Dear Sir: Re: Corruption, Diversion Of Public Funds, Forgery, Criminal Breach Of Trust, Abuse Of Office And Fraud Of N6 Billion Against The Administrator Of The National Judicial Institute, Abuja, Justice Umaru Ali Eri Rtd.
Dear Sir: Re: Corruption, Diversion Of Public Funds, Forgery, Criminal Breach Of Trust, Abuse Of Office And Fraud Of N6 Billion Against The Administrator Of The National Judicial Institute, Abuja, Justice Umaru Ali Eri Rtd.
Reference to my letter dated 28th June, 2010 on the above.
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I wish to appreciate the good work the police is doing in Nigeria and that the populace is reposing more confidence in the Police as a lover of truth and defender of the interest of our great country, especially in the area of crime control and security.
I am however constrained to bring to your attention Sir, the antics of some persons to frustrate the laudable efforts of the police. The Administrator of the National Judicial Institute, Justice Umaru Ali Eri Rtd. and others who are being investigated by your office are making efforts to thwart all the laudable efforts of investigating the fraud at the NJI and boasting all over the town that the case against him will soon be frustrated as he has been assured that the police has been compromised and that he cannot be prosecuted.
When he said this to the hearing of some staff of the Institute, I decided not to take it serious until he confided in some senior staff that the Investigating Police Officer, CP. Ali Amodu is close to him as they are also from the same place and both have a long standing relationship. I have found out to my surprise that his boast is actually true as there is no soberness on the part of the suspects and they even penciled some us down for dismissal on the basis of the petition.
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The whole Institute is aware that Justice Umaru Eri Rtd, Mrs. P.M Ayua, Mr. Dele Peters, Mr. Ibrahim Gambo, Mr. Laminu Ashemi, Mrs. Modupe Aribisala and some others have been invited by the Police to answer some questions on the petition been treated by your office. Surprisingly, they are going about as if nothing is amiss and they are boasting that nothing will happen as the Administrator is more powerful and connected than the Inspector General of the Police.
It is on this basis that I appeal to you Sir to use your good offices and transfer the case from Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to either the Monitoring Unit or any other Unit as you may decide.
The entire Institute and indeed Nigeria as a whole will be grateful to you for doing justice to this matter.
Thank you in anticipation of your further interest in this case, Sir.
Yours faithfully,
DANLADI HARUNA
National Judicial Institute,
Mohammed Bello Centre,
Airport Road, Abuja.
28th June, 2010
The Chairman,
Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC),
Central Business District,
Abuja.
Dear Sir:
CORRUPTION, DIVERSION OF PUBLIC FUNDS, FORGERY, CRIMINAL BREACH OF TRUST, ABUSE OF OFFICE AND FRAUD OF N6 BILLION AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL INSTITUTE, ABUJA, JUSTICE UMARU ALI ERI Rtd.
Justice Umaru Ali Eri Rtd. was appointed the Administrator of the National Judicial Institute by the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Idris Kutigi, Gcon, on the 1st of August, 2008. Justice Eri had earlier retired as the Chief Judge of Kogi State. Immediately on assumption of duty, the administrator showed utter disregard for financial regulations, service rules, administrative procedures and due process in administering the Institute and turned it into a personal estate.
1. The Institute’s site project is a big time fraud and the immediate past CJN complained that the Administrator inflated the cost of some of the items on the list to the tune of Four Billion, Six Hundred and Eighteen Million, Sixty Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy Seven Naira and Fifty Eight kobo only (N4, 618, 068, 877.58k.(letter attached). The CJN then set up a committee headed by Hon Justice Anthony I. Iguh CON, JSC (Rtd) in December 2009 to look into this act of corruption (ANNEXURE ‘A’) but the report is yet to see the light of the day because the new CJN Hon Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu put a stop to the probe. See PRS 030402 (K).
2. Despite Justice Kutigi’s directive that pending the submission of Justice Iguh’s report, the “works/services of your present Contractor and Consultants should terminate on completion of the projects approved for.
3. Phase 1 of the Permanent Site”, the Administrator went ahead and started the phase 11 of the project (Clinic, Fire Service Station, Gym (gym should be in Phase 111) etc). He has gone ahead to stock the Gym and Clinic without due process. ANNEXURE ‘A’.
