N87m Fraud: Lagos Water Corporation Staff Wants MD's Sack
Staff of the Lagos State Water Corporation has embarked on an indefinite strike over allegations the Group Managing Director, Engineer Shayo Holloway, and other board members of the corporation have corruptly enriched themselves at the expense of the
staff and progress of the corporation. While calling on the State governor, Babatunde Fashola, to dismiss Engr. Holloway as one of the only ways they would return to their duty posts, they accused the GMD and board members of insensitivity to the plight of the workers and blamed the management staff for the inefficiency of the corporation to carry out the tasks expected of it.
Some of the staff members who protested Friday afternoon said the GMD ensured that they did not get their benefits as he had continued to frustrate some of them and sat on the promotion of others.
Huhuonline.com http://Huhuonline.com/ learnt that the action which has become an embarrassment to the State government resulted in the Head of Service, Adesegun Ogunlewe, making efforts for s truce which did not yield any favourable result.
The staff members who carried placards and chanted anti-government songs to drive home their point, particularly mentioned the case of an alleged stealing N87,940,380 million against the GMD, and the Director of Finance of the Corporation, Dada Adefoluji, which saw the duo being docked before the Ikeja Magistrates' Court few days ago.
The allegation against them and brought before the court was that they stole the said amount belonging to Nnestor Tel Nigeria Limited, a company located at 3, Adegbeyemi Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
Police prosecutor, Barth Nwokedi, had told the court that the men conspired and stole the money by paying it into a fraudulent account number 6216201033 with the name of Nnestor Tel Nigeria Limited at Zenith Bank on 4 February and 6 April, 2010, respectively. But it was later discovered that the said bank account did not belong to the company but was created for the purpose of stealing the amount.
Part of the three-count charge filed by Barth Nwokedi before the court claimed that Engr. Holloway and Adefoluji knowingly paid the said sum into a fraudulent Nnestor Tel. Nigeria Ltd account despite being served a board resolution of the real Nnestor Tel Nigeria Ltd company to pay the money into a GT Bank account No. 202276576110.
The charge sheet stated: " That you Engr. Shayo Holloway, the Group Managing Director, Lagos State Water Board Corporation situated at Ijora, Lagos and Dada Adefoluji, General Manager, Finance and Accounts, Lagos State Water Corporation, did become accessory after the fact to felonies by assisting Rasak Sanusi, a shareholder and the Managing Director of Nnestor Tel Nigeria Ltd, to conspire and steal the sum of N87, 940, 380.06k by paying the money into fruadulently set up Zenith Bank account named Nnestor Tel Nigeria Ltd after you were served a board resolution instructing that the money be paid into a GTB account No. 202276576110.'
The alleged offences committed by the managers are punishable under sections 519, 390(9) and 516 of the criminal code cap 17, vol.11, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The matter was adjourned till October 21, 2011 after the accused were granted bail by Magistrate E. Ogunkanmi in the sum of N200, 000 with one surety each.
When Huhuonline.com visited the corporation's office, the entire place was deserted and the main entrance was locked. It was also learnt that since the court issue began, the GMD and the other top management staff fingered in the scam have not been seen around the corporation.