Bello, a Chief Superintendent of EFCC and Head, Special Investigation Team, SIT, told Justice James Omotosho on Tuesday in Abuja when testifying as 8th prosecution witness (PW8).

The PW8, while being led in evidence by the EFCC’s lawyer, Farouk Abdullah, said his team received an intelligence from the office of the anti-graft agency’s chairman sometimes in 2019.

“The intelligence bordered on the activities of the 1st defendant (Oyo-Ita), her minister then in the Ministry of Special Duty and Inter-Governmental Affairs where she was serving.

“The 1st defendant was the permanent secretary then, and other staff that include Mr Ubong, the 7th defendant.

“The team developed intelligence and started the investigation.

“In the course of the investigation, we called for documents.

“The nature of the intelligence was such that the 1st and 7th defendants and a host of others were using their office to get contracts for companies they incorporated or have interest in,” he said.

The witness said the team invited Oyo-Ita and her Special Assistant, Ubong Effiok, having received an analysed documents relating to the intelligence.

“The team had an interaction with them and in the cause of the interaction, Mr Garba Umar, who is also the 4th defendant became a person of interest for the investigation and he was invited. We also had an interaction with him,” he said.

According to him, it was discovered that the 1st defendant was the beneficial owner of two companies; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited and Asanaya Projects Ltd.

“We also discovered that the 1st defendant also has interest in Asanaya Farms Ltd.,” he added.

Bello told the court that investigation revealed that Oyo-Ita maintained two accounts in Zenith Bank Plc for Frontline Ace Global Services Limited.

Besides, he said it was discovered that the ex-HoS had severally sat as chairman, CEO of Frontline Ace Global Services Limited where she issued both resolutions to open the said accounts.

“Having analysed these two board resolutions issued by 1st defendant, the team realised that the 1st defendant is the beneficial owner of the accounts.

“We carried out a careful analysis of the account she was closing and came to a conclusion that about N124 million has passed through this account.

“We realised that there were payments in 2010 from Federal Ministry of Power into the account and other agencies like Power Holding Company of Nigeria (when it was a government’s agency).

“These payments were from government coffers while she was serving as a deputy director in the same ministry,” he told the court.

Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until Jan. 26 for continuation of trial.

Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants were on January 18, 2023, arraigned by the anti-graft agency on an 18-count charge of N3 billion graft.

She was arraigned alongside her Special Assistant, Effiok; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Ltd.; Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investments Ltd.

Other defendants include U & U Global Services Ltd., belonging to Mr. Effiok, and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.

They were all arraigned for alleged fraud in relation to duty tour allowance, DTA, estacodes, conference fees and receiving kickbacks on contracts.

The defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Oyo-Ita and her co-defendants were earlier being tried before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a sister court before he retired in July 2022.

They were arranged before Justice Taiwo on March 23, 2020 on same count charge.

Source: NAN

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Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in his ruling, described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s, act in obtaining an exparte order for the freezing of bank accounts of the 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the matter before another court as “an abuse of court process.”

Justice Taiwo, who described the EFCC’s conduct as “judge shopping” aimed at getting a favourable court judgment, said the anti-corruption agency’s conduct was reprehensible and condemnable.

He said it was act of forum shopping.

Taiwo, who was visibly angry with the anti-graft agency’s action, said it was a contemptuous move.

The judge then ordered a stay of proceedings in the trial until the EFCC and its lawyer “do the needful” by withdrawing the application before the other court.

Justice Taiwo did not fix any date for court to reconvene sitting on the matter.

The EFCC had filed an exparte motion with suit number: FHC/ABJ/CS/1202/2020 before Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo for the freezing of the bank accounts of 4th, 5th and 6th defendants in the alleged N570 million money laundering charge preferred against the ex-HoS and others, even when the matter is ongoing before Justice Taiwo.

While Oyo-Ita is the 1st defendant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/60/2020 before Taiwo, Garba Umar, and his two companies; Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investment Ltd are 4th, 5th and 6th defendants respectively.

Others in the case include Frontline Ace Global Services Ltd and Asanaya Projects as 2nd and 3rd, while Ubong Okon Effiok and his two companies; U & U Global Services Ltd and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd are 7th, 8th and 9th defendants respectively.

The defence lawyers had urged the court to discontinue the trial until the EFCC’s counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, withdraws the application before Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo, describing the act as an abuse of court process.

Also Justice Taiwo, on February 11, threatened to return the case file of Oyo-Ita’s trial to the Chiefs Judge, Justice John Tsoho, for reassignment.

He then fixed the ruling on the matter until today, March 3.

Source: NAN

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The agenda of the meeting between the president and Yemi-Esan was not known.

