior employees of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) have been relieved of their positions over alleged financial irregularities and unethical accounting practices before May 2007.

The Agency's Director of Finance and Administration, Joe Okhiku, a Chief Engineer, Adamu Musa, and the Principal Building Technologist, Bello Badamasi, were dismissed, while the Internal Auditor, Ernest Nwachukwu, an Assistant Director, was compulsorily retired.

The Minister of Information and Communications, Mr. John Odeh, approved the disciplinary action following a report of financial impropriety in the Agency by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

The report cited 37 specific cases of financial recklessness, especially during the 10-month tenure of Okhiku as acting Managing Director.

These include the diversion of monies meant for coverage of political activities to a private company for unidentified services and the opening of secret bank accounts into which the agency's monies were lodged and later siphoned.

The report further identified the release of funds for construction jobs that were not executed.

It recommended that monies misappropriated by the indicted officers be recovered.