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EFCC Quizzes NAHCON Top Officials over Hajj Finances, Contracts

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Personnel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have quizzed some top officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over the 2022 hajj operation finances and contracts.

According to insiders, the agency, has uncovered hundreds of millions of naira stashed in the bank accounts of some top aides of the Executive Chairman, Zikirullah Kunle Hassan.

EFCC also quizzed Commissioners Nura Hassan Yakasai (Policy, Personnel Management & Finance), Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa (Operations), and Sheikh Suleiman Momoh (Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS).

It will be recalled that the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje called on the Federal Government and National Assembly to investigate the alleged fraud in the 2022 Hajj operation.

“The last 2022 Hajj operation was the worst I ever witnessed during my tenure as the governor of Kano state. It was mismanaged, several dishonest attitudes, fraud and anomalies.

“Due to the inefficiency and mismanagement of the National Hajj Commission, many pilgrims suffered severely without any remorse from the national agency.

“Due to the dishonest attitude of the National Hajj Commission, even at the level of service delivery, the National Hajj Commission failed woefully,” Mr Ganduje said.

The investigations, this newspaper reliably gathered, have been ongoing in the last two months, with many key staff being questioned to ascertain their roles in the alleged sleaze.

A source at the commission told this newspaper that “EFCC officials have traced huge amounts of money stashed in the accounts of some of the top aides of the hajj commission chairman. The discovery was mind boggling.”

Findings revealed that, as an attempt to cover-up the alleged fraud, NAHCON has embarked upon a series of transfers of some essential staff who were accused of writing the petition to EFCC as well as supplying various documents to them, out of the commission headquarters in Abuja.

“There is apprehension inside the Hajj House headquarters of the commission as top management staff are accusing some middle-cadre staff of leaking the sensitive document to the anti-graft agency. Some were transferred after a general staff meeting where they were threatened,” the source who declined being named said.

EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, when contacted, said he was not briefed about the investigations. However, sources at the anti-graft headquarters said the current NAHCON board is also being investigated for alleged depletion of NAHCON’s Riyals-based official account, hajj seats and visa racketeering, withholding of pilgrims BTA, shunning of hajj saving schemes pilgrims, inability of NAHCON to airlift thousands of pilgrims, among others.

A source at the commission “said so many issues arose concerning flagrant abuse of Federal Government’s financial regulations, reckless onshore/offshore spending without approval from the relevant authorities.”   

Another source said the anti-graft agency was inundated with petitions by some concerned stakeholders who sent elaborate petitions backed up with exhibits to the EFCC.

Some of the investigations date back to 2019 when Mr Hasan’s board came on board, an EFCC official who craved not to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak on the matter, said.

The probe, for instance, covers all approvals on Hajj 2022 made by the office of the SGF; all releases made by the commission on general activities for Hajj 2022; all expenditure incurred on accommodations, medicals, feeding and transportation for 2022 hajj; names and profiles of companies and caterers engaged by NAHCON for 2022 hajj; cost of contracts/supplies and payments made for 2022 hajj; among others.

The anti-graft is painstakingly investigating the personnel, overhead and capital payment vouchers, cashbooks, vote-books, payment mandates, statements of bank accounts, proposed and approved budgets, budget releases, from 2019 to 2022, it was learned.

Other areas under investigations include capital warrant files, capital project and policy files, audited financial statements, contractors register, technical evaluation committee report on procurement, IGR generation and utilisation, recruitment and promotion files – all from 2019 to 2022.

NAHCON Spokesperson, Mousa Ubandawaki could not be reached for comment as his telephone line was switched off when our correspondent called.

NEWS

Tinubu Returns To Nigeria After Two Weeks Overseas Trip

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President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja, the nation’s capital, after spending two weeks abroad.

The President arrived back at the Presidential Villa in the early hours of Wednesday.

The Nigerian leader had travelled to the Netherlands on April 23 for a summit on economic growth.

After the three-day event, he proceeded to Saudi Arabia, where he joined other leaders from around the globe for the World Economic Summit (WEF).

