EXCLUSIVE: Removed head of Nigerian agency yet to hand over to successor

The prolonged leadership crisis rocking Nigeria’s Project Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu, is yet to be resolved, more than two years after it started.

This is as the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) released the report of its investigation into allegations of mismanagement, contract splitting, nepotism, sabotage, among others, which were levelled against the administration of a former chief executive officer of the agency, Charles Agulana.

The report recommended that Mr Agulana, who was suspended in November 2020, should embark on terminal leave immediately.

However, Mr Agulana’s successor and former director of electrical, power and electronics department, Fabian Okonkwo, has also been removed in an abrupt manner.

Until his appointment as the acting director-general of the agency in 2020, two other officials had battled to take control of the affairs of the organisation.

The duo of Nathan Abia-Bassey, then a deputy director at the department of industrial promotion, information and documentation (IPID), and Edwin Oriaku, then second most senior official at the institute after Mr Agulana, had struggled to take control of the agency over conflicting directives.

But based on a letter of appointment dated December 7, 2020, with reference number FMST/DAS/385/II/T and signed by the permanent secretary at the ministry of science, technology and innovation, Edet Akpan, Mr Okonkwo took charge as acting director-general pending the investigation instituted by the office of the SGF.

However, following allegations of insubordination, violation of procurement laws, illegal suspension and dismissal of workers, and corrupt practices, Mr Okonkwo was replaced on January 25, 2022, by the director of ceramics research and production department, Arit Etukudo.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mrs Etukudo, who is said to be the next most senior official on the agency’s nominal roll, and who has since taken over the management of the institute, is yet to be handed over to by Mr Okonkwo, who is kicking against his removal.

Mr Okonkwo is said to have absconded from work since he was requested to hand over to Mrs Etukudo via a letter dated January 21, 2022, and signed by an overseeing permanent secretary in the ministry of science, technology and innovation, Idowu Afe, on behalf of the minister, Ogbonaya Onu.

The letter, with reference number; FMSTI/HM/2021/005/III, was titled; “Re-Request for Clarification on the Role of the Board and Management of PRODA Vis-a-Vis Recent Board Directives, Immediate Directive to Call for PRODA Governing Board Meeting and the Report of the Administrative Panel to Investigate Activities in the PRODA.”

“Consequent upon the numerous allegations levelled against you and in line with the principle of natural justice, it has become expedite for you to step aside as the overseeing director-general of PRODA to allow further, through and fair investigation to be carried out,” the letter addressed to Mr Okonkwo reads in part.

But Mr Okonkwo has told PREMIUM TIMES that he did not abscond from office but that he has been sick. He described his removal from office as an illegal and unconstitutional move allegedly perpetrated by those he described as the enemies of the research institute.

Allegations against Okonkwo

Various documents and official memo obtained by this newspaper revealed series of allegations levelled against the administration of Mr Okonkwo which include disregard for relevant provisions of public procurement law in the award of contracts, illegal cancellation of contracts duly awarded by predecessors, non-payment and diversion of contractors’ funds and refusal to release the report of promotion of workers to the board and the supervising ministry.

The former acting director-general has also been accused by the supervising ministry of insubordination by communicating directly to the office of the secretary to the government of the federation and also President Muhammadu Buhari without routing them through the ministry.

“You can imagine the minister receiving information of what is happening at an agency under his supervision through the office of the SGF. And this is an official whose letter of appointment was signed by the same minister. Such rude conduct cannot be tolerated by any serious ministry,” an official of the agency, who does not want to be mentioned for fear of victimisation, told PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter.

The source added that Mr Okonkwo refused to forward the 2021 staff promotion report to the new governing board of the institute for ratification.

“And the reason for that was simple. He was avoiding the board’s sitting in order not to allow deliberations on various allegations against him,” the source added.

BPP writes ICPC

Following what it regarded as “deliberate disregard for procurement laws”, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), an agency of the Nigerian government in charge of monitoring compliance with government procurement rules and legislation, has recommended the agency for probe by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission (ICPC).

In a letter dated November 22, 2021, and addressed to the office of the ICPC’s executive chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, BPP urged the anti-graft agency to probe the procurement activities of the agency for the financial years of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The letter, with reference number; BPP/S.1/PAR/CCM/21/Vol.1/026, and signed by the agency’s director general, Mamman Ahmadu, noted that the outcome of the procurement audit of the agency revealed “several contraventions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 by PRODA which appeared to be deliberate…”

Mr Ahmadu said the details of its audit findings were attached to the letter to properly guide ICPC in its activities.

In its conclusion in the audit report of the procurement activities of the agency for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, a copy of which PREMIUM TIMES obtained, BPP noted that the violations were more pronounced in 2020 following what it regarded as disregard for law by Mr Okonkwo.

“From the findings of the procurement audit, the institute did not substantially comply with the relevant sections of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and extant government policies guiding public procurement during the implementation of its procurements under review especially for the year 2020 under the leadership of the acting director general, Engineer Fabian Okonkwo,” BPP wrote as part of its recommendations.

EFCC invites officer

In a similar development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also invited an official of the institute following its investigations into the “award of contract for the empowerment/training of farmers on piggery, cassava productions/processing and fish farming.”

The letter, which was addressed to the acting director-general and chief executive officer of the agency, and dated December 22, 2021, was signed by EFCC’s director of operations, Abdulkarim Chukkol.

Referenced; CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TC/VOL.10/32, the letter noted that the commission is investigating an alleged case of conspiracy and diversion of funds “in which the need to seek clarification from your office becomes imperative.”

On the same subject, EFCC wrote another letter dated January 24, 2022, and invited the agency’s head of procurement unit, Chukwudi Ihunweza, to meet with its men on Thursday, February 10, 2022, at its headquarters in Abuja, federal capital territory.

The new letter, which was also signed by Mr Chukkol with reference number CR:3000/EFCC/ABJ/HQ/PFS/TC/VOL.11/65, requested the agency’s procurement director to come along with comprehensive report on the training, details of the trainers, trainees and attendance register, pictures and videos taken during the training, and job completion certificate awarded to the contractor, among other relevant documents.

Embattled Okonkwo reacts

Contrary to the BPP’s claim, Mr Okonkwo said he was aware of the agency’s audit report on the 2020 procurements and that the matters raised were already resolved. “But if there is a follow-up or an additional thing about that, I am not aware.”

In a telephone conversation with our reporter, he said: “My removal there is illegal and I have made a report to appropriate authorities and is being followed up. I made a submission to the appropriate offices, telling them the injustice which is against the rule.”

On the EFCC’s invitation, Mr Okonkwo said there was nothing new in the invitation extended to his officials by the anti-graft agency, saying it is normal for EFCC to invite anyone for questioning.

He also debunked the claim that he absconded from work, saying; “That’s not true. I have some health challenges now, that is why I am taking care of myself.”

He, however, refused to disclose why he did not hand over to the new acting director-general and if the new management of the agency is aware of his whereabouts.