The Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe in Bayelsa State has only admitted 48 students since its establishment in 2008.
Yet, the school is already embroiled in multi-million fraud allegedly perpetrated by its former Rector, Dr. Eneyi Ekpebu; and the substantive Bursar, James Neminebor.
Curiously, the school that has admitted just 48 students since inception in 2008 has over 100 staff.
These were disclosed by members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe Chapter, in a petition to the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, seeking the probe of Ekpebu and Neminebor for fraud.
The petition was signed by the Chairman of SSANIP in the institution, Comrade Endurance Keyamo, and the Secretary, Comrade Ebika Dariah.
The union alleged that despite the provision of funds by the government, the institution, under Ekepbu and with the connivance of Neminebor, was owing the staff amounts running into millions of naira.
Among the outstanding debt to the staff as the annual incremental steps and its arrears; promotion and its arrears; minimum wage arrears; first 28 days allowance; implementation of NHIS; and pension scheme implementation.
Others include money for upgrading of qualified staff; transportation allowance; hazard allowance; four months unpaid salaries of over 100 workers; and fund for training and staff development.
Among the financial illegalities allegedly perpetrated by Akpebu and Neminebor are the transfer of N5 million from the salary account of the school into the account of one Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu on July 9, 2009, with similar transfers made in a number of months in 2010; the transfer of N2.064 million on March 1, 2010 by the former Rector and Bursar without virement from the institution’s salary account into the account of one Q Homes and Property Development Services Limited; the same amount was also transferred to the same company again on March 2, 2010; Akpebu and Neminebor equally transferred N2 million without virement from the salary account to the overhead account from which they withdrew the money for themselves; the transfer by the duo of N54,095 million from the institution’s salary account to Elizade Nigeria Limited; another N51 million without virement from the institution’s salary account to its project account from which they withdrew the money for themselves; and transfer of N45 million without virement from the institution’s salary account to the overhead account, from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
The petition to Wike, by the SSANIP reads in full:
The Honourable Minister of Education,
Federal Ministry of Education,
Abuja.
Sir,
CALL FOR A PROBE OF THE TENURE OF DR ENEYI EKPEBU, FORMER RECTOR OF THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, EKOWE, BAYELSA STATE AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SUBSTANTIVE BURSAR; MR JAMES NEMINEBOR
It is public knowledge for the past one year that the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria polytechnics (SSANIP), Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe Chapter has been embroiled in an industrial dispute with the management of the institution which was until the 20th of January, 2014 under the infamous leadership of Dr Eneyi Ekpebu, the former Rector of the institution. The industrial dispute, which is as a result of numerous unpaid workers’ benefits and demands running into hundreds of millions which the former Rector in connivance with the substantive Bursar have embezzled, reached its crescendo on the 29th of August 2013 when the Union led by Comrade Endurance Keyamo as Chairman and Comrade Ebika Dariah as Secretary embarked on an indefinite strike action. For purpose of clarity, we wish to enlist below these legitimate unpaid workers’ benefits and demands:
1. Annual incremental steps and its arrears.
2. Promotion and its arrears.
3. Minimum Wage arrears.
4. First 28 days allowance.
5. Implementation of NHIS.
6. Pension scheme implementation.
7. Upgrading of qualified staff.
8. Transportation allowance.
9. Hazard allowance.
10. Four months unpaid salaries of over one hundred workers.
11. Training and staff development.
The removal of the former Rector from office shortly before the end of his tenure despite his desperate attempts to get a second tenure for himself is indeed a welcome development and it is a harbinger of good things to come for the workers and also students of the institution who have been living in bondage. It might be of interest to you sir that since the establishment of the institution in 2008, only forty eight (48) students have been admitted. As a Union, we wish to congratulate the new Governing Council of the institution led by Honorable Bekes Etifa for ensuring that there is change of leadership of the institution. We also wish to congratulate the new Acting Rector and anticipate a good working relationship with management henceforth.
