The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) was recently inundated with petitions alleging fraud in various quarters. Ironically, the streams of petitions are coming at a time the ICPC is saddled with the issues of underfunding and inadequate personnel for driving the anti-corruption war. Chuka Odittah writes.
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In a recent development however, a petition dated March 3rd and forwarded to the acting chairman of the ICPC had alleged wide ranging corrupt practices for which an intervention by the anti graft body was sought. The petitioner, Masud Bala is the Managing Director of Zaria Consultancy Limited.The consultancy firm is a subsidiary of the Federal College of Education(FCE) Zaria.
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In the said petition, Mr. Bala had alleged that the Provost of FCE, Dr. Mouktar Ibrahim Maccido had at various times, allegedly exhibited executive highhandedness in the running of the affairs of Zaria Consultancy Limited. According to the petition, the firm, which was supposed to be run independently by its managing director, at various times ,received directives that suggest that the provost was in charge and not the other way round. These allegations were later followed by records of requests allegedly made by the provost to the firm for funds not covered by proper documentation.
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According to the petition, “The FCE provost made illegal demands sometimes in May 2010 for the release of N1,180,000.00(one million, one hundred and eighty thousand naira) only for alleged onwards transmission to officials of the Federal Ministry of Education, including the Minister of Education”.It also accused the provost of alleged illegal request for the release of N3,500,000.00(three million,five hundred naira) and N10,000,000.00(ten million naira),which were made through text messages and orally on August 6,2010, and in November ,2010 respectively.
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The petitioner, who alleged that evidence of the SMS had been forwarded as exhibits, noted that his refusal to grant these requests had landed him in threats of sack allegedly by the provost. “Since I assumed office, the provost of the college who is also a director of Zaria consultancy limited has made several unusual requests for various sums of money from the company’s coffers. I constantly declined to meet these requests because they were not in order as far as my back ground and profession is concerned”,he said.
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Masud Bala, who said he constantly deployed the expertise he acquired from overseas in carrying out his duties, emphasized that the fortunes of the Zaria Consultancy Limited burgeoned tremendously within the period he took over leadership of the firm. “I have been carrying out my duties and responsibilities effectively and professionally and have not contravened any laws. I introduced a means of generating over N180million into the college with the assistance of some consultants by the name ‘Mind’s Eye integrated services Limited’.The provost is after this money and is doing everything possible to sack me so that he would have access to the funds.He had already written the chairman, board of directors for approval to replace me as signatory to the account”, he noted.
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When contacted for his comments, the provost agreed that there was a petition written by the petitioner to ICPC, and went on to state that he stated his side of the story to the ICPC, upon his invitation to the Kaduna zonal office for enquiries.
The provost however, traced the problems faced by the institution allegedly to the chairman of the FCE Zaria’s Governing Council,Alhaji Abubakar Bodinga, whom he said employed the petitioner, without due process. However, Bala had in a response to the allegations, said he got the job after dully applying for the position of Managing Director of Zaria Consultancy Ltd, in response to the advertisement placed in Daily Trust of December 8, 2009 by the college.According to a letter of confirmation of appointment made available to LEADERSHIP ,and believed to have been written by the Federal College of Education, Bala Masud’s appointment was ratified by the board of directors of Zaria Consultancy LTD.The board indicated why the job was given to Masud.
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A section of the letter indicating his employment and signed by Registrar/secretary to council read in part: “I am pleased to inform you that acting on the recommendations of the interview selection board, the board of directors has approved your appointment as substantive MD/CEO of Zaria Consultancy Ltd., with effect from the date you assumed duty.You should realize that your approval of appointment as managing director/CEO by the board was based on your observed professional qualities and so it is hoped that you will shoulder the responsibility attached to your exalted status with sense of commitment and zeal, with the result that the consultancy outfit will be reckoned with as second to none in this part of the country.
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Though investigations point to the fact that the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union(COEASU), FCE, Zaria chapter had publicly played a mediatory role in the dispute, fresh developments however now suggest that the story may have changed.This is coming on the heels of allegations that the union leadership may have allegedly switched loyalty to the provost regarding the lingering face-off.Investigations indicate that COEAU leadership is part of signatories to the institution’s documents.As it stands, there is indeed no peace in sight at the college once known for its tranquil administrative set up at Zaria Consultancy Ltd. This more so in view of the vow by Bala to pursue the allegations made against the provost to logical conclusion.
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Bala, revealed to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that his passion to serve the nation, were the product of his years of work experience in the United Kingdom where he lived with his family. He noted that he accepted the job out of a resolve to contribute his quota to the development of the country.
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“I was based in the United Kingdom with my family. While on vacation in Nigeria, I saw an advertisement in Daily Trust Newspaper of Monday, December 8,2009, for the post of Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of Zaria Consulting for a period of five years renewable term”, he said.
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When LEADERSHIP WEEKEND contacted Dr. Maccido for his side of the story, especially his role in the tussle at the consulting firm and on the issue of who the signatory to its accounts are, Maccido, a founding figure of the firm expressed regrets at the allegations leveled against him. He expressed dismay that his name was being peddled around in a scam allegation. Maccido explained that he preferred not to join issues with anyone on the matter, particularly because it was already under investigation by the ICPC. According to him, it was Masud who had attempted to maintain controlling powers over the Zaria consultancy Limited’s account, a situation the board attempted to change at all cost.
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He noted that an official (names withheld) who was brought into the administrative wrung of the firm to counter balance Mr. Bala’s rising influence was fired. The provost who said he preferred to maintain some silence until the matter was concluded, however said the matter had gone beyond him. He admitted that though he had the power as provost to call a truce, the face-off had nonetheless got so much out of hand that it had become a fight squarely between Masud and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union(COEASU).The union, he maintained wants the current managing director dropped.
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“I really don’t want to join issues with anyone on this issue.The ICPC is already on top of the allegations. The ICPC is competent enough to investigate the matter and draw a conclusion. We have given the commission our side of the story. But you see, it is unfortunate that practisioners who should know, allow yourselves to be used. Somebody makes an allegation of fraud and petitions the ICPC, does it mean that he is guilty even before the matter is charged to court? Even the allegations made in the petition you referred to, does it mean it was true, or is it a judgment of court? Only the court has the power to convict or sentence anybody.
Outside that, it simply remains an allegation. Even the ICPC has not made any pronouncements on the issue because it is not a court of law. Their duty is to investigate and where necessary, charge the matter to court officially, with the aim of seeking redress in court. And if after making an investigation the ICPC finds that the allegations do not hold water, do you think that there would be any need to prosecute the matter in court? Or do you think that the ICPC wants to go to court over a matter that it is not sure of winning? Nobody wants to go to court to lose a case.
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The matter is beyond me. The union as you know is a formidable force, they said they are tired of the way the things were being run in terms of the accounts of the Zaria consultancy and what have you, and I really cant impose my wish on them. Anybody who goes around saying that I am the one causing the problem is simply mis-understanding issues”, Maccido said.
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Meanwhile, documents made available to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND by legal counsel to Masud, Liman, Liman and Co., made reference to wide ranging allegations against the provost.One of it that “the Federal College of Education of Education Zaria is the owner of the Zaria consultancy ltd, and has Dr. Mouktar Ibrahim Maccido as the provost of the said Federal College of Education as well as a director of the said consultancy and exercises control and direct influence on the said consultancy.
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“Immediately our client assumed leadership of the consultancy, a supposedly independent business organization, he began to receive direct and unending official and unofficial directives and demands from the said Dr. Maccido, ranging from demand for release of monies meant for undisclosed and or illegal purposes with threat of sack of our client for non compliance with the provost’s directive”.