Edo Last Minute Fraud Bonanza: The True Story!

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By Correspondent

A major crisis of confidence is brewing within Edo State Executive Council, few days to it’s termination, following an official request to the office of the Accountant General to grant a request for change of bank signatory mandate by the chairperson of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to withdraw part of the World Bank Grant from a First Generation Bank.

Problems started few weeks to the September gubernatorial election, when the Chairperson of SUBEB, Mrs. Tayo Salami, wrote to the office of Accountant General for change of certified signatories in a First Generation bank, for a joint account managed by the Ministry of Education and SUBEB.

Sources within the Ministry, told our reporter that early this year, the World Bank approved a grant of N200 million to the Ministry of Education and SUBEB for sundry educational projects. The money was domiciled with a First Generation bank (name withheld) and was only drawable upon two signatories from SUBEB and the Ministry of Education, signing a cheque.

A staff of the Ministry of Education, claimed that, Mrs. Salami who has been resisting any form of control by Dr. Oviawe, approached the ministry for counterpart signing to withdraw the sum of 100 Million Naira from the account.

Her request Midwest Herald learnt was turned down as she was reminded that there were existing signatories and was told to stay clear of the World Bank grant.

Undeterred, the SUBEB boss, requested for change of signatories from the Accountant General’s office, explaining that, the accredited co-signatory from the Ministry of Education has retired. Salami’s request was granted and a letter for the change of mandates was written.

According to Salami’s accusers, the bank, acting upon the letter from the Accountant General’s office, which proposed new signatories, released the sum of 100 Million Naira to SUBEB, for a project that has no connection with education, but allegedly for vote buying in the last gubernatorial election.

Efforts to get official reactions from the Accountant General’s office, the Ministry of Education and SUBEB, proved abortive, as none responded to Midwest Herald request.

Notwithstanding, our investigation revealed that, indeed, Mrs. Salami’s request for signatory change from the Accountant General’s office was granted and a letter was written to the said bank.

A dependable source confided in Midwest Herald that the “treasury approved the signature change because majority of the staff in Edo State Ministry of Education have ‘japa’ out of the country.”

A copy of the new signatory mandate with the bank showed one Mr. Ojo who is the substantive Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education as category ‘A’ signature, while SUBEB Chairperson, Mrs. Salami was listed category ‘B’ signature.

Checks conducted by Midwest Herald at the bank showed that, indeed, some withdrawals were made in the month of September, shortly after the signatories were changed.

Two payments were made to Messers Retail Development Company Limited in two installments of a little above N25 million on different days, that amounted to over N50 million. Other payments in smaller values have also been drawn from the account.

We are however unable to ascertain the purpose for the payments, but the money, Midwest Herald was told, represents 25% ‘mobilization payment for ongoing project’ designed to fund some outstanding projects, especially after the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) queried the agency’s KPI. We cannot confirm if further payments have been made from account since our last checks.

Our Correspondent further gathered that, the squabbles between the Commissioner of Education, Dr. Joan Oviawe and SUBEB chairperson, Mrs. Tayo Salami is responsible for the latest development.

The incalcitrant relationship between Oviawe and Salami is marked by stubborn resistance to supervision between MDAs. Our reporter gathered from the Education Ministry that, trouble started when Dr. Oviawe was promoted from SUBEB chairperson to become Commissioner.

“When our Commissioner was heading SUBEB, she ran the place like an ‘Ireland’ and reported only to the governor. That is exactly what Mrs. Salami is doing to her, which she has not accepted.” He explained that, the absence of a board for the State Universal Basic Education has led to one-man-shows in the operation of several intervention agencies.

Flowing from this disturbing discoveries, it is clear that, the Edo State Civil Service is burgled by ghost workers who have migrated to greener pastures, but are still captured in the books as staff of government.

It is fitting to submit that, the failure of the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki to constitute boards for agencies throughout the life of his administration, has created room for the unprecedented financial mismanagement which has resulted to poor deliverables by virtually all the MDAs.