4. The Administrator was aware that the Administrator’s house within the Institute’s premises was almost 80% completed, and against government monetization policy, he went to buy a house in Garki at the sum of Two Hundred and Fourteen Million, Eight hundred thousand Naira (N214.8million) when the real value of the building as at then was Seven Five Million(N75million) only. The payment for the house was split as follows; Payment to the seller- N179,000,000.00, Agency fee- N8,950,000.00, Legal fee- N8,950,000.00 VAT- N8,950,000.00 & W/TAX- N8,950,000.00 By the project schedule, the Administrator’s quarters was to be completed earlier than now but to siphon money, he delayed it and bought a house. We appeal that the conduct of the Administrator should be investigated. He should not be treated as being above the law. ANNEXURE ‘B’.
5. The sum of over Ninety Million Naira (N90m) Revenue generated during NJI workshops since August 2008 till date is yet to be accounted for by the administrator. Instead of obtaining Treasury Receipts (TB6A) from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, both Mr. Ibrahim Tama Gambo and Mrs. Modupe Olufunke Aribisala printed personal receipts with which participants were defrauded. See FR 820 & 830 (ii), FR1003-1006
6 He also purchased a fairly used (Tokunbo) fire fighting truck for Sixty Eight Million Naira (N68m) when the same truck had been displayed within the FCT, for the sum of Twelve Million Naira (N12million)! Not only was due process was not followed, the contract was inflated by the sum of Fifty Six Million Naira (N56million). This was in contravention of the Procurement Act of 2007 (–Part 4,) as there was no advert for the purchase as it was done through the Administrator’s personal agent and payment was made before the truck was supplied. This is one of the contracts awarded and supply made before the invitation for year 2010 tenders. CRS/PSR 02402. ANNEXURE ‘C’.
7. He bought a bus ambulance for the sum of Sixty Eight Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N68.5m). This is one of the contracts awarded and supply made before the invitation for tenders. Very ridiculous! ANNEXURE ‘D’.
8. Contrary to the presidential directive against purchase of vehicles in 2009 and the zero allocation in the NJI budget for purchase of vehicles, the Administrator vired money and bought vehicles for the sum of Forty Eight Million , Nine Hundred & Eighty Seven Thousand Naira (N48.987m), all at inflated prices. ANNEXURE ‘F’.
9. He purchased two vehicles – a Mercedes Benz and a Honda Jeep- at the cost of Thirty Three Million (N33m) only at inflated prices and as usual, without due process. Too outrageous! Up till now, the where-about of these vehicles is unknown.
10. He also awarded a contract for the supply of 40units Desktop Computer to a fictitious company at the sum of Fourteen Million Naira (N14m) though the contract sum should not be more than Three Million Naira (N3m). This is also one of the contracts awarded and supply made before the invitation for year 2010 tenders. ANNEXURE ‘G’.
11. Further to Justice Umaru Eri Rtd’s mismanagement of Tax Payer’s money, he awarded a contract worth Twelve Million Naira (N12,000,000.00) through his confidential secretary for the supply of 2,000 cartons of A4 photocopy papers at inflated price of N6,000.00 per carton. Meanwhile, a carton is going for N1,500.00 in the market. ANNEXURE ‘G2”.
12. The items supplied to the store were looted by the Administrator and his cronies. The looting of the store is unprecedented and the 2009 audited report (which was later tampered with) showed a fraud of over Eighty Million Naira (N80m) in the store. From Jan 2010 till date, contracts worth more than N100 million were awarded but supplies were not made to the store, yet Store Receipt Voucher, Audit Vouchers and other financial ledgers were raised and payment made for the fictitious contracts. This has been the administrator’s practice since assumption. Based on this, we urge the urgent audit of the Institute’s store.
13. Falsification of approval of the immediate past CJN to include Eri’s wife and two sons on the list approved for a Conference in Turks and Caicos. He collected the sum of Eleven Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Four thousand Naira (N11.954million) four months before the trip (For Eight (8) days conference which should not be more than N3.2m) and none of them attended. What rate was used to calculate an estacode of about N12million for a journey of 8days? He is yet to return the money to the government. Also payment of N1,444,827.00 to Sadiq Wada Yusuf Adamu a Chief Magistrate from Bauchi State without the approval of the Board and this officer had already collected money for this trip from his jurisdiction. PSR 030402 (a & k) ANNEXURE ‘H’.
