A petitioner, Dambaki Yaro Lima has berated the federal government for not taking adequate action to either axe or prosecute the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr Muhammed Haruna who has been accused of superintending over monumental fraud and abuse of office at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. AljazirahNigeria reports:

In a petition signed by Lima and sent to AljazirahNigeria, it alleged that the NASENI boss was involved in maladministration and fraudulent activities since he assumed office in that capacity.

The petitioner expressed dismay that nothing concrete have been done by the anti-graft agencies to investigate the serial allegations of impropriety levelled against Haruna who is believed to have the support of high ranking officials in government.

NASENI is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology which has its headquarters in Abuja with nine financially autonomous outstations across the country.

Fraudulent vehicle project and travel claims

The petitioner said Haruna approved a fraudulent vehicle acquisition project which was used as a conduit pipe for siphoning the resources available at the disposal of the agency.

The project vehicles, Toyota Land Cruiser 2014 model was said to have been procured at the cost of twenty-six million, nine hundred thousand naira (N26, 900,000) per unit and was awarded to Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited, Kaduna State.

The petition added that the same model and specification cost fifteen million Naira (15,000,000) in the open market at the time of the award of contract.

According to the petition, Haruna consistently blackmailed managing directors of the outfit’s branches and institutes across the country to contribute various levies which ran into millions for his spurious travel claims. AljazirahNigeria learnt that the parastatal headquarters has its own annual allocation to take care of such expenses as well as that of the outstations as approved by National Assembly.

The petition challenged the authorities to vet Haruna’s travel documents especially the passport to ensure that his recorded trips to China, Belarus, Korea, United states, Dubai, Indonesia, Turkey and other countries were genuine and not an avenue to siphon public funds at his disposal.

The petition also called on antigraft agencies to partner with the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and other relevant agencies to procure data from embassies and high commissions abroad to confirm the alleged overseas trips.

‘Disheartening and perturbing’

“It is disheartening and perturbing to mention that a project vehicle, Toyota Land Cruiser 2014 model was procured in 2014 at the cost of twenty-six million, nine hundred thousand naira (26,900,000.00) which was awarded to Kaura Motors Nigeria Limited, Kaduna, Kaduna State. It is imperative to state that the same model with the same specification is fifteen million naira (15,000,000.00) at the open markets.

“It is on record that Dr. Haruna compelled the out stations Directors or Managing Directors of the agency to contribute various levies which run into millions of naira for his travel claims on the purported “Presidential Directives despite the fact NASENI Headquarters Abuja has her own separate annual allocation as well as the nine (9) outstations which was approved for them by the National Assembly” the petition stated inter alia.

AljazirahNigeria could not independently verify these allegations though.

More sleaze

According to the petition, the NASENI Board, under the chairmanship of the embattled Haruna also approved various spurious contracts to contractors for kickback purposes.

The petitioner added that the contracts were awarded to various contractors for materials to execute unstated jobs for clients in which names were never mentioned in the memos requesting for the approvals.

The petition noted that eleven of the contracts range from four million to over nine million naira (N4-9m) each.

The petitioner said the agency’s boss was believed to have direct or indirect links with those who executed the awarded contracts.

It also alleged that some managing directors of the agency who tried to advise Haruna were either suspended, sacked, or made redundant while others were pinned down as ‘floating officers at NASENI Headquarters.’

The petition stated that the CEO had serially threatened members of the staff that make any attempt to confront him on his actions.

“He has often stated that he is close to the Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Sa’ad Abubakar and that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot remove him. He is also boastful and has said that no antigraft agency can probe or investigate him,’’ the petitioner narrated.

The CEO was also alleged to have removed a sum of five million naira (N5,000,000.00) from the coffers of the agency to’ procure the Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering’ as a member of the Academy during their induction which took place in sometime in Lagos.

The petition added that despite the harsh financial situation in the country, NASENI bankrolled 10 traditional rulers to attend his investiture saying that is against the civil service rules and regulations.

The petitioner made a passionate case for the civil society groups, the EFCC, the presidency and other relevant anti-graft agencies to swing into swift action in order to ensure that justice is done on the matter after relevant investigations might have been carried out.

Attempts to get a reaction to the report from the NASENI boss was not fruitful as at press time.

A mail sent to the NASENI web portal seeking reaction to the allegations is yet to be responded a week after.

http://aljazirahnews.com/untouchable-naseni-boss-reportedly-diverts-millions-tax-payers-monies/