Nigeria: EFCC Arrests Bode George, Dabo, Accuses Them of N100 Billion Dirty Contracts

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Leadership (Abuja)

8 August 2008
Posted to the web 8 August 2008

Iyobosa Uwugiaren

Former Chairman of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) board of directors, Chief Bode George, and former Managing Director of the same authority, Alhaji Aminu Dabo, have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

LEADERSHIP gathered that George, who was arrested in his Maitama, Abuja, residence, was taken to Lagos last night and is being detained at the commission's cell on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, while Dabo is being detained in Abuja.th June 2001 and Ref No. TRY A&B4/2002 dated 5th of July 2002, issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation respectively, all contracts above N50 million should be refered to the Federal Executive Council while those between N20 million and N50 million are to be referred to Ministerial Tenders Board, contracts worth between N1 million and N20 million are to be approved by board of directors, N1 million contracts by permanent secretaries and contracts worth N700,000 and below are to be approved by chief executive of parastatals.

Both George and Dabo presided over the affairs of the NPA during the Obasanjo Administration and billions of naira are been suspected to have been stolen during the period as investigated by the anti-graft commission.

George returned to the country early this week after several months of stay in the United Kingdom and the United States.

He had boasted that he was never on the run from the EFCC as being speculated and dared the commission to arrest him if it had anything against him.

However, a statement on oath by an EFCC official, Mr Bamanga Bello, one of the operatives who investigated him, said, "The board of NPA under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George approved various contracts without due process and in clear violation of extant government rules and regulations, orders and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Under the Federal Government Treasury Circulars Ref No.F 15775 dated 27

"Contrary to the above circulars and the relevant laws, the board of Nigeria Ports Authority under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George illegally conferred approval limit of N60 million on the board, N30 million on the executive management, N10 million on the managing directors, N2 million on the executive directors, N700,000 on the general managers and N500,000 on the ports managers. The action of the board in disregarding the extant government rules and regulations on award of contracts contravenes section 203 of the Criminal Code.

"Investigation revealed that the Nigeria Ports Authority during the period under review awarded over 24,252 contracts valued at over N100 billion. The board, under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George during the period under investigation, approved various contracts which only the Ministerial Tenders Board or the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had power to approve, and thereby contravened section 61 of the Criminal Code 11.

"During the period under investigation, various contracts which ordinarily should have been referred to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or the Ministerial Tenders Board for approval were fraudulently split into many units by the board under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode George with the intention of circumventing extant government rules and regulations so that the contract amount would fall within the boards approval limits for the purpose of gain making by the board. The Act of fraudulent split of contracts is tantamount to abuse of office contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal code.

"During the period under investigations, various contracts which ordinarily should have been referred to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or the Ministerial Tenders Board for approval were fraudulently split into many units by the board under the chairmanship of Chief Olabode Geoge with the intention of circumventing extant government rules and regulations so that the contract amount would fall within the board's approval limits for the purpose of gain making by the Board. The Act of fraudulent split of contracts is tantamount to abuse of office contrary to Section 104 of the Criminal Code.

"It was also revealed during the period under investigation that contracts awarded by the Board were generally inflated as can be seen from the Report of the Committee and annexures II. The act of inflation of contract prices is tantamount to conspiracy and stealing, contrary to sections 516 and 390 of the Criminal Code. This action also contravened Section 22(3) of the ICPC Act 2000.

"During the investigation, Chief Olabode George was invited, interviewed and interrogated by the committee.

"It was also discovered that Chief Olabode George left office with about four vehicles belonging to Nigeria Ports Authority which prompted the committee to write to him, as a result of which he returned the vehicles to the Nigeria Ports Authority.

"Contrary to government regulation, the claimant occupied two properties belonging to NPA at Ikoyi, Lagos, and Maitama, Abuja.

"Even as the claimant had been removed as the Chairman of the NPA he was still occupying the two properties, contrary to government regulations.

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