BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – After months of foot dragging, the Presidency has at last queried the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustpha Maihaja over alleged fraud, corruption and embezzlement of billions of Naira illegally carried out by him in 2017.
Forefront however gathered that the query and the report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offense Commission (ICPC) were being secretly guided from being made public as some powerful forces within the seat of power are trying hard to cover it up with a view to protect Maihaja, who is seen as one of their own that must not be touched or removed from office.
This is in spite of the report of investigation carried out by the Department of State Services (DSS) over similar allegations which indicted Maihaja of fraud and misappropriation. Surprisingly, the DSS investigation was during the tenure of sacked Director General, Mr. Lawal Daura.
However, close sources at the DSS disclosed that following intervention by some powerful forces within the Presidency, the former DSS DG reached an understanding with the embattled NEMA DG by asking him to refund monies he collected as travel allowances for official trips he never made.
The Presidency query to Maihaja dated January 15, 2018, with reference number SH/OVP/DCOS/LG&R/NEMA/367 was signed by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, office of the Vice President, Ade Ipaye.
The House of Representatives had adopted the report of its Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness chaired by Hon Ali Isa J. C, which indicted Maihaja for fraud, diversion and embezzlement of N33 billion.
This is just as documents gathered by the House of Reps Committee, show that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo acting on a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that Maihaja be queried following a petition dated November 11, 2017 by one Abba Kyari Modu Gana over several allegations of fraud against the embattled NEMA DG.
In the petition, which Gana was said to have copied the Presidency, particularly the office of the Vice President, who is the Chairman of the Governing Council of NEMA, as well as the anti-graft agencies, the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly among others, made damning allegations of fraudulent practices against Maihaja as DG of NEMA.
Gana accused Maihaja of massive fraud, embezzlement, diversion of public fund, illegal approvals of contracts.
In the petition, Maihaja was accused of relocating the Abuja office NEMA to his brother’s house and increased rent by over 100 percent, adding that with a stroke of pen, the NEMA DG awarded N2.4 billion without bidding or tenders just as he allegedly pocketed money for foreign trips while he did not travel.
Gana further said that prior to the assumption of office of Maihaja in April 2017, activities at NEMA were on smooth sail, adding however that on his resumption as DG of the agency, he grounded the Mobile Ambulance Intensive Care Unit of the body, the emergency response vehicles, as well as the Air Ambulance and the Helicopter, which cost the nation about $100 million to put in place
Gana said; “Annexure 1 is a letter written to the Agency by the NCAA. In 2017, devastating floods that affected 16 states of the federation, there was directive for the immediate release of N1.6 billion for the supply of relief support for victims. This might interest you. No item was procured or delivered to the states affected by flood.
“The DG awarded a contract of N2.4 billion without following due process even though it’s strictly above his approval limit and that of the Chairman Governing Council of the agency. Annexure II are copies of draft letters written to the Federal Executive Council and the BPP seeking certificate of no objection after an award letter was issued to the supplying company.
“Even though they are just draft documents, the DG went ahead to pay the company the sum of Three Hundred and Six Million (N360,000,000) and another sum of Nine Hundred and Nineteen Million (N919,000,000) with just invoices.
“He has been involved in the illegal approval of contracts that are constitutionally and according to the Agency’s Act far above his approval limit and that of the Chairman of the Governing Council. The contract award letters signed by the acting Director, Department of Relief Services and Rehabilitation, a department that happens to be the consuming department of the items, annexure iii is the approval threshold of the Director General, annexure IV is a copy of NEMA Act, annexure v are copies of the contract award letters, payment vouchers and other illegal documents used for payment.
“The NEMA Abuja operations office was located at Wuye District before his resumption in office, on the expiration of the rent, the DG (Maihaja) said the amount paid (N7,000,000) seven million for two years was on the high side, so he relocated the office to his brother’s house at Wuse Zone 2, Mombolo street at the cost of (N16,758,000) Sixteen Million Seven Hundred & Fifty Eight Thousand Naira for the same period of two years).
“He (Maihaja) travelled to the United Kingdom for training in Bournemouth with all his travel entitlements paid for two weeks but he only spent five days and bought an apple Ipad. Upon return to the country he pulled out the amount from the agency’s account, see annexure vi).”
“He was scheduled to travel to Mexico for two weeks but he did not embark on the trip and he did not make refunds. He was scheduled for trip to Canada for two weeks, he collected the travel entitlement and spent two days, see his international passport for further details,” Gana’s petition stated.
