Looting at JAMB, NIMASA, et al
The federal government last week ordered an investigation into allegations of massive fraud at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Speaking to journalists after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, described the looting in both agencies as massive.
The minister said before the change in the leadership of JAMB, the highest amount ever remitted annually by it was N3 million. She disclosed that the new management at JAMB has, however, remitted N5 billion this year alone with another N3 billion ready for remittance. This, she explained, was realized without any increase in the fees charged by JAMB. The FEC, thus, directed that the heads of agencies that remitted less than expected should be called to account. Although the minister did not mention the agency that will carry out the probe, she revealed that NIMASA and some other undisclosed revenue generating agencies would also be investigated.
Over the years, many revenue generating agencies in all sectors have defrauded government by keeping to themselves and their cronies incomes beyond what they should retain. There is the dearth of accountability and transparency in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), such that huge loopholes are left for principal officers to enrich themselves stupendously, acquire properties beyond their legitimate income, and live a life of vanity, waste and debauchery. It is for this reason that civil servants are desperate to be elevated to positions of directors, permanent secretaries or directorsgeneral of MDAs.
We commend the current leadership of JAMB, headed by Professor Is-haq Oloyede, for their demonstration of fiscal responsibility and integrity through the remittance of its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to appropriate government treasury. Over the years, the CEOs of some MDAs looted public funds under their trust, sometimes under the guise of exploring one ICT facility or another. Such corrupt CEOs collaborate with ICT companies and commercial banks in the production and sale of scratch cards to rob government of revenues.
The decision by the Oloyede-led JAMB to eliminate the use of scratch in the registration and result accessing procedures of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is a policy that has helped the board to block leakages.
The judiciary must appreciate its paramount role in ensuring the success of the war against corruption in Nigeria. Flagrant adjournments of cases and the granting of frivolous bails are counterproductive in the current battle against corrupt practices. It would be recalled that Justice Rita OfiliAjumogobia of the Federal High Court, Lagos had, on May 20, 2016, sentenced a former Director-General of NIMASA, Mr. Raymond Omatseye, to five years in jail over alleged N1.5 billion contract scam. The High Court found Mr. Omatseye guilty of 24 out of the 27 charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was, however, acquitted by the Court of Appeal in Lagos. Justice Yargata Nimpar, who read the judgment, said the High Court that tried him did not evaluate the evidence before it. Another former NIMASA DG, Patrick Akpobolokemi, and five others were also charged to court by the EFCC on a 22-count of corruption allegations.
Similarly, ex-Acting DG of NIMASA, Haruna Jauro, who succeeded Akpobolokemi is facing trial-within-trial over a N304.1 million fraud. Charged along with him are Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Ltd. They were arraigned on April 12, 2016 but they pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million each. This seems like treating corruption issues with kid gloves, which is not good for the image of the judiciary.
We call on those who would carry out investigations into the non-remittance of funds to our common purse to provide water-tight evidence against suspected treasury looters. Without concrete evidence the excitement among Nigerians over the hopes of recovering such mindless loots would be lost.