Dennis Udoma
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is set to carry out a forensic audit into the financial transactions of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa Ibom State, Straightnews has gathered.
This follows petition by concerned lawyers- Messrs Michael Edet and Associates to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Senate Committee on Public Accounts and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) over alleged procurement frauds in the institution.
The petition is entitled: “Complaints of financial impropriety, mismanagement of public funds, duplication of contract awards for corrupt enrichment, contracts splitting/splitting of tenders, gross abuse of office and brazen violation of public service rules, financial recklessness and brazen breach of public procurement process against Commodore Duja Emmanuel Effedua (rtd), Rector and his management board at Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron.”
The petition made available to newsmen in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, accused the management of the institution led by Commodore Effedua (Rtd.), of lacking transparency in financial transactions and gross violations of the relevant sections of the procurement Act.
Part of the petition reads: “In line with our resolve and believe in Mr. President Muhammadu Buhrai’s anti-corruption and whistle blowing policy, concerning the alleged corruption at the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, we decided to dig into these ugly and murky tales of corruption and we wish to inform your good offices that you will be shocked beyond words by what we discovered.”
In an interview with newsmen recently at the academy, Effedua dismissed the allegations as “corruption fighting back,” saying that he has tried to block financial leakages that used to be the order of the day when he took over three years ago, even as he stated that “80 percent of funds allocated to the academy were stolen by cabal.
“You have seen what I have done with my team. We have done significant things in significant times. When we came, the academy was in near collapsed stage. We are here to add value, not to steal money.
“I did not get extra funding to do what you have seen here, it is just that I blocked leakages, and when you block leakages, corruption will fight back.
“The corrupt people; the staff from within and those from the outside, they are cabal who had benefited from the academy and milked it dry,” he stated.
However, the BPP in a statement by the Director in-charge of (Compliance, Certification and Monitoring Department), Engr. Ishaq Yahaya, on behalf of the Director-General (DG) of the agency, assured that BPP would soon commence forensic investigation into the allegations to ascertain whether all financial transactions in the institution followed the due process.
In his acknowledgement letter to the petitioners dated July 16, 2021, Engr. Yahaya said, “The Bureau having carefully perused your complaints observed that, the allegations bother on contracts splitting, collusion, lack of accountability and transparency, etc.
“Please be informed that the Bureau will conduct Procurement Audit exercise on the academy’s procurement activities,” the statement added.
