Less than two weeks after an allegation of looting about N477Million was levied against the former National Security Adviser (NSA); Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and the former Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Dr Ziakede Akpobolokemi, another scam involving a whopping N3.5Billion has been unearthed at the agency.
Less than two weeks after an allegation of looting about N477Million was levied against the former National Security Adviser (NSA); Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and the former Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Dr Ziakede Akpobolokemi, another scam involving a whopping N3.5Billion has been unearthed at the agency.
While the N477Million was in respect of the International Ships and Ports Security facility (ISPS) code, the N3.5Billion was allegedly for Shoreline protection at the NIMASA Science and Technical College in Delta state.
Documents made available to our correspondent last week revealed how former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar and former DG NIMASA; Akpobolokemi allegedly defrauded Nigeria of a whopping N3.5 billion in the Shoreline contract scam.
Details of the action revealed that: ‘The Federal Executive Council under Goodluck Jonathan held its last meeting on Wednesday 20/05/2015. During that meeting the FEC approved a bogus contract of three billion, five hundred and seventy nine million, ninety eight thousand, five hundred and thirty seven Naira and seventy Kobo (N3,579,098,537.70) to Messrs Ponkebi Nigeria Ltd. This contract was supposedly for the protection of Shoreline at the NIMASA Science and Technical College, Okoloba, Delta state.
The approval letter for the award of the multi-billion Naira contract was conveyed to the former NIMASA DG in a memo written by Godwin Okereke (Director of Procurement), Ministry of Transport, Reference TPROC/NIMASA/P/C/988/1/21, and dated 16/6/2015.
Our correspondent was told that, key actors in this scam are ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, the former Minister of Transport (Senator Idris Umar), the former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, the former DG NIMASA (Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi), and the former Secretary to the Federal Government (Pius Anyim Pius).
Shipping Position Daily confirmed that, apart from the shoreline protection contract, another $US2.509Million contract was hurriedly awarded for satellite surveillance subscription.
In an earlier memo to the then-National Security Officer; Col Sambo Dasuki, the then-DG of NIMASA; Ziakede Akpobolokemi, in its justification, wrote that, “The system was designed taking into consideration, known problems in the maritime sector of other regions and nations in addition to Nigeria’s peculiar nature. Some of the great features it has included: ship to ship contact alert, ability to see beyond the territorial waters of Nigeria.”
The satellite contract was awarded to Messrs. Kleyman Mirad BTS Ltd “for the payment of yearly subscription for the satellite system project.”
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