Presidential Amnesty Office: Ex-Militant leaders petition NSA over ₦11.8b fraud, seek Ndiomu’s suspension and arrest on alleged graft.
Ex-Militant leaders from the nine states of the Niger Delta region have raised an alarm over the ongoing alleged systematic and criminal diversion of funds allocated to the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) by officials of the Amnesty office led by the Interim Administrator, Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.) and some senior civil servants in the office.
The Coalition of Ex-Militant leaders, in a petition dated 15th of January, 2023 and addressed to the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno (rtd.), alleged that the Amnesty Boss, Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd.) solicited from his two aids: Mr. Ado Dikko – Director Finance and Admin (DFA) and Mr. Simone Omachoko – Director of Procurement (DP) and in conjunction with many identified officials of the Amnesty office had since September, 2022 engaged in acts of aiding and abetting the fastest known graft in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
The petition by the Ex-Militant leaders, which was signed by Boma Inewariku, Gabriel Atumani Victor, and James Ebiaredei Collins urged and called on the National Security Adviser, Mohammed Babagana Monguno, to immediately recommend to the President for the urgent suspension of Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.) as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and in his place, appoint the most senior civil servant to take over the running and administration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme pending the outcome of the investigation against the Interim Administration.
The petition, which was backed with a monogram of alleged fraud and names of high ranking officials of the Presidential Amnesty office involved, claimed that “that Major General Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.), asked his subordinates for ways of getting money from the Amnesty office coffers by all means and that he Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd.) solicited from his two aids: Mr. Ado Dikko – Director Finance and Admin (DFA) and Mr. Simone Omachoko – Director of Procurement (DP), how to perpetuate a heist of N500m (Five Hundred Million Naira).”
“He reiterated to these officials that he paid monies to get his appointment as Interim Administrator, and that he needed to raise back his fund; merely 3 days after his appointment on the 15th September, 2022. That later in a separate meeting with his Administration Director (DA): Ms. Khalimat Balogun – a childhood friend solicited the same as paragraph 2, she convinced him to hire 2 of his predecessor’s close aides, of which one of them had been terminated for gross misconduct. He is one Flt. Lt. Terry Ajobena (rtd.), and he was reinstated as the Technical Adviser (TA), and the other Mr. Wilfred Musa -Head of Reintegration (HOR). So that her own end can be covered by the duo – Wilfred Musa (HOR) and Flt. Lt. Terry Ajobena (rtd.) TA.”
“That at the inception of this administration, there was N600M (Six hundred million naira) in the coffers of the office. If not for graft or embezzlement, an interim administrator with a mandate to wind down an office in 6 months, should not be procuring new vehicles under any guise if not for the huge fraudulent markup masterminded by Maj. Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd.) and operationalised DP – Mr. Simone Omachoko and his team, Gotham Edwards -a retired procurement officer who has been converted to a consultant staff to continue in his fraudulent activities; and Jide Odofin- a level 9 procurement officer – who cooks up the files for fraudulent payment – the trio are the ‘procurement mafias’. Then the DA: Mrs. Khalimat Balogun and her team, Flt. Lt. Terry Ajobena – TA and Wilfred Musa – HOR. This was the beginning of the fastest heist in the Presidential Amnesty Programme’s history.”
“That kickbacks were made from the vehicle purchase of over N150M (One hundred and fifty million naira) from DP’s and DA’s team. The PVs are there for your records. The duo of Ado Dikko and Simone Omachoko advised him to appoint an independent aid to be in charge of the heist coordination, since they are civil servants, but they are willing to facilitate the process for him and look at other loopholes in the system he can take advantage of. The duo firstly advised the new Interim Administrator – to increase the security vote that had been newly reviewed upward by his predecessors – Col. Miland Dixon Dikkio (rtd.) from N30M (Thirty million naira) to N50M (Fifty million naira), so it was further reviewed upward by the Interim Administrator -Gen. Ndiomu (rtd.) to N80m (Eighty million naira) without following any upward review process. The embezzlement dice was cast from that moment onward.”