14. Collection of the sum of Three Million Naira (N3million) as payment to his herbalist for the treatment of an undisclosed ailment in the administrator. There was no medical certificate or record of the treatment administered. The approval of the immediate past CJN was neither sought nor obtained. PSR 02401-2. ANNEXURE ‘I’.
15. The Administrator on assumption of duties at the NJI unilaterally took the major bank accounts of the Institute from United Bank for Africa Plc to Unity Bank Plc, where his son, Abbas Eri is a staff. This has earned his son a rapid promotion in the bank. There was no approval of the CJN for this action neither was there any fraud on the accounts with UBA Plc which is one of the top three banks in Nigeria. We are all aware that Unity Bank is collapsing. The immediate past Administrator was found guilty of this same allegation of changing the Institute’s bank and it led to his lordship’s exit from the Institute. Furthermore, Justice Eri contravened the Federal Government’s directive that said no government establishment should operate more than 3 accounts but NJI is operating about 6 bank accounts.
16. As part of the intricate scheme for siphoning tax payers’ money, the administrator opened an operational account in the name of the Principal Accountant, Laminu Ashemi in to which all his overinflated and fictitious claims that he frequently awarded himself were paid, well over N185,000,000.00 (One hundred & eighty five million naira) has been paid into that account alone. Yet, the COT charged by the bank on this operational account is being paid with the Institute’s funds. Most times, payment vouchers will be raised in the administrator’s name but payments will be made in Laminu Ashemi’s name as against Financial Regulation 601. This has earned this officer jumbo promotion from level 12 to level 15 in less than three years, this negates the Public Service Rule, NJI Conditions of Service & Financial Regulation. FR601. & PSR 030402 (a,k,i & m) ANNEXURE ‘J’.
17. To the knowledge and approval of the Administrator, sums of N300,000.00 and N600,000:00 are being paid monthly to the Administrator for the maintenance of his personal guest and is against the conditions of his employment. Over Eighteen Million Naira (N18m) has been paid so far. PSR 02401-2. ANNEXURE ‘K’.
18. Financial regulation provides that a federal officer of grade level 10 and above should pass payment vouchers but the Administrator mandated a grade level 7 officer for this. Most especially contractors that have been blacklisted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC in the Institute as at the time the Director of Studies Mrs P.M. Ayua was the overseer were been used to commit these atrocities e.g. Badeson Nigeria Limited and others. FR 2011 (1). ANNEXURE ‘L’.
19.The cashier Rashidat Olomoda is another officer that Justice Eri use to perpetrate fraudulent act. The sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five million naira) is being approved for this officer on quarterly basis as cash floats. The money is usually given in form of an advance but never retired! This is against the Federal Government directive for the use of cash floats, e-payment policy and also against the cash advance provision in the Financial Regulation. They usually share this money among themselves. i.e Justice Eri, Ibrahim Gambo, Laminu Ashemi and Rashidat herself.
20. The Ilorin and Zaria trips of 2009 and Ayangba of 2010 which were personal to the Administrator cost the Institute a fortune with virtually all the senior staff on his entourage to clap and cheer him. Over Three Million Naira (N3m) of Tax Payers’ money was wasted. ANNEXURE ‘M’.
21. The use of 8 vehicles by the Administrator alone has placed a lot of unnecessary burden on the finances of the Institute. He moves about in a convoy of cars which the Institute is fuelling and servicing while many senior staff has no car to carry out their official functions. This alone has cost the Federal Government over Twenty Million Naira (N20m) in less than two years of his assumption of duty as administrator. ANNEXURE ‘N’
22. He serviced one of the vehicles in his convoy with a sum of over One Million Naira (N1m) at a time that the approval limit of the administrator was N1m. ANNEXURE ‘O’.
23. No statutory report is presented to the auditor-general by the Audit Unit of the Institute and the audit is a lame duck, courtesy the administrator’s style. Since the beginning of this year, payments were made before vouchers were raised.
