Date Published: 05/0509

Perm Secretary arrested over N3 billion contract fraud

...As EFCC arrests five UBE directors over N1.7 billion fraud

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged breach of due process and embezzlement of the sum of N3 Billion said to have been paid for rural electrification projects in 2008.

The contract was awarded by Rural Electrification Agency while Dr. Abdullahi was acting Minister of Power in 2008 to an unnamed company.

According to sources at the EFCC, soon after the contract was awarded, 15 Per cent mobilization fees were paid and in December 2008, the remaining 85 Per cent of the contract fees was paid to expedite the rural electrification project.

The Source told pointblanknews.com that contracts for over 100 projects for rural electrification totaling about N2 billion and which process was under the watch of the Minister of State for Power were awarded and payments completely made to the contractors in a manner that smacks of fraud as it was done to beat the Federal Government contract award deadline in December 2008.

The source added that findings show that either the contracts were awarded to phony companies or companies without qualifications to handle the electrification projects.

Also, five directors of the Universal Basic Education, UBE have been arrested over a N1.7 Billion fraud. The arrested Directors are: Dr. Andrew Epanobi, Michael Awule, Professor Gidado Tahir, Hajia Hadiza, , Alex Eozman, an America One of the Directors whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of going to press was said to have escaped.