“On the duo’s advice, Gen. Barry Ndiomu (rtd.) appointed one Lt. Col. S. S Ringim (rtd.) as special adviser logistics (SA Logistics) who now champions the heist and the act of facilitating the laundered funds directly through bureau de change operators. That he Lt. Col. S. S. Ringim, facilitates and supervises the laundered funds directly from the accounts department in connivances with the DFA – Ado Dikko, raising payment voucher (PV) credit distribution into various account department officers, ranging from N30M- (Thirty million naira), N40M – Forty million naira), N50M – (Fifty million naira), N60M- (Sixty million naira) and other configuration …., in similar sums. Lt. Col. S. S. Ringim (Rtd), knowing that his responsibilities are criminal, but he willfully takes the risk for his appointor – Gen. Ndiomu, who signs all the approvals on all the illegal payments “Advance Payments”. He Lt. Col. S. S. Ringhim (rtd.), pays back all bank charges accrued to the accounting officers whose accounts were used in the graft transactions of naira for naira and kobo for kobo”.
“As part of the reward of aiding & abetting the fastest known graft in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, the accounting staff were fully sponsored to attend a training course in Kent- United Kingdom in the week of 21st November 2022. That, Gen. Ndiomu (rtd.) also in the same vein appointed one Mr. Inemotimi Angalapele as Special Adviser on stakeholders matters, otherwise called (SA – Stakeholders Matters). The relationship between Angalapele (SA Stakeholders Matter) and Lt. Col. S. S. Ringim (Rtd)- SA logistics, is that funds already paid to SA Stakeholders matters is also taken as advance/project account. Which is a systematic graft process in “double payment or double accounting” and procedure implemented by Gen. Ndiomu (rtd.).”
“Sir, remember that there were two directors he solicited to brainstorm on the graft before perpetuation, DFA – Ado Dikko mentioned in paragraph 3 & 5; now introducing the dimension of the Director of Procurement – Simone Omachoko. In his own department, he superintends to mainly cooked up supply contracts with mainly two of his officers: Mr. Edward Gotham (EG) – a retired Level 14 Procurement officer, who had been in that office since 2013, and had been in charge of the stores. Taking delivered supplies as supplied but returning back to the supplier at exchange value; After retirement he committed his services to a consultant’s staff as the “Don of Procurement department” continued in acts of blatant theft/graft/forgery…. And one Mr. Jide Odofin (JO) a level 9 Procurement officer, who started his career in that office over 3 years ago. He cooks the book for bought Award letters, re-write tender boards document for graft purposes, under the supervision of Edward Gotham and Simone Omachoko”.
“That, under the watch of Gen. Ndiomu (rtd.), a contractor by the name of Ms. Charity Vedelago who claimed to be a big sister to Gen. Ndiomu (rtd.) partnered with the accounting staff who recognizes that her supplies files are forged by printing new award letters under the administration of Brig. Gen. Paul T. Boreh (rtd.), former Coordinator on Presidential Amnesty Programme. His signature is forged on the award letters about 20 such files from the same lady, each award letter exchanging monetary value is N99M – (Ninety nine million naira). Also, details of other procurement officers are also forged in the files by GE and JO. Knowing that the files will be asked to be checked by the procurement department for authenticity; to the novice or unsuspecting mind, it looks right after the perfection and cook up, then payment voucher is raised and sent to audit, and account finalises the graft”.
“That the week starting 10th of October 2022, disagreement ensued between the DP- Simone Omachoko and DFA – Ado Dikko over who is best servicing the financial embezzlement of the interim Administrator (IA) – Major General Barry Ndiomu (rtd.). It seems that the DFA is having a field day as he has managed to impress the ‘IA’ with over N1.2B (One billion and two hundred million naira) – using tribal and religious affiliates with the slush fund launderer in the person of Lt. Col. S. S. Ringim (Rtd)- SA Logistics. As reiterated in paragraph 11, the animosity between the duo was so bad that their subordinates were all aware of it. The account staff rebelled at the fact that payment vouchers were raised with their names but without any part of the fund coming back to them on what they were promised and foreign trips as far as they keep their mouth short, this was barely the 4TH week into Ndiomu’s administration”.
