NIGCOMSAT, no doubt, is a strategic organisation in the cause of realising the technological and scientific aspiration of Nigeria. However, after rigorous and extensive private investigation both official and anonymous in nature as the situation warrants, it is pertinent note that at present, there is no mandate to speak for NIGCOMSAT and the accused employees.
But as a coalition of civil society organisation working for transparency and accountability in the scheme of things it is necessary that we make our findings known to Nigerians. We are also bound to do so for critical stakeholders in order to set the record straight for those following trends in this organisation or even waiting for the outcome of the petition against NIGCOMSAT.
Having said that, we would like to give profound gratitude to those that made the investigation and findings possible, both in official and unofficial capacity and this is both in the agency in question and other government and private agencies in the real estate. We commend them for taking time to search and divulge important information to us about the components of this petition.
Our findings: NIGCOMSAT is a government agency that basically operates at 60 per cent commercial and deals basically with broadband. In other words, it is an agency that may not be necessarily involved in huge capital expenditure to the extent that N8 billion contract scam can easily be perpetuated as alleged by the petitioner. In reference to 2020 Appropriation Bill signed to law by the president and also previous budget of the agency, we were able to deduce the fact that, the total allocation of NIGCOMSAT is always less than N4 billion, including overhead cost.
We also know, through findings, that its financial orientation is based on Treasury Single Account (TSA). Given this picture therefore, it becomes less possible for leakages in the finances of the agency, even as we now see in so many other agencies of government. We, however, note with dismay that the opposition to the government of the day at the centre continues to use the word ‘cabal’ to disparage the government.
They also make people believe that there are some people presumed to be close to the president thereby having influence on the president and whatever they do whether good or bad will go unchecked. These assertions are baseless. Again, the opposition has transferred the word ‘cabal’ to other formations of government apparently referring to employees who are diligent in the discharge of their legitimate duties assigned to them and not necessarily being entitled to any special remuneration. It is good to note that any leader who desires to succeed must build his team around dedicated, honest and competent employees who are ready to give their best at all times.
This is because leaders cannot be everywhere at the same time. This reality is what is playing out in NIGCOMSAT where names like Idris Garba, Adamu Idris, Alma Udoyen, Kingsley Udevbue and Rakiya Sulaiman appeared to the petitioner as ‘cabals’. We discovered that these names were tagged ‘cabals’ just for the fact that they have deployed exceptional character and energy in their various duties in the agency and also make themselves available, even at unofficial hours.
These highly dedicated staff have made their services to the agency to the detriment of their comfort because of their determination to be part of success story that the CEO, Dr Abimbola Alale, intends during his tenure in the agency.
Our findings also show that NIGCOMSAT has since complied with federal government directive on IPPIS and salary being the major financial obligation of the agency, it takes up to 80 per cent of the allocation. In the same vein, capital vote is always less than N1billion for every fiscal year (page 449) of 2020 Appropriation Bill shows that. It is likely impossible for the agency not to be able to meet its financial obligation as stated by the petitioner.It is also not far from the truth if we assert that Dr Alale was appointed as the CEO of NIGCOMSAT in 2015 due to her exemplary service in the agency. However, before her appointment as the CEO of NIGCOMSAT, she wouldn’t have had the power to hijack insurance business of NIGCOMSAT, having not served as the head of legal services of the agency.
Available records confirmed that the then head of legal services was privy to all the insurance agreements between the agency and FASAHA Intercontinental Insurance Brokers Limited. Findings also revealed that a female staff in the legal department spearheaded the signing of the said agreement which was devoid of any anomaly but the woman in question was not Dr Alale. Having been privileged as the National Coordinator of Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability in different fora with sister CSOs in anti-corruption advocacy, the issue of Abuja CCTV project initiated during the Goodluck Jonathan administration is one that has left a scar in the heart of all well meaning Nigerians.
Severally, the issue has come up and on no occasion has the name of NIGCOMSAT appeared as a partner in the said project or as an accomplice in the failed CCTV project. Rather, NIGCOMSAT was brought in after the contract had been awarded to ZTE and the role played by the agency at this stage was supervisory and in form of consultancy.
