INEC Billion Naira Scams: Jega in hell

Chams Nigeria Limited, a computer firm, based in Lagos who helped 'Professor' Maurice Iwu, former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss, to siphon about N10 billion are top contenders in the bid to supply Jega Direct Data Capture (DDC)  machines. This is authoritative. Our weeklong investigations revealed that INEC under Iwu was a bottomless pit where billions were taken out of the Commissions accounts with payment vouchers not signed (See attachments).  

KAUGAMA :
  Abdullahi Kaugama is the Executive Secretary of the Commission under Iwu and the current boss, Professor Attahiru Jega. When he resumed office, he was made to apply for the sum of N165m to provide 'security funds to assist the states during the 2007 general election'. No state got the fund. He was told to keep the money by Iwu. This was meant to compromise him. The result was well achieved. Ironically, as it has become usual with INEC, the PV with number 2007/3206E dated 13/04/2007 was not signed but paid through Zenith bank cheque number 00001339. He coordinated all directors in the commission who contributed N4m each to the 'Iwu Must Stay' campaign wherein Charlie Boy Organisation got paid N75m and Iwu's countryman, Ikenga Imo was paid N81m. N600m was withdrawn from the civil society votes for the Iwu Must Stay project. Some five governors even contributed N100m each to the project.  

GPRS SECURITY VOTES :
  We can reveal how the Director of Internal Audit, M. M. Kuta, impersonated as the 'INEC zonal supervising national commissioner south-south zone) to withdraw N36.9m through a Zenith bank cheque number 00003628 of 31/12/08 being money for 'logistic and security to support security operatives on ICT/GPRS equipment'. The payment voucher number 2008/4252E was not signed till date. It is on record that INEC does not have any GPRS equipment anywhere yet the sum of N232.2m was approved and withdrawn for securing the same equipment at N300,000:00 per each of the nation's 774 local government areas of the federation. In 2007, the sum of N165m was approved and withdrawn by the same officer for security and logistics of the same equipment. In two years, N397.2m was spent for security of non-existent equipment.

 
  Iwu's financial accomplises in Kaugama and the current Director Finance and Accounts who are respectively signatories A and B still run INEC accounts between themselves with Jega's knowledge. They still report daily to Iwu about activities in INEC. Our source disclosed, 'Jega does not know and cannot know how monies still leak in the Commission. Iwu is still in perfect control. Iwu did accelerated promotion for the Administrative Secretaries before he left. Many of them still report directly to him. It is so sad that many of these cadre of staffers are now in levels 15 and are made to be bosses to level 17 officers in many states!

  There is another cadre of staffers called Heads of Department. Iwu created this cadre to compensate his cronies in the headquarters. Many of them got accelerated promotion to either levels 15 or 16 and are superior in hierarchy to some level 17 officers.  

CHAMS :
  Chams Nigeria Limited was paid N600.3m for 'the personalization of permanent voters cards at the zones'. The PV with number 2009/2187E dated 22-10-09 wired for payment through Skye Bank Plc Victoria Island, Lagos was not signed. Whereas, on the 'Decision Extract' by the management on 21 st April 2009 approved N667m. In their invoice dated 9 TH October 2009 , Chams supplied items to the INEC store. Some of the items supplied and received by the stores officer include 'training for 15 people per zone' costing N15.8m, 'technical support for the zones' costing N75m, 'installation for the zones' costing N45m. how the stores officer collected these items remains a miracle!

  Ironically, our investigation revealed that payment made for the same items in 2007 was N680m but in a twist, the figure for the revalidation of the contract under '2009 outstanding liability budgetary provision' became N667m. When the stores officer raised eye brows on the fact that some of the items were not storable and payment is being repeated, he made enquiries from Chams where the General Manager (public sector) confirmed his organization is not aware of any such payments made to them. It was discovered that the deal was between Maurice Iwu and the Chief Executive Officer of Chams. Where were these 'goods' supplied? Who in INEC signed for the receipt of the goods? Presently, the Director in charge of Internal Audit was said to have sent hired killers after the said stores officer who has gone underground.  

HIRED KILLERS ON THE PROWL:
  Presently, there are about five of INEC staffers who have gone underground. They are being trailed by hired killers. Many of these category of staffers have been transferred out of the headquarters to make their being killed easy. The plot leaked and the officers involved and their family members are living in fear presently. Many of the ICT problems confronting INEC today can be sorted out successfully by five of the staff who had been thrown away into the state offices shortly before Professor Jega resumed office. Every move of Jega is daily reported to Iwu who has sworn to some his friends that Jega will be made to fail by the structure he has put in place so as to make his years in the Commission a success when compared to Jega's.  

By Ayodeji Oladunjoye, Jos.