More revelations emerged on Thursday January 30, 2014 at the on-going trial of Dayo Olagunju and six other executive officers of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education, IMEC being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC before Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

 
The accused persons; Dayo Olagunju, Joshua Durodola Alao, Jubrin Rikichi Waguna, Sheu Abdullahi Adamu Khalid, Moses Oseni and Francis Awelewa are being prosecuted by the Commission on a 79-count charge bordering on contract splitting and breach of due process.
 
At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, the star witness Sagir Ahmed, an operative of the Commission during cross examination by Oluwole Aladedoye, counsel to the first and second accused person told the court how two separate bank accounts were opened with WEMA Bank Plc and Oceanic Bank Plc by IMEC in contravention of the Federal Government circular that requires all MDAs to seek and get approval from the Accountant General of the Federation.
 
Sagir further told the court that nine contracts were awarded without following due process. According to him, certificates of no objection and award letters were issued to the contractors by the accused persons before tender board meeting. The tender board is supposed to approve and ratify the award of those contacts. The star witness added that 100 per cent upfront payment was made to the contractors  based on performance bond issued by the contractors contrary to the terms of agreement entered by the IMEC and the contractors that the money should be warehoused in the bank pending the completion of the contract. These monies, Sagir said were paid directly to the contractor through various cheques raised in their company’s names.
 
The accused persons are facing trial over their alleged infractions on the Public Procurement Act 2007. They are alleged to have awarded various contracts in contravention of the threshold of the Mass Literacy Commission which at that material time was put at N20m (Twenty Million Naira).
 
The case has been adjourned to March 5-6, 2014 for continuation of trial.

Media & Publicity
30th January, 2014