ICPC Arraigns 2 Civil Servants Over N14.8m Job Scam

Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned two civil servants in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mrs Grace Nkoyo Nwauzor and Mr. Okorie Tobias Otubaku before Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, High Court for allegedly defrauding job-seekers of N14.8 million.

The suspects, Nwauzor, a Level 12 officer under Career Management Section in OHCSF, who had been on the run from the ICPC for several months before she was arrested by the Navy while allegedly trying to defraud some of their personnel and Otubaku, were both arraigned by the Commission before Justice Salisu Garba and have been remanded in Suleja prisons.

According to the ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat  Okoduwa, the duo who are facing a ten count-charge were alleged to have defrauded job-seekers of their monies by offering them non-existent jobs in government ministries, department and agencies in 2012 and 2013.

ICPC, while arraigning them, told Justice Garba, that Nwauzor collected N2, 250, 000 in 2013 from one Matthias Billy Ibrahim, who was an intermediary between her and many job-seekers in contravention of Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and punishable under the same section.

She was alleged to have received N700, 000 from Onyeziligbo Ngozi in 2012 for the purpose of getting employment in a government ministry or department, thereby committing an offence that contravenes Section 10(a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.

The Commission further told the court that Mr. Otubaku on his part, fraudulently collected N5, 800, 000 in 2013 from Mathias Billy Ibrahim for the purpose of helping him to secure jobs for ‘his candidates’ in some departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The said money was paid into his Ecobank account, making him to commit an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89 and Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Part of the charge sheet reads, “Nwauzor, being a staff of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation did corruptly receive the total sum of N2, 250, 000 as benefit for yourself from Mathias Billy Ibrahim, through your Zenith Bank account, on account of favour to be afterwards shown to him by securing job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10 (a)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

‘Otubaku, while serving as a staff in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation cheated Mathias Billy Ibrahim, by deceiving him fraudulently to deliver to you the total sum of N5, 800, 000 through your Ecobank account on your promise that you will secure a job employment for his candidates in different ministries and departments of government which he would not do if he were not so deceived. Which caused him loss of his money, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law, Cap 89.”

The duo pleaded not guilty to all the charges read to them and were not admitted to bail. Justice Garba in his ruling ordered them to be remanded in Suleja Prisons till 1^st November, 2016 pending the hearing of their bail applications.

About 4000 civil servants employed during the Goodluck administration may lose their jobs

No fewer than 4000 civil servants who were employed into the civil service during the Goodluck Jonathan administration may lose their jobs as the acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Shettima Abba, has reportedly queried the chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission FCSC, Joan Ayo, for alleged violation of the principle of Federal character in the employment of the civil servants.
According to inside sources, the query was issued in early May year. This has led most civil servants to petition the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission ICPC over the alleged plans by the FCSC to sack them. The Executive chairman of the Federal Character Commission had argued that most of the workers recruited were from a particular geopolitical zone, the South South. The query issued to the FCSC chairman in part reads
"The Federal Character Commission has viewed and observed with concern the recruitment exercises undertaken by the Federal Civil Service between 2013 and 2015, which glaringly is lopsided and grossly abused the principle of Federal Character to which all institution have subscribed. The recruitment which recorded the engagement of about 4,904 workers, threw away all common sense and wisdom of national cohesion and integration by favoring some states to the detriment of others. We are worried that if this trend is allowed to continue, then some sections of the country may not only feel alienated but may feel insecure by the action of people in authority. It is inconceivable and a gross injustice for a geopolitical zone to be allocated 33.6 per cent of the total candidates recruited as against 26.2 per cent for three zones combined, North-East, North-West and North-Central.”
Shettima Abba in the query, asked the commission to henceforth adhere to the principle of federal character as contained in the guidelines and procedure for recruitment into the civil service.

ICPC Arraigns Former Minister Godsday Orubebe for Circumventing Projects

The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has today arraigned former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, on a six count charge bothering on circumventing the approval of some road projects while heading the Ministry.