It was the first time Yemi-Esan was visiting the president since she took over from Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita on Thursday.

Yemi-Esan’s appointment was announced on Wednesday.

Oyo-Ita was sent on indefinite leave to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, complete its investigation into alleged financial scam involving her.

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President Muhammadu Buhari had directed Oyo-Ita to proceed on indefinite leave to allow the completion of investigation of alleged financial scam against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Yemi-Esan was directed to take over with immediate effect as the Acting Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

In a statement issued by the Director, Information Office of HCSF, Olawunmi Ogunmosunle, Yemi-Esan assumed duty at about 6.40 p.m. after she was received by the members of staff of the office.

Yemi-Esan was quoted as having praised her predecessor, Oyo-Ita, for her hardwork, promising to build on her achievements.

She also sought for the co-operation of the staff.

Her words:  “There is no reinventing the will. I will only build on the sound foundation and structure which she has left behind because government is a continuum.”

Oyo-Ita was said to have thanked Buhari for the opportunity given to her to serve, just as she described her tenure as eventful and interesting.

During the handing over witnessed by permanent secretaries, directors and other management staff in the office of HCSF, Oyo-Ita presented a 153-page handing over note to Yemi-Esan.

She urged the new HCSF to build on her achievement, stressing that government was a continuum.

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This action was said to have been taken to allow the conclusion of the investigation being carried out by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over alleged N3 billion contract scam she is said to be involved in.

Already, Mrs. Yemi-Esan, who is the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been directed to take over from Oyo-Ita, in acting capacity.

According to a statement issued by the Director of Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, the president also  approved the extension of the tenure of seven retiring Permanent Secretaries for a period of one calendar year with effect from 1st October, 2019.

The move is said to have been made to ensure stability in the Federal Civil Service and effective delivery on the nine priority areas of the administration as well as the mandates given to the new ministers.

The affected Permanent Secretaries are Mrs. Georgina Ehuriah,         Ministry of Interior; Mrs. Ifeoma I. Anagbogu, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs; Mrs. Grace Gekpe, Federal Ministry of Information & Culture and Dr. Umar M. Bello, Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development.

Others are Suleiman Mustapha Lawal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mrs. Comfort C. Ekaro,       Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Mr. Olusegun A. Adekunle, General Services Office (Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation).

Similarly, the president directed the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to commence the process for the selection of new Permanent Secretaries to replace all retiring Permanent Secretaries.

The decision of Government to extend the tenure of these Permanent Secretaries is said to have been premised on the need to ensure that the new ministers are properly guided, briefed about their sectors and to ensure that a solid foundation is laid for the delivery on the Presidential Mandate which they jointly signed.

The Permanent Secretaries it was said, would also help the ministers to manage the process for the preparation of the 2020 Budget in line with the commitment of government to return to the January-December budget circle and help develop various policies and programmes aimed at lifting 100million Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years.

The action of the president is said to be in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 171 (2) d of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

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The CSO in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by its Executive Secretary, Okpanachi Jacob, vowed to commence nationwide protest against her if she failed to resign within 72 hours.

It would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is investigating Oyo-Ita over alleged N3 billion contract scam, abuse of duty tour allowance, money laundering, among others.

The group said it would henceforth take legal action against the likes of Oyo-Ita to ensure that public servants facing corruption trial vacated their seats pending the outcome of their investigation.

“As stakeholders in the Nigeria project, we shall henceforth go all out including seeking legal means to ensure that public servants facing corruption trial vacate their seats pending the outcome.

“We hereby issue a 72- hour ultimatum to Mrs Oyo-Ita to resign from office barring which we shall massively mobilise our civil society partners to picket wherever Oyo-Ita is.”

Jacob stressed that Oyo-Ita ought to have resigned her position pending the outcome of investigation, as all efforts to reform the civil service would amount to nothing if she remained in office with the level of the allegation against her.

He wondered why public servants facing investigation for corruption in the country still found it convenient to remain in office.

“It is worrisome and unacceptable that the Head of Civil Service of the Federation that is central to the fight against corruption is involved in corrupt practices.

“There is no way the service can be reformed when its head is enmeshed with series of allegations of corruption.

“More painful is the fact that a single Nigerian and a woman of Oyo-Ita’s calibre who by all means looks very pious, will be in custody of such mind numbing sum of money in the midst of the abject poverty faced by civil servants and Nigerians in general.

“Preliminary findings by the anti-corruption agency confirmed that about N3 billion has been traced to the Head of Service which came in through proxy companies.

“Also, about N600 million has been traced to the account of one of her key aides who has been unable to give any justifiable explanation for it,” Jacob said.

Source:  NAN

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