“Power doesn’t corrupt people. People corrupt power.” — William Gadis

In 2017, news of a missing file sparked panic among the bigwigs in the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. The file contained documents of a procurement deal carried out towards the close of the 2016 financial year. When all efforts to retrieve the papers failed, the ministry credited each worker in the Procurement Department with N175,000. It was an appeal to anyone with the file not to let out the content.

Lai Mohammed’s ministerial appointment in October 2015 was good news in the Ministry of Information and Culture. The ministry used to be two different entities before its amalgamation by President Muhammadu Buhari a day before the swearing-in of his long-awaited cabinet. All ministries had been without ministers for more than four months. When the president eventually tilted the poster boy of his anti-corruption mantra to Radio House, the wait looked like it was worth it.

GENERATOR FRAUD

Serious procurement fraud had been going on among the ministry’s fat cats for a long time. A little while before Lai’s appointment, a contract was awarded for the supply of 18.5 and 13KVA diesel generators to the Federal Information Centres (FIC) in the country. The contractor supplied 3.5KVA generators but was primed to get the amount appropriated for the 18.5 and 3.5KVA plants. He was going to give a good share of the money to the ministry officials who made the contract possible.

In Nigeria, procurement is one of the government activities most vulnerable to corruption. Top public officials liaise with bidders before awarding a contract, and the contractor who agrees to do give up the highest bulk gets the job. Up to 60% of all Nigerian corruption cases are tied to public procurement.

For the generator project, a worker in the Ministry of Information and Culture told FIJ that top ministry officials were poised to harvest up to 70% of the money. Expectations were, therefore, high for the new minister. Ordinary workers of the ministry hoped that Buhari’s ‘change’ mantra would begin with the sanitization of the procurement sector. And for Lai, the first test was going to be the generator deal.

Would he approve the payment or prosecute the contractor and everyone involved in the alliance? The minister would fail, and barely six months after his appointment, ministry workers would, in a protest, accuse him of budget inflation and financial irregularities.

WHEN INVESTIGATORS ARE THE FRAUDSTERS

Lai set up a panel over the generator controversy. Investigators deployed to ascertain the delivery of the generators at the FICs had submitted reports suggesting massive procurement fraud. The panel was, however, made up of the same directors who masterminded the fraud, and so was a hornless bull. The Civil Service Code of Ethics condemns any activity that is inconsistent with morality. A civil servant must not solicit payment or gifts in the course of discharging his/her duties.

But the panel would be completely silent over the breach of ethics by some of its members. It ruled that the contractor be paid to the tune of what he supplied. At the end, a huge sum remained in the coffers of the ministry from the generator project and leftover from other capital projects. The ministry’s big names, who would not let such a huge sum return into the Single Treasury Account (TSA), approached the minister with a plan. They could warehouse the fund with the help of the Accountant General of the Federation, and then come up with a deal. They would benefit and the minister would benefit, too. Why let the money go? Their plan was approved, and then the game began.

On Wednesday, March 29, 2017, Bunmi Morgridge, Deputy Director of General Service, wrote a letter to the then acting Permanent Secretary, Hussaini Dayar, asking for urgent procurement of some office equipment, including five Ford Ranger vehicles and some computer accessories such as 30 HP laptops, 30 MacBook pro (2016 Edition) laptops, 30 Apple iPad pro 12.9 inches 128gb, 30 HP Laserjet P2035 Black and White toner printers, 30 HP Laserjet colour printers, 30 HP Sharp AR 6020 Digital photocopiers amongst others...

Continue Reading: https://fij.ng/article/exclusive-over-n200m-fraud-in-lai-mohammeds-ministry-of-information-and-culture/

And Tinubu wants to become president

Another old thief in APC

May God forbids

Even if he is removed from office.they will appoint him,as a non career ambassador..na naija for u.

Old thieving politicians.

PrinceOfLagos:
And Tinubu wants to become president

Another old thief in APC

May God forbids

HOw does this concern Tinubu?

Seems like mentioning Tinubu is like Oxygen to some people here

Source?

Tolexander:
HOw does this concern Tinubu?

Seems like mentioning Tinubu is like Oxygen to some people here

All for what? to gather likes I guess. Don't waste your breath on those idiots bro

Did he cum or squirt after being fingered.

lol

Lai have turned snake swallowing money Hahahaha

Wonders shall never end!