Orubebe was arraigned before Justice Kayode Adeniyi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him and his co-defendants.

He was arraigned alongside Oludare Alaba (an Assistant Director, Ministry of Niger Delta Affiars), Ephraim Zeri (Director of Contracts in Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Limited and the company, named in the six-count charge marked: CR/265/2016, filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices an other related offences Commission (ICPC).

Orubebe was alleged to have used his position as minister to confer an unfair advantage upon Gitto Costruzioni Generali (Nig.) Ltd by circumventing the approval of the Federal Executive Council in respect of the contract for the dualization of the Eket-Oron Road when he took a decision to rehabilitate the road contrary to the award letter reference No. WR14522/Vol. 1/55 dated 28/09/2006 as approved by the Federal Executive Council, an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000.

He was alleged to have among other allegations, sometimes in September 2015 made false statement to officers of the ICPC, Eric Anona, Isiona Okolo and Bukar Galadima in the course of their official duty, when he informed them in writing in respect of the contract for the dualization of Eket Urban Road that the decision to rehabilitate instead of dualisation was taken when he had left office as a minister, knowing that the information was false.

It will be recalled that the erstwhile minister has a legal battle with the Federal Government before the Code of Conduct Tribunal for not declaring one of his properties during his tenure, with judgement on the matter slated for September 21, 2016.

Upon their non guilty plea, and the application for bail having been duly filed and moved by counsels representing the accused persons, the court granted bail to Orubebe in the sum of N10million, one surety in like sum, with a viable residential address within the jurisdiction of the court, and a valid tax payment receipt in the last three years, on the grounds that he was a former minister.

The other accused persons were however, granted bail in the sum of N20million each, one surety in like sum who must be a public officer with the Federal Civil Service and resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The matter was adjourned to November 10, 2016 while they are to be remanded in ICPC custody pending when they meet up with the bail conditions.

The charge reads in part : "That you Oludare Lawrence Alaba (M)sometimes between 2010 and 2014 or thereabout, while being in the employment of the Federal Government of Nigeria, deployed to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as Assistant Director, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, did direct the spending of the balance of the compensation money totaling the sum of (N1,

965,576,153.46) being meant to compensate owners of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) via a letter reference No EWR/S4/CN5883/COMP/vol.9/429 dated 23/01/2015 as part of the contract sum when you knew that the money was for compensation only and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000.

"That you, Gitto Costruzioni Generali (Nig.) Ltd, through Mr Ephraim Tewolde Zeri, Director Contracts, sometime between 2010 and 2014 or thereabouts within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, cheated

the Federal Government of Nigeria of the sum N1,965,576,153.46 being balance of the compensation money of N2, 320,686,826.00 with the knowledge to cause wrongful loss to the Federal Government of Nigeria whose interest in the compensation money meant for owners of then properties marked for demolition in respect of the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) you were bound by the contract for the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) to protect, by returning the said balance to the Federal Government of Nigeria but failed to return same and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 323 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory 2006.

"That you, Gitto Costruzioni Generali (Nig.) Ltd the through Mr Ephraim Tewolde Zeri, Director Contracts, sometime between 2010 and 2014 or thereabouts within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being entrusted with the sum of N2,320,686,826.00 to compensate owners of properties marked for demolition in respect of the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) did commit criminal breach of trust by dishonestly misappropriating the sum of N1,965,576,153.46 being balance of the compensation money of N2,320,686,826.00 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory 2006.

"That you Elder Godsday Peter Orubebe (M), Oludare Lawrence Alaba (M), Mr. Ephraim Tewolde Zeri, Director Contracts and Gitto Costruzioni Generali (Nig.) Ltd,sometimes between 2010 and 2014 or thereabout, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, agreed to deploy the balance of the compensation money of N1, 965,576,153.46 meant for owners of properties marked for demolition in respect of Eket Urban

Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) into the contract for the dualisation of the Eket Urban Section of the East-West Road (Section IV) against the purpose for which the money was meant for and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 96 and punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code CAP 532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory 2006".