This is due to the fact that the agency’s mandate is in correlation with the said project and, of course, though the project failed, NIGCOMSAT was made to bear the burden of the investment made in terms of recruitment of engineers that were supposed to mainly work on the project to ensure its success.As coalition of civil society, we equally make bold to say that the issue of NIGUS International Investment Limited arouses our curiosity about this petition because the company is well known to us even outside government business. By this unique relationship, we have the privilege of getting all necessary information needed for the purpose of this investigation.
In as much as we will not like to delve into employees’ private life, we would like to state categorically that Mr Adamu Idris or his father in-law have nothing to do with NIGUS. This is because the company does not belong to anybody related to his wife and they do not share the same ethnic affiliation with the visioner of NIGUS whom as we have said is well known to us outside government business.
Also, the claim that DTH belonging to NIGCOMSAT has now been signed off to NIGUS is false. We were able to ascertain that those willing to use the facility for their TV transmission will be granted the licence as long as they fulfil the requirements.
We also discovered that in the bid to strengthen the financial capacity of NIGCOMSAT, the management reached an agreement with the cooperative of the agency, where N100 million was borrowed from the cooperative earnings to execute a project of direct data capture of members of a ruling political party before 2015 general elections. In this regard, funds and employees were deployed but unfortunately as we all know, there was change of power at the centre and this made the party to not to be able to meet its financial obligations to NIGCOMSAT.
Our finding equally revealed that that all employees of the agency were privy to the said contractual agreement between NIGCOMSAT and the political party. Our belief is that even with the unpleasant outcome, there was no moral justification for the cooperative to engage the management in industrial dispute.
The allegation of asset and ownership of real estate has become the easiest to trace during investigation and this is possible due to the effective system that is in place in AEGIS and management system of many private estates in FCT. This gave us the information that so many long serving employees of NIGCOMSAT had the opportunity of keying into a housing scheme of the agency.This opportunity made them property owners in Sunny Vale estate and they were able to key into the scheme through loan facility easily verifiable through account details as we know that anti-graft agencies have done in the past. Finding also shows that some other properties traced to some above mentioned employees are products of inheritance and some by virtue of marriage.
In conclusion, we align with the submission of Comrade Haruna Abdulsalam Okatahi, Director of Communication and Strategy of the CCSTA, that in as much as it is within the power of any individual or groups to write petitions whenever they feel like, such should be done properly, especially in any government establishment.
We must also note the fact that our anti-graft agencies (EFCC, ICPC, NFIU, etc) invest huge resources in the process of investigation of alleged corruption, just as we have done rigorously in the past weeks before coming up with this piece. But when petitions are vindictive and not the true state of things, government will be wasting a lot of resources without positive result either in the way of asset recovery or punishment.
We also plead with the media, individuals and groups to engage in thorough investigation to know facts before writing to anti-graft agencies and before disseminating such information to the public. We also use this medium to plead with those in positions of authority to work in tandem with the anti-corruption mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari and his government.
We implore those whose names are mentioned in the petition especially the CEO of NIGCOMSAT, to see the whole saga as part of sacrifice they have to make in service to humanity and their fatherland, Nigeria. They should not despair in giving their best to the organisation. Rather, this development should encourage them to do more in honesty and integrity, because whether we like it or not, men who do good will always have no shortage of enemies.
The president must also recognise those at the helm in government agencies who are serving with integrity and working along the path of the president’s anti-corruption agenda. Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability believes that it is because of corruption that in Nigeria, we don’t have stable electricity.
It is because of the cancerous phenomenon that we don’t have potable water, we cannot feed ourselves as a nation, we don’t have hospitals and good schools because of corruption and it goes on and on. So as individuals, if we decide to do what is right for our nation, Nigeria will definitely attain her potentialities.
Comrade Olumjuyiwa Onlede,National Coordinator,Conference of Civil Society for Transparency and Accountability