“In the week commencing 24th of October 2022, the SA logistics. – Lt. Col. S. S Ringim (rtd.), asked the similar slush fund same or similar scenario to paragraph 5. The account officers revolted, and the advance/project payment was routed directly with payment voucher in Lt. Col. S. S. Ringim (Rtd) name. The amount is N77M – (Seventy-seven million naira).In determining the graft, embezzlement, self-enrichment, abuse of public fund case all parties mentioned in the report, it is important to mention the fact that he the interim administrator is the coordinator of the said fraudulent act and should be made to account for the funds meant to pay genuine contractors who are been punished for not accepting to bribe or part with their contract payment that has diminished in value over the years; “
“That no staff under this current dispensation is allowed to call for files except the named person appointed by the IA in the person of one Mr. Miebi, who under the instruction of the IA can process any file for an agreed fee by the chief executive. In keeping a strong and unapproachable front, he yells and shouts in pretense that he is a corruption free Czar, accusing other staff of corrupt practices and thieves, whereas he is the worst of all. But looking very deeply into the person he obviously acts out as someone with certain health challenges of the mind? As of the time of his appointment -15th September 2022 and resumption on the 19th September 2022 as stated in paragraph 4, there was N600M (Six hundred million naira), and subsequently as at 7th weeks into his administration, over N10.4B (Ten billion and four hundred million) came into the Amnesty coffers; This from the monthly allocation of N5.4B (Five billion and four million naira)”.
“He had accused his staff of systemic graft of selling scholarship slots, but Ndiomu has master-minded the greatest graft which stands at over N2.5B (Two billion five hundred million naira) as of the 7th week after his appointment. In total so far, N11.4B (Eleven billion and four hundred million naira) has been expended with lots of questionable expenditures, aside from the N2.5B (Two billion and five hundred million) or more that comes to the interim administrator in misappropriation and graft, about N2B plus (Two billion naira) plus went to the trio of DA, PD & the DFA and their team members. The records are still very much there and fresh. That came from the N11.4B (Eleven billion and four million naira), so far under him.”
“It is a shame that the agencies saddled with anti-graft responsibilities have been reduced to accomplices as their officers have connived with the perpetrators in sharing the loot. We are calling on you the National Security Adviser to recommend to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) GCFR to immediately suspend the interim administrator Maj. Gen Barry Tariye Ndiomu (rtd.), and all the aforementioned accomplices and to investigate and bring them all to book. That, the essence of suspending all aforementioned in the alleged fraud, is to ensure they do not tamper with or destroy all vital or important evidence(s). Sir, we know that his late father (Late Maj Gen Charles Bebeye Ndiomu) was known to you, but we believe that his appointment was made on the bases of certain assumption at the time, but he has all eagerly betrayed your trust and betray the oat of the rank of a retired Major General and has acted as a common criminal if these allegations are proved to be true Sir. Please leave a legacy and stand with the genuine contractors who have unpaid bank loans occasioned by organised crime that has riddled this office since the beginning of your administration to date”.
“We hope his case will not be swept under like his cousin brother Prof. Nelson Brambaifa -Former acting MD Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). It appears that there is a ‘genetic factors’ representing a particular source of influence of criminal behaviour’ in the duo of Maj. Gen Barry Ndiomu (Rtd) and his cousin Prof. Nelson Brambaifa. This heinous criminality should not be allowed without bringing them to book. Sir if there are no consequences for this kind of behaviour or alleged abuse of office, then we as a nation cannot move forward sir. It seems the cousin brother of Prof. Nelson Brambaifa has committed all those financial atrocities and nothing has happened to him, so that has emboldened Maj Gen. Barry Ndiomu (Rtd) to carry on as if he is untouchable! “
“We have no fate or hope in the graft agencies as they have either shredded the allegations and facts provided to them or in connivance with the perpetrators of this graft all together. we are hopeful that you will swing into action and save the massive, alleged looting going on at the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).”
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