Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
Former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, her Minister of State, Arch. Gabriel Aduku and other top officials of the ministry allegedly involved in the scandal of sharing part of the unspent 2007 ministry's budget funds totaling N300 million, are likely to face charges in court this week.
Former Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, her Minister of State, Arch. Gabriel Aduku and other top officials of the ministry allegedly involved in the scandal of sharing part of the unspent 2007 ministry's budget funds totaling N300 million, are likely to face charges in court this week.
Daily Sun at the weekend learnt that the legal department of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had completed work on the drafting of the charge against the former ministers and other suspects.
EFCC source hinted Daily Sun that the suspects would face trial for conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of public fund among others.
It is not clear whether or not Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and other members of the Senate Committee on Health will be docked along with the ministry officials as beneficiaries of the scam.
The two ministers who were appointed about eight months ago, were alleged to have connived with other ministry officials to subvert a presidential directive that all unspent 2007 budget allocation be returned to the coffers of government at the end of last year.
Following charges of corruption brought against them by EFCC, the ministers were forced to resign last week while the civil servants named in the racket were placed on indefinite suspension, in accordance with civil service rules, pending further disciplinary action.
The top functionaries include: The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Prof Simon Ogandi; the director of administration, Dr H.B. Oyedepo;' the director of finance, Hanafi Muhammed; another director, Mr M.S Hamid; and a chief accountant, Abdulrahaman Ambali.
Others are: a principal administration officer, Mr Donald Ekanem; a principal transport officer, Mr Donatus Iyang and seven others.
The cat was let out of the bag by an aggrieved member of staff of the ministry, who was said to be dissatisfied with the formula adopted in the sharing of the fund.