Akwa Ibom: Whistle blower petitions EFCC, Minister over 'corruption' in Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron

In a two page petition to EFCC by Mr Adamu Jibrin, a staff of the academy dated April 6, 2021 through his Attorney, Michael Edet, and Associates and made available to newsmen in Uyo at the weekend titled, ÔÇØ Petition of Fraud, Embezzlement, Misappropriation , Criminal And Conversion of Public Funds to Personal Use by the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, OronÔÇØ, the petitioner alleged that millions of naira have been siphoned from the treasury of the academy.

Copies of the petition was served on the Chairman, EFCC, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami as well as Minister of Transportation cited by our reporter showed they have been served with the petition by the petitioner's counsels since April 6th and 14th, 2021.

Part of the 18 paragraph petition read, "Statement of FactsÔÇØ made before legal counsels, Michael Edet and Associates by the petitioner, Mr. Jibrin stated inter Alia that; ". . . about a year after assumption of Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (Rtd), as Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in 2018, there was a fraudulent scheme put in place by the office of the Rector, Bursar, Head of Procurement and Cashier to siphone public funds using me (Mr. Adamu Jibrin) and other willing staffers of the academy in the scheme.

"That the above dubious practice involved payment of monies into selected staff accounts and asking the said staff to retain a little fraction or small part of the sum, and thereafter asked to return the bulk sum to the Finance/Bursary Department through some select staff via cash including Onnoyom Etebong (Cashier), Ezike Nkemdiri Anthony, Clement Ukoyonoh, Patrick Boco Archiving and Egwu Divine and several other staffers.

"That the scam and fraudulent practice involved the use of three deceptive methods which include; purported Tour Duty Allowance, DTA, Workshops and Training and Accommodation for government officials from ministries, Auditor General Office, Account-General Office, National Assembly, Presidency etc which are all scam and phantom lies as staffers involved including me never attended any training or workshop anywhere.

"That on October 23, 2018, the amount of N1, 406, 000. 00 was paid into my account under the fraudulent scheme and on the same date I was made to withdraw the sum of N1, 305, 000. 00 and give it to Me, Onoyom Etebong, the Cashier for onward remittance to the Bursar, Acting Registrar, Rector and some other members of the cartel of the management team of the academy.ÔÇØ

The petitioner explained that money of various amounts were transmitted through his personal account they asked me to open at United Bank for Africa (UBA), Oron branch with NO: 2115867327 till September 2020, when he met with the Academy cashier, Mr Onoyom Etebong for financial assistance to pay medical bills of his mother and ( the cashier ) referred him to other members of the syndicate.

According to him, "I protested to Mr Onoyom that after using my account to divert over N62m between 2018 and 2020 that it was unfair for management and the cartel not to assist him in time of needs "

Jibrin said the matter was reported to the Rector, Commodore Efedua Rtd, who later called and begged me to calm down but later queried me why I mentioned his name in the scam and send his Personal Assistant to call me assuring that management would assist me.

He said the following week, the sum of N200, 000 was given to him by the Bursar of the Academy Mr. Okon Bassey in the office which the money was grossly inadequate to offset his mother's medical bills.

The EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Awujaren, when contacted on the telephone on the matter said, he was not aware of the petition saying, it might have been served on the Chairman of the commission.

However, all efforts to speak with the Rector, Commodore Juda Effedua Rtd was futile as he did not pick his calls nor responded to the text message sent to him on the matter but, the acting Registrar, Mr. Nelson Mukadas who, spoke on the telephone said, ÔÇØThe Rector is not afraid of any investigation by the EFCC on anything anybody would write about the Maritime Academy, Oron.ÔÇØ