In a shocking revelation, the Restore Nigeria Integrity Initiative (RNII), has exposed a massive procurement fraud at the Federal College of Fishery and Marine Technology (FCFMT), prompting a formal petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for immediate investigation and prosecution.
According to RNII, a thorough investigation has uncovered webs of fraudulent activities, including awarding contracts to unqualified vendors, inflating contract sums, and embezzlement of funds meant for projects in the institution and has accordingly written an FOI dated 11th July, 2024, titled “FOI REQUEST ON INFORMATION ON SUSPECTED PROCUREMENT FRAUD IN YOUR INSTITUTE, seeking clarification on the matter, all to no avail.
RNII alleges that the FCFMT has engaged in a pattern of fraudulent activities, including several payments of over 1.5 billion naira from 2022 to 2024, paid to companies belonging to a particular groups of persons led by one individual John Abah Augustine. They claimed that they have recorded details of these payments for various categories of projects whose inspections are currently ongoing. RNII also alleged a lack of transparency in contract awards.
The group said: “We are appalled by the level of corruption and mismanagement at the FCFMT. We urge the EFCC to take immediate action and investigate these allegations. Those involved must be held accountable, and the institution must be governed in a transparent and accountable manner.
“We have duly petitioned the EFCC to investigate these allegations while urging the commission to take immediate action to hold those involved accountable.
“The FCFMT is a federal government-owned institution responsible for providing education and training in fishery and marine technology. The college has a history of corruption and mismanagement, with several investigations and audits revealing widespread fraud and abuse of office, and this should not be so.
“The procurement fraud at FCFMT has serious implications for the education sector and the country as a whole. It just not undermines the integrity of the institution, diverts resources meant for development, and perpetuates a culture of corruption but also downplay the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda which came with gratifying reforms to ensure transparency and accountability in the agricultural sector.
‘We duly demand that the EFCC investigate the allegations of procurement fraud at FCFMT, hold those involved accountable, recover all misappropriated funds, and finally ensure transparency and accountability in the procurement process within the institution.
“RNII is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria. Our mission is to expose corruption and ensure that those involved are held accountable.” It added.
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