Contract Document Indicts Kpakol As Front Swindles NAPEP Of N417M

San Francisco, Oct 26, (THEWILL) - More facts have emerged on how the National Coordinator of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), Dr. Magnus Kpakol allegedly swindled the Nigerian agency through the non-remittance of a staggering N417 million of the agency’s fund into Federal Government accounts and his incompetence in the management of the agency’s affairs.

Dr. Magnus Kpakol is said to have used a proxy firm, Trimidan Limited to illegally purchase tricycle parts from Asia and subsequently assemble them at the firm’s plant painting them and presenting them as KEKE NAPEP to the agency without the knowledge of its officials.

Trimidan subsequently deceived the Keke Owners & Riders Association of Nigeria (KORAN) into believing that the assembled tricycle where from NAPEP, which it in turn sold at higher rates without remitting funds accrued to government coffers.

To continue to ride roughshod over NAPEP, THEWILL gathered that Kpakol went further to split the leadership of KORAN, which enabled him to perpetuate his many atrocities. The faction of KORAN is also known to be the cover for Trimidan Limited, owned by persons who have unjustly enriched themselves through unauthorized sales of the tricycles.

However, before the N417 million scandal became public knowledge, the Senate Committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, had last year indicted the Kpakol led NAPEP leadership for corrupt practices.

According to the damning report, “the committee established that relationships between NAPEP and Intercontinental Bank Plc and Oceanic International Bank Plc were skewed in favour of the banks. It is observed that the funds meant for Village Economic Development Solution (VEDS) and COPE programmes- Five Billion (N5bn) and two billion two hundred and sixty-five million (N2.265bn) naira respectively were managed to the disadvantage of NAPEP and poor Nigerians. The banks in collaboration with NAPEP officials left the fund idle in various accounts with no interest paid by the banks. It is equally established, a situation where one of the banks charged commission on turnover (COT) on NAPEP (government) accounts against the directives of the central Bank of Nigeria.”

The Senate Committee report which is yet to be released to the public but made available to us further indicted the Kpakol led NAPEP, adding, “from investigations, it is established that despite the sum of one billion eight hundred and fifty million (N1, 850bn) naira only provided between 2006 and 2008 on Monitoring and Evaluation, this aspect of the programmes was very weak and ineffective. Most of the anomalies identified in various States of the Federation were as a result of the nonchalant attitude of the Monitoring Unit of NAPEP at the national and state levels.”

To further perpetuate his nefarious activities, the Kpakol led NAPEP in their submission to the committee hoodwinked the Senate Committee by presenting fake names and unverifiable addresses of agencies. The committee added in its report thus: “in this case, it is established that NAPEP in their submissions to the Committee provided fake names and unverifiable addresses. These anomalies are most noticeable in the Capacity Acquisition Programme (CAP) and Mandatory attachment Programme (MAP).”

The Committee nonetheless, extricated the contractor (Autobahn Technique Limited) from the monumental fraud in NAPEP.

It further lauded the contractor for its successful delivery of the first and second phases of the contract. But noted that the third phase was yet to be fully executed because of “the unexpected port congestion caused by the collapsed crane (which lasted for four months), made it impossible for the clearing agent of the contractor to locate the remaining containers at the port. The inability of the contractor to fully pay the huge demurrage penalties on the uncleared containers caused the Nigerian customs to slate them for auction.”

The Senate Committee added: “the unserious threat of litigation and termination of contract posed by NAPEP on the contractor caused unnecessary confusion and delays towards the completion of the contract.”

In the same vein, Kpakol worried by the staggering debt yet to be paid by KORAN, and the crisis brewing in NAPEP raised a visitation panel to KORAN and Autobahn Technique Limited. After a painstaking and fact-finding investigation, the team discovered to its shock and disbelief that KORAN led by Alhaji Bashir Akinola (Kpakol’s crony) was yet to remit a whopping N417 million to NAPEP, the amount being the total sum of the sold tricycles. The panel unconvinced with KORAN’s excuses and escapist explanations ordered to remit all outstanding balances to NAPEP headquarters within 14 working days with effect from August 13th, 2010.

Photo: KEKE NAPEP.

Alhaji Bashir Akinola led KORAN was also mandated to write a letter of commitment to comply with the time frame on the repayment of the balance on the KEKE NAPEP sold to them.

Aside these directives to KORAN, the panel observed based on their visit to KORAN’s Sango Ota office that “the new company Trimidan Limited was currently assembling KEKE tricycles, painted in the national colours and titled them “KEKE NAPEP”, yet NAPEP was not aware of such assemblage neither was it informed by Alhaji Akinola.”

The panel added: “suffice it to state here that this is impersonation which is a criminal act by Alhaji Akinola. Also the States seeing the KEKEs in National colours and titled KEKE NAPEP would believe they belonged to NAPEP. This again is misrepresentation and deception which is criminal.” The panel therefore in their conclusion posed a pertinent question thus: “what happens to the units of KEKE NAPEP that Autobahn is to deliver to KORAN? Is KORAN going to sell them at the same price as that of Trimidan?

From the foregoing, it is evident that the Kpakol led NAPEP has become inept and a pain in the neck of the Federal Government.

The agency it would appear has rather than alleviating poverty has become a drainpipe considering the fact that between 2001 and 2009, it has gulped a total of about N6 billion.

THEWILL sought Dr. Kpakol’s reaction but his office declined our request for an interview.