The Nigerian leader did not immediately return to Nigeria after the event, spending more days abroad.

No official reason was given for the extended stay that has aroused speculations from some Nigerians.

This newspaper earlier reported on Tuesday that President Tinubu was due in Nigeria this Wednesday, according to his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

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Court Disbands Cross River Cocoa Allocation Taskforce, Surveillance Team

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From Ene Asuquo, Calabar

High Court sitting yesterday in Effraya, Etung local government area of Cross River state has granted motion exparte, disbanding the state Cocoa Allocation Surveillance team from operating at the government Cocoa estate.The court placed the injunction order restraining the team from harassing allottees of government cocoa farms in Etung local government of the state.

The order came five days after Otu’s administration issued a statement suspending activities of the surveillance team barring them from operating at government Cocoa estate in the state.
The court presided over by Justice Amajama Eneji, yesterday after the proceedings, adjourned the matter for argument till May 23,2024 after a counter affidavit to the motion on notice and statement of defense was filed by counsel to Cross River State government Barr.
Woda Ogar.In a brief interview with journalists at the court premises at Effraya, counsel to Cross River State government, Wada Ogar, said, “ I just came today to find out that there were 27 others recently filed.”The application ex parte was taken and has been variously adjourned to May 23rd for hearing of the motion on notice. But what I came here for was suit no. HA/16, 17 and 18, 2024 which have been served on me and I have filed my responses.”Well, it is the allegation of the claimants that some hooligans are taking over the plots over which we are in court, harassing the people and all that.”That is why in the first place, they brought an application ex parte to restrain those people and then they alleged that, surveillance committee set up by the government was being used to perpetrate illegalities, because of that, the court made another ex parte which had gone viral” Woda said.Meanwhile counsel for claimant, Mba Ukweni ( SAN),averred that he and his clients (claimants ) came to court to take a motion for interlocutory injunction to restrain government and its agents, her appointees from interfering with allottees of government cocoa farms.

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First 100 Days in Office: Ododo Pays 100% to LG Pensioners, 85% to LG Workers

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From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State in his 100 days in office has been said to have made history with the payment of 100 percent monthly pension to Local Government Pensioners and 85 percent monthly salary to local government workers in the state.This positive development which started in the month of April, 2024, is coming after several years of percentage payment being experienced by local government pensioners and workers in the state.

It was a jubilation galore for the beneficiaries as they said that it will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the current economic hardship as well as giving them a sense of belonging with their counterparts in the Kogi State Civil Service.
Governor Ododo also made his mark within the 100 days in office by entrenchment of good governance through the appointments of capable Commissioners and Special Advisers to kick start effective administration.In the education sector, Governor Ododo made his feat in the payment of external examination fees such as WAEC and JAMB, creation of online registration portal for the registration of indigenous students of Kogi in tertiary institutions across the country for payment of their bursary allowances, payment of outstanding fees to all Students’ Associations and Youth Organisations in the state.Ododo equally ensured the completion of internal roads at Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara as well as inspection of legacy projects in the institution and Kogi State University, Kabba.Furthermore, the Governor embarked on training of teachers in the Kogi State Public Schools/ Deployment of a new set of teachers recruited by the Kogi government.Inorder to boost food security within the period under review, Governor Ododo’s administration, cleared over 8,000 hectares of farmland for this year’s farming season, conducted a census of genuine farmers in the state to determine farmers to benefit from government subsidies and interventions and refurbishment of over 200 Tractors which were distributed to farmers across the state to carry out their farming activities.On information dissemination, the Governor installed a Transmitter at Radio Kogi headquarters in Lokoja to ensure effective publicity of government policies and programmes, provision of operational vehicles to the Radio Station and Solar Power to ensure uninterrupted transmission.In an effort to avert possible flooding in the state during this year’s raining season, Governor Ododo within his 100 days in office, awarded contract of N29.9Billion Erosion Control Projects at Ankpa, Okene and Ijumu local government areas

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