Abuja: By Our REPORTER
Published, Tuesday, May 24, 2022
THE NEWLY APPOINTED OVERSEER OF THEj OFFICE OF THE ACCOUNTANT GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION (OAGF) has been emeshed in serious corruption scandals and is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Thedispatch learned that Mr. Anahmekwe Nwabuoku (pictured above) has been a visitor of EFCC on several occasions before being appointed to oversee the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
Nwabuoku was on Sunday appointed to oversee the office in the absence of the suspended AGF, Ahmed Idris, who's now being held in EFCC custody for over a week while undergoing investigation for fraud of 80 billion naira.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Nwabuoku would oversee the affairs of the office during the pendency of Idris’ investigation.
The Overseer of OAGF however has massive corruption allegations hanging on his neck from the previous positions of responsibility he had held before he posted to the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation.
According to sources knowledgeable about his itching fingers, the EFCC has been nvestigating him for a number of graft allegations. He's known to visit the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency on a regular basis as part of the investigation routine.
Some of the allegations against him include overpayment to himself in previous MDAs he served as EFCC has recovered some of the properties he acquired fraudulently.
Thedispatch gathered from contacts in the kowings that his apparent major financial crime was allegedly committed while he was the Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) at the Ministry of Defence where he was said to have enriched himself with internal security funds.
He was allegedly involved in other fraudulent activities by compromising the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) to steal the salaries of federal government staff.
The GIFMIS is an IT-based system for budget management and accounting. It was adopted as part of a wider Public Service Reform Strategy by the federal government of Nigeria starting in the early 2000s. Nwabuoku, however,messed the system and made away with huge amount of money.
The sources confided in our reporter that Anamekwe Nwabuoku was appointed by the federal government to oversee the office vacated by the indicted AGF, Idris, beausea he was the most senior official in the office.
“He is not acting AGF but overseeing OAGF as the most senior director in the office,” the official declared.
It should recalled that Ahmed Idris, the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, was arrested by the Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N80bn fraud.
Tthe EFCC had arrested him "in connection with diversion of funds and money laundering activities to the tune of N80 billion.”
“The Commission’s verified intelligence showed that the AGF raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates,” the Commission stated in the statement signed by its Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren.
Nwabuoku has few months left to reach the mandatory retirement age for civil servants.
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