Fresh facts have emerged on how a former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chris Ngige allegedly converted over N46 billion meant for local councils in the state to personal use,
Ngige became governor in May 2003 through an election that was adjudged one of the most flawed in Nigeria’s electoral history. In March 2006, a court of appeal affirmed an earlier verdict by an election tribunal that Mr. Peter Obi, and not Ngige, won the election.
According to a report by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ngige diverted, laundered or converted to personal use at least N46 billion through several fronts. The fronts included relations, friends, and ladies.
The report, which was sourced by Pointblanknews.com, came on the heels of detailed investigations by EFCC operatives on petitions against Ngige by two groups- Anambra Democratic Vanguard, and Socio-Economic Rights Initiative (formerly known as Shelter Rights Initiative)- and one Mr. Bonaventure Madufokwa.
A serving senator, Ngige is All Peoples’ Congress (APC) candidate in the November 16, 2013 governorship election in the state.
The EFCC report dated 31st July 2009, was signed by Hayatu Shaafa, a Chief Supritendent of Police (CSP).
According to the report, the collusion of eleven members of the State Assembly, appointed council chairmen, and some consultants, helped Ngige divert and launder the said monies.
One of the law makers fingered is Okonkwo Okom, who has since become Ngige’s campaign manager.
According to the EFCC report, allocations to local government councils in Anambra State
from May 2003, when Ngige became governor, to February 2006, when he was sacked, amounted to N47,166,297,177.60.
When Ngige took over in 2003, said the report, he ordered that two accounts- project and security accounts- be opened in the now defunct Guardian Express Bank. The investigators said the move was suspicious particularly as there was an existing project account maintained by the State Accountant-General in Intercontinental (now Access) Bank Plc.
According to EFCC investigators, Ngige ordered the transfer of N6,726,054,692.00 and another N3,892,929.00 meant for local government councils in Anambra to the project account.
EFCC investigators said Ngige was able to order the transfers because his appointee Commissioner for Local government and chieftancy affairs, Dr. Peter Ogbuka, and chairman of the governor’s Idemili council, Dr. Uche Ezeliora, were signatories to the local government joint account.
On the other hand, said the EFCC report, the sole signatory to the project and security accounts was Ngige’s Principal Secretary and uncle, Mr. Emma C. J. Nwosu.
Submitted the EFCC investigators; “The Governor (Ngige) through his principal secretary E.C.J Nwosu at different times deposited various sums of money into the account number 29030001 called Inter departmental suspense account maintained by Guardian Express Bank now Spring Bank to disguise the money before distributing to various beneficiaries.”
The report listed the beneficiaries as
“Harlesden Engineering Limited, Swiss Engineering Company, Iyke Ohaleye, Mr. I.K Okonkwo, Steve Morka, Princess Uzo Okonkwo and some fake companies.”
Said the report, “Dr. Chris Ngige used Mr. Emma.C. J Nwosu and Miss Uzoma Victoria Okonkwo who are his principal secretary and special assistant on liaison matters, and personal assistant to siphon and misappropriate public funds through Guardian Express Bank, Awka.”
It continued, “Between November 2003 to March 2006… Dr Chris Ngige through his principal secretary and personal assistant sent the sum of N132,750,000.00 (one hundred and thirty two million seven and fifty thousand Naira) to Miss Uzoma Victoria Okonkwo.
“That out of the above sum amount the sum of N74,000,000 (seventy four million) was used to purchase about $500,000 US dollars for the ex-governor.”
Pointblanknews.com gathered that it was from this $500,000 that Ngige wired $349,975 into the account of his younger sister, Mrs. Mayrose Ozoemena Nwadike, in August 2005.
Part of the money Ngige wired to his Maryland, US-based sister, , Pointblanknews.com investigations revealed, was to hire the “best forensic experts in the US”.
A certain Police forensic expert, Mr. Kolawole, subpoenaed by Mr. Peter Obi had claimed that one person thumb-printed all the ballot papers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) relied on to award the governorship election victory to Ngige.
Mrs Nwadike, who helped her younger brother, Emeka Ngige, become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has since been barred from practising law in the US after investigators confirmed that she used her account to launder money for her elder brother, Chris.
The EFCC report noted that some officials of the state government led by Emma Nwosu served as conduit pipes for the theft of over N25 billion. They listed the conduit pipes as Ngige’s elder sister, Mrs Bene Nwachukwu, his cousin, Emeka Okafor, Commissioner for Special Duties, Chris Atuegwu, and one Emeka Asoanya.
Pointblanknews.com investigations revealed that Atuegwu, a pharmacist, was romantically involved with Mrs Nwachukwu.
According to the report, between 2003 and 2005, Mrs Nwachukwu, Atuegwu, Emeka Okafor, one Barrister Lotanna Okoli, Agochukwu Okpalaoka and Emeka Asoanya were used to divert over “N10 billion realised as property rates, market stall fees, business premises fees, development levies and taxes from Onitsha, Nnewi etc.”
None of the monies realised was retired into the treasury of the Anambra State government, the report said.
On another front, the report continued, Ngige awarded over-inflated road contracts to Master Holdings Limited, whose Managing Director Mr. Anayo Nwandu later lodged the proceeds into Ngige’s account. The go-between, the report said, was a certain Engr. Okafor, Ngige’s uncle and consultant appointed to supervise the road contracts.
According to the EFCC report, this process swelled Ngige’s personal account by over N25 billion.
On other sleazy accounts, EFCC operatives observed that ” between 10th November, 2003 and 15th March, 2006 Mr. Emma C.J Nwosu withdrew the total sum of over N6,850,918.54 from the security account.
The report noted that one of the fronts used by Ngige – Supra Autos Limited- “is an automobile company which has Dr. Chris Ngige and his parents as directors; and one Steve Morka as the General Manager.”
Investigators noted that on 19th November, 2003, Ngige’s uncle transferred N2,331,000.00 from the security account domiciled in Spring Bank, Awka, to Steve Morka, MD of Ngige’s Supra Autos.
Another transfer of N3,750,000.00 was made on 16th July, 2004, to the same Steve Morka, the report said.
EFCC investigators discovered that on November 30, 2004, “Emma C.J Nwosu issued and withdrew eighty six cheques (86) of five million naira each amounting to four hundred and thirty million naira (430,000,000).”
On December 31, 2004, observed the EFCC investigators, Ngige’s uncle and principal secretary ” issued and withdrew one hundred and forty four (144) cheques of five million Naira each amounting to (seven hundred and twenty million naira) N720, 000,000.”
On 27th June 2005, the report said, “Emma C. J. Nwosu issued twenty one (21)cheques of between five hundred thousand naira and five million Naira among several withdrawals. According to the report, “only some fraction of the local government council allocation was paid to the 21 councils to cater for staff salaries, security votes and over head costs and projects.
“In view of the foregoing,” concluded CSP Shaafa in the 31-page report, “it is my humble opinion that a prima facie case has been established against Dr. Chris Ngige, Mr. Emma.C. J Nwosu, Miss Uzoma Victoria Okonkwo, Sir Chris Atuegwu, Mr. Osita Udeoye, Mr. I.K Okonkwo, Steve Morka and Swiss Engineering Ltd.”