Whistle Blower Challenges FG’s Zero Tolerance For Corruption

The zero tolerance for corruption stance of the Federal Government has been challenged by a self-styled anti-corruption crusader, Mr. Emmanuel Ebirim who uncovered a whoping N90.7 million fraud at the Veterinary Council of Nigeria.

Following series of protests to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the probe of Dr. Daniel Maddo, the Council’s Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, the Registrar was quizzed for allegedly embezzling millions of naira from the treasury of the Council.

He was allegedly assisted by two former staff of the Council, Dr Hilary Ibe and Mr Alexander, both former Director of Finance and former Admin Officer respectively to perpetrate the fraud.

This discovery by the anti-corruption agency formed the basis of the ongoing trial of the officers before an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Talba Mohammed.

To the chagrin of Mr. Ehirim, the Registrar who was detained at the Kuje prison for three weeks until he was granted bail by the court, quietly returned to his office at the Council and resumed work in flagrant disobedience of the provisions of Civil Service Rules which provides for persons standing trial on alleged corruption charges to be interdicted pending the conclusion of their trials.

The whistle blower raised issues with Dr. Maddo’s return to work at the Council but the Governing Board of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria led by Prof Ogundipe paid deaf ears to his letters for Dr. Maddo to be placed on interdiction pending his trial.

Not deterred by the seeming complicity of the Governing Board, Mr. Ehirim soon dragged the Board before the Agric Minister calling for the dissolution of the board which he says is illegally constituted.

In a letter written to the Minister, Mr. Ehirim alleged that the Prof Ogundipe-led Board of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria is not properly constituted and that it breached Section 2 (a) to (d) of the Veterinary Surgeons Decree 1969 as well as the Amended Decree No 40 of 1987 which specified the terms and conditions to be fulfilled for a valid constitution of the Council’s Board.

Mr. Ehirim is threatening to go to court to compel the Federal Government to exercise its powers and dissolve the board to pave way for the constitution of a valid Governing Board which will give the Veterinary Council the much needed bite in the discharge of its duties to the nation.

The letter to the Agric Minister which was delivered at the Agric ministry was received on 25 August, but no action has been taken on it by the minister.

Findings at the ministry’s registry indicate that the letter which was written by Mr. Ebirim’s lawyer, Mr. M. A. Ofeoshi, was received at the registry but that further action on it is still being awaited.

A staff who spoke on the condition of anonymity since he could not make an official statement on the issue, informed that the minister will look into the issue and address any breach in the composition of the board.

By Nnamdi Felix / Abuja