24. Renovation of Lagos house in November 2008 at the inflated rate of Thirteen Million Naira (N13m) and in May 2009 for Fourteen Million Naira (N14m) by his fictitious companies. The same house had been renovated in May 2007 by the immediate past administrator. ANNEXURE ‘P’.
25. Approval of overseas medical trip for the Chief Accountant (recently promoted by the Administrator to the Director of Finance & Supply in less than two years of his secondment to the Institute) and his “doctor” (about Three Million, four Hundred & forty Four Thousand Naira (N3.44m) was released for this alone) a staff of the Supreme Court. The former Chairman of the NJI Board of Governors, Justice Kutigi, GCON Rtd. Approved one seven days (7) for this journey but Gambo collected Sixteen days (16) DTA. Approval was not given for his doctor to travel with him yet, he was paid. Ibrahim Tama Gambo was paid N2,647,084.00 and his Doctor was paid N794,018.00. ANNEXURE ‘Q’.
26. As the Chief Accountant, Ibrahim Tama Gambo, has been collecting overtime allowance when officers of his cadre are excluded from such payment by law. This officer claimed to be a professional but didn’t act like one. He never deduct VAT & WHT (i.e. 5% each) from contractor’s payment, rather he always mark-up the contractor’s quotations/invoices with the VAT & WHT and later collects 10% in cash from the contractors. SEE ANNEXURE ‘B,C,D” etc other records are there in the Institute for confirmation.
27. The Administrator approved the payment of sundry allowances ranging from One Million to One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N1m-N1.5m) monthly to the Chief Accountant, Ibrahim Tama Gambo which they share between themselves. ANNEXURE ‘R’.
28. Staff of the Institute in the Fuel Unit has been embezzling money under the guise of supplying fuel to both the official and personal vehicles of the Administrator’s fleet of cars, despite the fact that fuel allowance is included in his letter of appointment. Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N3.5m) is being deposited monthly for fuel alone. That is about Seventy Seven million Naira (N77m) has been used in just twenty months for fuel alone. ANNEXURE ‘S”.
29. The Chief Accountant, Ibrahim Gambo who is expected to know the provisions of Financial Regulations has been awarding illegal sums of money to Directors attending international Conferences among other fraud. For example, Mr. Dele John Peters collected N794,816.00 air ticket to South Africa just for a trip and another N800,000.00 to Kenya etc. Mr. Dele Peters is even awarding contracts when he is not the accounting officer! ANNEXURE ‘T” Mrs Ayua is also enjoying this air ticket benefit.
30. John Dele Peters the present Director of Studies is a man of questionable moral integrity who has been sleeping with cleaners and staff alike. He is seen as having the ears of Justice Eri, hence he is using that as a means of control. When Chichi (Married) refused his advances, he almost got her sacked. She wrote a petition that Dele Peters was harassing her sexually. Another married lady also wrote to Eri and Justice Kutigi that Dele harassed her sexually, he got her removed from her unit and posted to his own office even though everybody knew there was no love lost between them. This is the man Justice Eri is planning to make Institute Secretary, he has become uncontrollable. He is known to be close to the lady who has not been remitting government revenue and the suspicion is that they are sharing the booty together. If you want to keep your job, you must worship Dele. He was responsible for the dismissal of some innocent staff in February this year. He is in no doubt a WOMANIZER!
31. He brought NUGGET HOTEL to the Institute as a conduit pipe to be siphoning government fund as over Nine Million Naira (N9m) is being paid for catering service for every four days workshops of less than a hundred participants in attendance. About 20 companies submitted quotations for four workshops but surprisingly, Nugget Hotel which did not submit any quotation for any of the workshops was awarded the contract. Nobody, including the participants, enjoyed any of food. Well over One hundred & Forty Million naira (N140m) was spent for catering service alone in 2009 this does not includes the sum of N35,312,317.50 spent for catering service of the 2009 All Nigeria Judges Conference that lasted for only five (5) days. ANNEXURE ‘U”.
