BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has said that Nigerians demand for a transparent process towards getting to the roots of the alleged scam of N48 billion at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
It specifically expressed disappointment with the Federal Government’s handling of the raging allegations of about N48 billion scam at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in which it’s erstwhile Permanent Secretary, who is presently the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Science and Technology, Alhaji Mohammed Umar Bello was reportedly indicted by the Head of Service of the Federation and queried on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Human Rights Organisation faulted the entire scenarios playing out, describing it as “political drama,” stressing that it is inconceivable and indeed outrageous that the President of the country can order that a query be issued to an appointee over allegations that the same official of government is claiming that the approving authority, who is President Muhammadu Buhari approved all the transactions for which he is being indicted.
The Human Rights organisation said it is unimaginable that the Permanent Secretary was queried for the same allegations that he claimed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigated, interrogated and cleared him without such a sensitive information of such a high profile investigation not made known to the President.
HURIWA noted that Umar, was accused of “serious misconduct” while serving as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who has replied to the Federal Government, saying he did no wrong adding that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had cleared him.
HURIWA however noted that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, had, on the order of the President, Muhammadu Buhari queried Umar for allegedly buying “uncompleted carcass” building for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the sum of N7bn just as he was also accused of giving out seven deep drilling rigs for borehole procured at N1.3bn to some unnamed individuals under “fraudulent arrangements,”.
HURIWA also said that Umar was also accused of failing to pay eligible contractors despite budgetary release of N98,405,763,678.68 in 2018 Appropriation leading to an outstanding of N49 billion.
It expressed shock that top government officials including President Muhammadu Buhari and the Head of Service went ahead to issue a query which has seemingly been contradicted by the indicted Umar, who now claimed that the same authority issuing him the indictments actually approved that the Federal ministry of Agriculture should proceed with purchasing an uncompleted housing asset described as ‘Carcass of an uncompleted building’ at the humonguous price of N7 billion amongst other alleged infractions which the Permanent Secretary has disputed.
HURIWA therefore expressed consternation that even though the EFCC is under the supervision of the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice, who is answerable to the President, it wondered how the President is not in the know that one of his Permanent Secretaries was investigated and the President still went ahead to issue a query over same allegations to the Permanent secretary who has now come out to make the sensational claims that the Agriculture minister and the Federal Executive Council were all involved in the said alleged official misdemeanor of purchasing a carcass of an uncompleted building for N7 billion.
According to HURIWA; “These questions are begging for acceptable answers and the way to go is to constitute an independent Judicial panel to investigate these allegations since the EFCC and ICPC appeared not to have behaved in a professionally competent manner going by the fact that the President ordered a query to a man, who says the anti-graft panels cleared him.
“Primarily, the panel should dig into the circumstances surrounding the purchase of a carcass of an uncompleted building for N7 billion and now we are told that due process was followed. How?
“Recently, the Ibadan zonal office of the EFCC, arraigned a Permanent Secretary in the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Rasaq Kolawole, for allegedly defrauding one Ibikunle Alonge of N4. 4 million. So, how come that a bigger case of purchasing a house described by the Head of Service of the Federation as a carcass for N7 billion and they are telling Nigerians that due process was followed to carry out such an indefensible transaction or is it that some powerful politicians are involved?” the Human Writers said.
