Friday, July 6, 2012

Unizik VC Arrested By EFCC

The Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (Unizik), Professor Boniface Egboka, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for the misappropriation of billions of Naira meant for the institution, awarding fake and inflated contracts to cronies, as well as selective bidding and fraudulent contract.


According to reports the VC was recently arrested and questioned by the EFCC before being released on administrative bail.

The purchase of two 2011 Toyota 4 Runner jeeps worth N27 million for himself and the Pro-chancellor of the university on a trip to America as part of a delegation in October 2011, without any authorization, and attempting to regularise the purchase by fraudulent means are all but few of his dubious deeds. He already had a Prado jeep as official car while the pro – chancellor used a Toyota Avensis.


In January 2010, Egboka committed the university to a memorandum of understanding, MOU, with Elmada Consulting Inc., a company purported to be based in Canada, for the building of hostels on the main campus. The institution’s equity to the project would be 40% while the company would contribute the remaining 60% such that with a total cost of N239, 400,000.00, the institution was expected to contribute N97, 760,000.00. However its been reported that the Nigerian representative of Elmada who signed the MOU on behalf of the company is alleged to be Egboka’s sons – in – law and the only document between the parties is a mere memorandum of understanding, there were no contractual terms set out. There are allegations that the university solely funded the project.

In August 2011, a company allegedly owned by Mr. Egboka’s son–in–law, Porras and Oliva,  , got a contract for the renovation and furnishing of the university auditorium for N20 million through selective tendering, despite the fact that there were lower bids than the N2million quoted by said company.

Halfway through the job, the company requested for a variation of N80 million in the contract sum which was granted at the sum of N58 million, and this was approved thereby granting more than hundred percent variation cost.

Porras and Oliva got several other contracts without going through due process. These include an N8.4 million contract for the reticulation of the university foundry; N5.2 million for furnishing of the VC’s office, and a N5.9 million contract for the fencing of the university auditorium.

Regibel Limited, a company which is allegedly a front for the VC was awarded the contract for the construction of a 676 metre road for N92.6 million;
 N122 million for the construction of a 7.1 kilometre walkway (for which no details were given) on December 14 2011;
N78 million for the engineering measurements and evaluation for construction of a 412 metre road on December 16, 2011
There were no tender or agreement for these projects.

The contract for the construction of the Art Faculty was initially awarded to Chyfon Limited for N559 million, but was later varied to N625 million and upward of that later.
On December 22, 2011 alone, N7.6 million was granted to the contractor as variation resulting from “relocation of library”, as well as N9.6 million variation for the use of vitrified tiles instead of terrazzo in the construction work.
On February 27, 2012 another N73 million variation was granted the contractor for “evaluation and assessment fluctuations”.

 The contract for the construction of the twin identical complex, housing the faculties of biosciences and physical sciences, was awarded by selective bidding, abandoning due process, to Bechtel Nig. Limited on December 22, 2011 for the sum of N994 million, followed closely by the contract for the construction of the central facility linking the two structures, which was awarded to the same company on February 27, 2012, for N288 million. Bringing the total to a staggering 1.2 billion naira.

Two of the VC’s children, Nkechi Egboka and Dr. Egboka Chioma Mmazulu, were employed by the university last year and their names have been on the payroll since then, as an assistant lecturer in the department of geological sciences and medical director of the institution’s medical centre respectively. However, none of them had resumed work.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has hinted that enough evidence might have been obtained to institute a case against Mr. Egboka in the law court soon.

No comments:

Post a Comment