EFCC Point It's Torchlight On ITF DG Chukkas Onaeko Over Multi-billion Naira Fraud

Daily Post reports that the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, may be reeling under monumental fraud, running into billions of naira.

This, inside sources say has attracted the searchlight of the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

following instances of fraud worth over N2bn that were said to have been perpetrated by the ITF Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Juliet Chukka-Onaeko.

Ms Chukka-Onaeko, who assumed leadership of the agency on May 19, 2014, was said to have been interrogated twice by the anti-graft agency within the last two weeks. 

Aside being quizzed for “blowing N700 million in the name of media and publicity so far into her tenure without the knowledge of members of the Public Affairs Department,” she was grilled last Friday for allegedly spending a whooping N250 million in renovating the Abuja Corporate Office of ITF.

However, the Head of Public Affairs in the Abuja Corporate Office of the agency, Mr. Desmond Osokpor, denied knowledge of the visit of EFCC operatives, stressing that “We have been here since morning; I did not see anybody come here neither was I invited to meet with anybody”.

But his position contradicts that of the Media Aide to the ITF DG, Meshach Idehen, who reacted to whether the security operatives were in their office same day thus: “Of course, the EFCC was here just like they were at every other government agency within the country. And I can categorically tell you that it was a routine visit in line with the policy thrust of the present government to use government institutions to beam its searchlight on agencies.”    

However, inside sources, who begged not to be named, told DAILY POST that last Friday’s visit of EFCC operatives to the Abuja Corporate Office of the agency was to ascertain how N250 million came to be used in renovating the office and “to also see for themselves the level of renovation done to have gulped N250 million”.  

One of the sources disclosed that before the Friday(August 14) visit to the ITF House in Abuja, operatives of the EFCC had about two weeks ago, stormed the ITF Headquarters in Jos, the Plateau State capital, where “they interrogated Ms Onaekko over contract awards and alleged irregularities in payment running into over N2 billion”.

The inside source also revealed that other senior staff members interrogated in Jos included the Directors of Procurement, Dickson Onuoha; Finance, Yomi Osobo and Field Services, John Enyi. It was also gathered that the EFCC team had questions for some top members of the Senior Staff Association of Transport and Communication, SSATAC, as well as those of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees, AUPCTRE.

According to the source, “EFCC also raised eyebrows over the DG’s breach of procurement regulations and award of contracts to her own cronies in the name of consultants. She was questioned for using her companies- Kabsco Logistics Ltd and Minds and Lines Ltd to get contracts from ITF.

“One of the issues that came up was her appropriation of N700 million for media and publicity without the knowledge of staff members of the Public Affairs Department. These monies were paid directly into her private account {account number withheld} which is in breach of extant ITF laws which forbids payment of amount even far less than that into a private account.

“She has a limit of the money she can approve and there are some amounts which the board must sit before such can be disbursed,” our source said.

Reacting to these claims, Ms Chukka-Onaekko’s Media Aide, Mr. Idehen, insisted that “to the best of my knowledge, I can assure you that there is no iota of truth in the allegation that such amount was spent on any form of renovation in this building (ITF House Abuja) or any other ITF building that I am aware of.”

When asked if the building was renovated and what was spent on the renovation, he said: “Of course, when the DG moved in, there was need to carry out some renovation which was done to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. But, there is no iota of truth in this allegation.

“I am an intermediary but will need to relate with the appropriate people to be able to give you the exact information,” he added.

For the Abuja Corporate Office, Head of ITF Public Affairs, Mr. Osokpor, who also noted that there was a limit to what he can say of the allegations, clarified that the ITF Head of Public Affairs who operates from the Headquarters in Jos was in a better position to give categorical answers to the clarifications sought by DAILY POST.

But when asked if he had any knowledge of renovations being carried out on the Abuja office of ITF, he said: “I just came here on transfer. Not like I’ve been here. I have been in Lagos. I resumed here in June.”

HUH?

OMG...Juliet and i were friends and in the same class in Uniben oooooh.We lost contact a while back.Does anyone have her phone number or know Juliet?Please have her contact me or send me her number...I may be wrong oh but the Juliet i know WILL NEVER touch money that doesn't belong to her...HIAN!!!