32. Mrs. P.M. Ayua who was not the Institute Secretary nor a signatory to the Institute’s accounts as at October, 2009 awarded contracts worth over Two Hundred Million (N200m), signed payment mandate without audit signature and due process was not followed. There was no approval of the Accountant-General to make Mrs. Ayua a signatory to the Institute’s account. How can this criminal be allowed to be the Institute Secretary in a reputable Institution like NJI? But the answer is simple; Justice Umaru Eri is a highly corrupt man and born liar. May I also state that Mrs. Ayua has spent more than 12years as a Director and should have retired as per the Federal Government circular 2009. ANNEXURE ‘V” .
33. Said Hud Yunus alongside with other officer was uplifted to the position of a Chief Internal Auditor level 15 because he is being used by Justice Eri to pass fraudulent Payment Vouchers without querying them. This officer did not have NYSC certificate.
34. It may interest you to know that Justice Umaru Eri Rtd, the Administrator is the Chairman Tenders Board, Chairman Procurement Committee and also act as a Director of Procurement for all purchases in the Institute, against the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers both serving and retired.
THE ILLEGALITIES PRESENTLY GOING ON AT THE NJI IS MIND BOGGLING. MORE FACTS WILL BE SUPPLIED WITH TIME. ERI IS NOT READY TO STOP HIS FRAUDULENT ACTS. FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM LAST YEAR HAS EMBOLDEN HIM THE MORE.
• CREATION OF ADDITIONAL DIRECTORATES IN THE INSTITUTE
By the law establishing the Institute, four directorates- Administration, Studies, Research and Library were provided for. It follows that to create additional directorates, the Act must be amended. It is therefore unbelievable that the Administrator could unilaterally create three additional directorates (Personnel Management, Estate Management and Finance and Supplies) without recourse to the National Assembly to amend the Act. It is more baffling that the Administrator could permit such a flagrant disrespect of the law of the land by a “judicial Institute”. What is the Institute teaching the numerous participants attending its workshops? This flagrant disrespect to the Laws of Nigeria is an indiscretion on the part of the judiciary capable of sending wrong signals to the other arms of government.
Sir, by the time you send down your panel of enquiry, a lot will be discovered which I will not mention now.
I could have brought this write-up physically but I don’t want the Administrator to terminate my appointment as he unlawfully terminated the appointment of dedicated and hardworking staff for no just reason. The Administrator is now a terror to NJI. Staff can not relate to each other and the place is like a ghost town because we work under fear and intimidation from the Administrator. Just as he did in Kogi State Judiciary, he has employed over 90 staff from his family and friends even though there is no office space to accommodate them. The Kogi staff were later sent away at the expiration of Eri's tenure as the Chief Judge. Some of the staff that he is using as a means of stealing Tax Payer’s money has no genuine Educational certificates and some of them did not have NYSC Discharge Certificates, e.g. Modupe Olufunke Aribisala and Said Hud Yunus. These officers didn’t have genuine certificates yet they all enjoyed unlawful jumbo promotion instead of dismissal.
It will be in the interest of justice and preservation of the integrity of judicial education in the country for all these allegations to be looked into and concrete steps taken to remedy the complaints.
Thanks in anticipation of your enquiry.
Danladi Haruna
To:
National Judicial Institute,
Mohammed Bello Centre,
Airport Road, Abuja.
29th July, 2010.
The Inspector-General of Police,
Police Force Headquarters,
Loius Edet House,
Central Business District,
Cc:
ICPC
Economic and Financial Crime Commission
National Security Adviser to the President
The Senate President, NASS
Hon. Speaker House of Representatives, NASS
Chairmen, Senate & House Committees on Judiciary and Legal Matters
Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice
Transparency International
Accountant-General of the Federation
Auditor-General of the Federation
Kogi State Government; through the SSG
Kogi State House of Assembly
President, Nigerian Bar Association
Code of Conduct Tribunal
Code of Conduct Bureau
Public Complaints Commission
National Judicial Council
Federal Judicial Service Commission
Kogi State Judiciary
The Executive Secretary, Due Process
The President Court Of Appeal
The Secretary, SERVICOM
The Executive Secretary, Public Procurement
Chairmen Public Petition Committee, NASS
Marching to the press; for the whole world to know; before taking another step there’s no crime in petition when the allegations are true.
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