•Orders immediate demolition of illegal structures
Following Shipping Position Daily newspaper’s scoop last Monday about the petition against him, by the Oron Youths Movement (OYM), the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron; Mr Joshua Okpo has commenced frantic moves to wipe-off every trace of his alleged wrongdoings.
•Orders immediate demolition of illegal structures
Following Shipping Position Daily newspaper’s scoop last Monday about the petition against him, by the Oron Youths Movement (OYM), the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria in Oron; Mr Joshua Okpo has commenced frantic moves to wipe-off every trace of his alleged wrongdoings.
Shipping Position Daily confirmed authoritatively that panic, vengeance, and cover-up has set in at the Academy, and that the Rector has already summoned the deputy head of bursary (procurement) with an instruction to destroy all vouchers and memos that were mentioned and attached in the petition which was sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Rector has also directed that all temporary shelter within the academy be destroyed ‘within 48 hours’.
The shanties were mentioned copiously in the damaging petition. A staff; one Yvonne Effiong (Formerly Yvonne I. Udoh) – (Confidential Secretary 1-Procurement) was accused in the petition as allegedly receiving “the sum of N4,905,382.00 for the production of project designs and drawings for the construction of an amusement Park in Academy’s staff Quarters. Approval given on 09/06/2015 See Document attached as “Annex A2”.
To prove that there is no such thing as an amusement park in the academy’s staff quarters; the petitioners had alleged that some employees still live in shanties, within the academy.
“Where in Nigeria, does Academic Institution has an amusement park in the staff quarters. When in MAN Oron, some of the staff live in makeshift ramshackle structures at the Academy’s staff quarter. See attached picture labeled “Annex F3” and “Annex F4”.
They alleged further that Confidential Secretary 1-Procurement, “received the sum of N4,958,496.00 for the production of project designs and drawings for the construction of an amusement Park in Academy’s staff Quarters. Approval given on 09/06/2015 See Document attached as “Annex A3”. This approval is for the same job as in (d) above and on the same day”.
She also “received the sum of N2.1 Million for the painting of 200 capacity male hostel. This can be confirmed on Payment Voucher (PV) number 4048.This amount was also charged to project Account.
She also “received the sum of N12 Million for the production of (unspecified) project design and drawings. This can be confirmed on Payment Voucher (PV) number 4214.This amount was also charged to Project Account”.
The same staff was alleged to have also received N3.6 Million for scrapping and painting of internal and external wall at (unspecified building) at MAN Oron. This can be confirmed on Payment Voucher (PV) number 1992.This amount was also charged to Project Account”.
But apparently determined to destroy evidences of shanties within the academy, the Rector ordered that such strictures should be pulled own immediately.
A copy of thje demolition order which was sighted by our correspondent was titled: “Notice to demolish al illegal structures in Maritime Academy of Nigeria Oron”.
It reads: “The management of the academy has approved the immediate demolition of all illegal structures in the academy with immediate effect, within 48 hours from Friday 4th September to Saturday 5th September, 2015. Management regrets any inconveniences this may cause the occupants”. It was signed by the academy’s Chief Security Officer.
Shipping Position Daily had reported last Monday that, in a petition which was signed by President of the Oron Youth Movement (OYOM); Comrade Joseph Ekong Enam and the Secretary of the Movement, Comrade Victor Mpofor, the youths accused the Academy’s Rector of sundry award of contracts running into Billions of Naira, to individual employees of the institution.
The letter is titled “Petition against grandeur theft and financial embezzlement of Public Funds perpetrated by the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Joshua Enun Okpo”.
The youths in the opening paragraph of the petition to the EFFC Chairman; Alhaji Ibrahim Lamorde, said that: “The Oro Youth Movement (OYOM) is an intelligentsia of Oro youth whose membership is drawn from five Local Government Areas of Oron, Okobo, Urueffong/Oruko, Udung Uko and Mbo in Akwa Ibom State. The five Local Government Areas constitute the “Oron Ethnic Nationality” the third largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom state. The school known as Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) is located in Oron, in Akwa Ibom State. Consequently, Oron is the immediate host community of the school.
In the well-documented 31-page petition dated September 1, 2015, which was obtained exclusively by Shipping Position Daily, the OYOM detailed how the Rector allegedly singled out some academic and non-academic staff to ferret funds.
The petition listed names of “his accomplices (Academy Staff) whom he has been using as agents to loot Academy’s treasury”.
The youths also attached payment voucher numbers and document of phoney contracts allegedly awarded to the staff as a channel of siphoning off the Academy’s funds in contravention “of provisions of Financial Regulations and Extant Rules on granting of cash advances to staff which ordinarily should not exceed Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000.00)”.
They wrote the EFFC that: “It will also interest you to know that cases abound where a particular project/ subject is awarded different amount of money for execution on the same day. It may also interest you to know that Duty Tour Allowance (DTA)/Travelling Allowances etc are charged to Project Account”
The youths lamented that “the looted funds could have been used to substantially improve the facilities of the Academy as well as improve the conditions of living of the staff. We have Cadets who operate without adequate training equipment, talk less of standard classrooms to receive lectures. Specialist areas like meteorology, marine research, Electrical and electronics, hydrography and oceanography are all neglected due to grandeur theft by the Rector and his cabal”.
The petition was copied to President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor, Akwa Ibom state, Uyo, Chairman ICPC, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport, Director, Maritime Safety and Security, Federal ministry of transport, Accountant General of the Federation, Auditor General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters.
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