Sir, having said the foregoing, we urge your office to set up a panel to probe the tenure of Dr Eneyi Ekpebu, the former Rector and the activities of the substantive Bursar, Mr James Neminebor, to ensure that they do not escape the long arm of the law after embezzling hundreds of millions of naira belonging to the institution and its workers. Reproduced below are some of the criminal activities perpetrated by the former Rector and the substantive Bursar:
1. On or around 7th July 2009, the former Rector and the Bursar transferred the sum of five million naira (N5,000,000) from the salary account into the account of one Ambassador Lawrence Ekpebu. Similar transfers were made in a number of months in 2010.
2. On or around 1st March 2010, the former Rector and the Bursar connived and transferred the sum of two million and sixty-four thousand naira (N2,064,000.00) without virement from the institution’s salary account into the UBA account of one Q HOMES AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES LTD. The account number of the said firm is 04120030000873.
3. On or around 2nd March 2010, the same amount in 1 above was transferred between same parties.
4. On or around 22nd March 2010, the former Rector and the Bursar transferred the sum of two million naira without virement from the salary account to the overhead account from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
5. On or around 28th October 2010, the former Rector and the Bursar transferred the huge sum of fifty-four million and ninety-five thousand naira (N54,095,000.00) from the institution’s salary account to one ELIZADE NIGERIA LIMITED at First Bank, Plc, Ogba Branch, Lagos. The account number of the said company is 2462030004600.
6. On or around 6th December 2010, the former Rector and the Bursar in their usual fraudulent manner connived and transferred the staggering amount of fifty-one million naira (N51,000,000) without virement from the institution’s salary account to its project account from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
7. On or around 22nd May, 2012, the former Rector and the Bursar connived and transferred the whopping sum of forty-five million naira (N45,000,000) without virement from the institution’s salary account to the overhead account from which they withdrew the money for themselves.
Apart from the illegal transfers of monies from the institution’s account as shown above, the former Rector also engaged in the award of numerous fictitious contracts. Some of these contracts, which have been completed on paper but are non-existent, are enlisted below:
1. Construction and equipment of sick-bay awarded for the sum of one hundred and fifteen million, nine hundred and seventy-seven thousand, seven hundred and six naira (N115,977,706).
2. Procurement of river crafts awarded for the sum of two hundred and twelve million, one hundred and eighty-one thousand, two hundred naira (N212,181,200).
3. Procurement and installation of medical lab for the sum of one hundred and eighty-five million, one hundred and forty-three thousand, four hundred and seventy-two naira, ninety seven kobo (N185,143,472.97).
4. Construction of two units of ICT centers for the sum of fifty-four million, one hundred and ten thousand, two hundred naira (N54,110,200).
5. Building of electronic library for 0ne hundred and twenty million, three hundred and sixty nine thousand naira (N120, 369,000).
6. Construction of staff club for the sum of thirty seven million naira (N37,000,000).
7. Construction of ICT Centre and equipment for ninety five million five hundred and sixty five thousand naira (N95,565,000)
8. Construction of sports complex for two hundred and fifty nine million five hundred and thirty thousand naira (N259,530,000).
9. Construction of shopping complex for fifty five million naira (N55,000,000).
10. Construction of convocation square for one hundred and fifteen million five hundred thousand (N115,500,000).
11. Construction of fifteen rooms polytechnic guest house in Yenagoa for one hundred and thirty million naira (N130,000,000).
12. Construction of fifteen rooms polytechnic guest house in Ekowe for one hundred and eighty million naira (N180,000,000).
Sir, the above projects only exist on paper. They are nowhere to be found in the polytechnic campus at Ekowe.
We therefore appeal to your office to commence a probe of these activities and ensure that those found wanting are brought to book so that it will serve as a deterrent to others.
Kindly accept our best wishes.
Comrade Endurance Keyamo Comrade Ebika Dariah
Chairman Secretary
08034676070 08030855082.