The Benin Development Union has accused the management of the Benin-Owena River Basin (BORBDA) Authority of embezzling millions of naira.
The Talakawa Parliament, a Civil Society Organization with office in Benin City initiated the investigation in 2020, however, Benin Development Union, led by Comrade Maxwell Uwagboe, President of the group, wrote a memo to the government to prevent the four executives of BORBDA from returning to their office where they had allegedly embezzled millions.
A memo addressed to President Bola Tinubu stated that Failure to invoke relevant sections of the PSR would result in continued protests until corrupt officials in BORBDA are held accountable.
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The memo was copied to the Nigerian Senate President, the Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’ Oba N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II CFR, OGIDIGAN, and all National Assembly Members from Edo South Senatorial district.
Engr. Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed, the Managing Director, and his management team are accused of corruption, maladministration, misappropriation of funds, illegal disposition of federal government properties, and illegal disposition of machinery and equipment.
For instance, Engr Ahmed allegedly embezzled an estacode allowance of N4,643,019 for a one-week international study tour in the United States, which he never attended.
Evidence of this can be traced from the Finance and Account Division of the BORBDA payment voucher P.V. No. 2758, dated June 3, 2018.
The Director and his team were also involved in Virement of project funds, running into millions of naira, without legislative approval. Evidence of this misappropriation could also be traced from the Finance and Accounts division.
According to records, Engr. Saliu Osifuemhe Ahmed took N10,000,000 (ten million naira) on an alleged international trip without the necessary approval from the relevant Authority.
The trips were between August 19 and August 30, 2023. Apart from millions of naira embezzled, there is evidence of illegal selling of government properties and equipment without the necessary approval from the relevant authorities.
Engr Ahmed sold most of the Prado Jeeps to himself and his cronies. Staff members have also complained of high-handedness and maladministration from the Managing Director, who is lobbying to continue in his current position despite allegations of fraud.
Another member of Engr Ahmed’s cronies is Engr (Mrs) Veonica Modupe Olalemi, who served as an Executive Director (Engineering) for two terms.
According to findings, she is lobbying to become the Managing Director of BORBDA. Engr Olalemi collected the same amount as Engr Ahmed, N4, 643, 019 for a one-week international trip study tour of the Tennessee Valley Authority OPeration in the United States of America but never attended, according to payment voucher number 2758 of June 2018.
The detailed investigation also showed that she misappropriated funds for repairing official government vehicles, according to payment vouchers 0002775 and 002774, dated October 30, 2018.
She is also implicated in illegally selling federal government properties and equipment of BORBDA without relevant approval and constituted authorities. She sold one of the KIA Sportage Jeeps to herself.
According to staff members, to cover her tracks, she burnt down several documents, including the attendance register for staff in grade 14 and above for the year 2017-2020, and dispatched a register for mail in her office that could implicate her further.
A payment voucher no. 0000831, December 31 2019, showed she aided and abetted in paying N63 million for a job not exceeding N10 million as appropriated.
Engr. S.H. Owolabi, the Deputy Director of the same organization, also embezzled an allowance, running into millions of naira, for an alleged international trip he didn’t attend.
Engr Owolabi is also lobbying to be the Managing Director under Bola Tinubu’s administration. Like the others, the Engr has committed many atrocities that have earned him a series of disciplinary actions, which can be found in his record file from BORBDA.
The Deputy Director was never dutiful, causing pain to his colleagues, particularly the Planning and Design Directorate of the BORBDA.
Osikela Omo-Ikiroba, a political appointee who has served two terms as Executive Director of Planning and Design, is one of the lobbyists for the Managing Director of BORBDA under Tinubu’s Administration.
Osikela aided and abetted in the purchase of a second fairly used bulldozer and an excavator in the sum of N63, 000, 000 (Sixty three million naira) and N29, 000.000 (twenty-nine million naira), respectively, which did not meet up with the desired specification as analyzed in the bill of Engineering measurements and Evaluation (BEME).
He was a committee member constituted by the Managing Director, Engr. Ahmed to unlawfully dispose of the Federal Government properties without approval from the relevant Authorities. He sold one of the KIA-SPORTAGE Jeep to himself.
The embezzlement of Estacode allowance for an international journey not embarked upon and without approval is an offence under the Public Service Rule (PSR).
Also, the Virement of Funds is an offence under the legislature and can lead to dismissing officers involved in such practice.
Also, falsification of documents is an offence under the Public Service rule.
BORBDA is located in Obayantor, Benin City, with area offices in Ondo, Ekiti, and Delta States. Delta State has only one senatorial district. The headquarters in Benin City oversees the activities of the area offices.
Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority (BORBDA) was first established in 1976 along with ten (10) other River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) through Decree No. 25 of June, 1976.
It is noteworthy that no indigene of Benin has ever been appointed as the Managing Director, except for a brief period of 5 months between January and May 2011.
The Benin Development Union has described this as “untold rejection, oppression, and marginalization in the scheme” and has appealed to Mr. Tinubu to intervene.
“We request most respectfully, your passionate intervention to assist the BENINS to be appointed as Managing Director now that we have the Benins in the Directorate Cadre,” the memo reads.
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