|
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, September
7, 2010,arraigned four former board
members of the Nigerian Football
Federation, over a N1.5billion fraud.
The quartet: Sani Lulu Abdullahi ,
Amanze Uchegbulam , Dr. Bolaji Ojo-Oba
and Taiwo Ogunjobi were charged before
Justice David Okorowa of the Federal
High Court, Abuja on a ten count charge.
The former NFF officials were docked by
the EFCC for using their office to
corruptly confer unfair advantage on
themselves, defrauding the federal
government to the tune of over N1.5
billion and robbing government of its
revenue by issuing 1,263 tickets as
complementary offers to friends,
associates, political support groups and
relations.
Besides, the accused were also alleged
to have booked the Hampshire Hotel at
the 2010 South African World Cup
fiesta, being a cheap, substandard,
unbefitting and an unlisted hotel
outside of the approved list of hotels
by the Federation of International
football Association, FIFA, for lodging
by participating teams and caused the
federal government to pay a fine to the
tune of $125,000 for a breach of
contract.
Troubles started for Lulu, Ogunjobi and
Uchegbulam when they were sacked by
nine out of the 13 members of the board
of the NFF, on July 4, climaxing the
crisis rocking the football house. The
executive committee of the NFF had also,
on July 27, sent Ojo-Oba on compulsory
leave to pave way for an unfettered
probe of the football house. On the
basis of this, the EFCC had on July 6
summoned Lulu and others but were
unable to keep the appointment until
July 15 when they were eventually
interrogated.
Although they were granted
administrative bail after more than 10
hours interrogation, the EFCC had seized
their travel documents to prevent them
from travelling outside the country. As
a prelude to their grilling, operatives
of the Commission had on July 12 raided
the Glass House secretariat of the NFF
and took away documents relating to the
N1.5bn scandal.
The four suspects were arrested on the
strength of a June 28 petition by
aggrieved members of the executive
committee of the NFF, which detailed
their alleged financial recklessness.
The petition entitled, “Petition against
the Sani Lulu-Abdullahi-led NFF board
for corrupt practices,” catalogued how
the dismissed board members allegedly
embarked on a spending spree with public
funds
Count one of the 10 count charge reads
that “That you Sani Lulu Abdulahi {M},
Amanze Uchegbulam {M}, Dr. Bolaji
Ojo-Oba{M} and Taiwo Ogunjobi{M}, on or
about the month of February, 2009, in
the office of the Nigeria Football
Federation in Abuja, within the Abuja
judicial division of the Federal High
Court, while being board members of the
Nigeria Football Federation, conspired
to commit an offence of felony to wit:
refusing to follow due process by not
requesting for quotations from
suppliers, but rather without legal
jurisdiction opted for the emergency
procurement procedure in the procurement
of 2 nos Mercedes Benz Irizar buses and
thereby committed an offence contrary to
and punishable under Section 518{1} and
{7} of the Criminal Code Act cap 38,
Laws of the Federation, 2004”.
Count two reads “That you Sani Lulu
Abdulahi {M}, Amanze Uchegbulam {M}, Dr.
Bolaji Ojo-Oba {M} and Taiwo Ogunjobi
{M}, on or about the month of December,
2008, while being Board and Executive
members of the Nigeria Football
Federation, in office of the Nigeria
Football Federation in the Federal
Capital Territory, Abuja, within the
Abuja judicial division of the Federal
High Court, did breach Public
Procurement procedures to wit: refusing
to follow due procurement procedures by
not requesting for quotations from
suppliers in the procurement of 2 nos
Mercedes Benz Marcopolo
buses but rather without legal
justification opted for emergency
procurement in awarding the contract to
CNBC Nigeria Limited, thereby committed
an offence contrary to section 4 and
punishable under Section 58 of the
Public Procurement Act No. 14.2007”.
Count three states that “That you Sani
Lulu Abdulahi {M}, Amanze Uchegbulam
{M}, Dr.
Bolaji Ojo-Oba {M} and Taiwo Ogunjobi
{M}, on or about the month of December,
2008,while being Board and Executive
members of the Nigeria Football
Federation, in office of the Nigeria
Football Federation in the federal
Capital Territory, Abuja,
within the Abuja judicial division of
the Federal High Court, did breach
Public Procurement procedures to wit:
approving the payment of the sum of N82,
000,000{ Eighty Two Million Naira}, as
part payment for the supply of 2 nos
Mercedes Benz Marcopolo buses, over and
above the maximum payment limit of 15 %
of the value of the contract sum as
mobilization to CNBC Nigeria Limited,
thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 35 and
punishable under Section of the Public
Procurement Act No. 14, 2007”
After the arguments for bail application
by the defence counsel, S.I Ameh were
taken, the presiding judge stepped down
the matter for about five hours before
delivering his ruling on their bail
application.
While delivering his brief ruling,
Justice David Okorowa granted the
accused bail on the following
conditions: accused persons must each
provide N100 million bond
with two sureties in like sum; one of
the sureties must be a federal civil
servant not less than GL 15 with a tax
clearance of three years. The other
surety must be a responsible citizen
with landed property in Abuja Municipal
Council Area, AMAC; the
sureties must depose to an affidavit of
means with the registrar of the court;
the accused must deposit their passport
photographs.
The judge thereafter remanded the
accused persons in EFCC custody and
ordered that they be produced in court
tomorrow for transfer to kuje prison
should they fail to meet the bail
conditions by then.
Femi Babafemi
Head, Media & Publicity
7/9/2010
|
