EFCC Witness Claims Perm Sec Oversaw Procurement Compliance In Hadi Sirika’s Trial

EFCC Witness Claims Perm Sec Oversaw Procurement Compliance In Hadi Sirika’s Trial....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Azubuike Okorie, a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified in a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) regarding the trial of former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika. He stated that under the Procurement Act, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry holds sole responsibility for compliance with the Act…….CONTINUE READING 

Okorie, a retired Director of Procurement and a special assistant to Sirika, provided this testimony as the second prosecution witness (PW2) in the corruption charges against Sirika, who served during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Sirika is facing prosecution alongside his brother, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, and two companies—Enginos Nigeria Limited, allegedly owned by Ahmad, and Alburaq Limited. The EFCC has brought a 10-count charge against them for abuse of office, criminal breach of trust, and misuse of position for personal gain.

The EFCC alleges that Sirika awarded various contracts totaling approximately N19.4 billion to his younger brother without adhering to legal protocols. They claim that Sirika provided an unfair advantage to Enginos Nigeria Limited, whose owner is his brother, Ahmad, by influencing the contract award for constructing a terminal building at Katsina Airport, valued at N1,345,586,500. Additionally, Sirika allegedly influenced the awarding of a contract for establishing a Fire Truck Maintenance and Refurbishment Centre at Katsina Airport for N3,811,497,685. The commission also claimed that Ahmad and Enginos Nigeria Limited possessed N2,337,840,674.16, which they were aware was linked to Sirika’s alleged criminal activities.

These offences are said to have occurred in Abuja between August 2022 and May 2023. The prosecution contends that these actions violate Sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000; Section 17(b) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004; and Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Acts of the Federal Capital Territory, which carry penalties under the same Acts. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

During the resumed trial, Okorie, while being cross-examined by Sirika’s counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, clarified that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation serves as the accounting officer responsible for all contracts awarded by the ministry. He emphasized that Sirika was not a member of the ministry’s ministerial tender board, explaining that contract awards were based on memoranda presented by the contract secretariat led by the Director of Procurement.

Okorie mentioned that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) is tasked with issuing no-objection certificates for contracts. He confirmed that a certificate of no objection was issued for the contract in question, although he was not part of the procurement department at that time. He stated that the certificate indicates the contractor’s eligibility, which is determined solely by the BPP, while the former Minister’s role was primarily to concur with the tender board’s decisions.

He recounted an incident where EFCC operatives searched his car and found documents, subsequently branding him a suspect. Okorie denied knowing what the suspicion was based on and explained that he had removed documents from Sirika’s office without informing him, as there was no record of this action in the minister’s office.

Earlier, he had testified that he retrieved the documents from Sirika’s office, made photocopies for himself, and sent others to the Permanent Secretary and the Director of Procurement. He noted that the folder contained a label directing the dispatch of the documents to the appropriate officials.

Okorie also recognized Enginos Nigeria Limited, recalling his role as chairman of the implementation committee, which invited all contractors for a visit to Katsina. He identified Ahmad Abubakar Sirika as the founder of Enginos Nigeria Limited and humorously suggested that, based on the name, Ahmad is likely Sirika’s brother, eliciting laughter in the courtroom.

After cross-examination, Justice Suleiman Belgore adjourned the case until November 12-14 for further cross-examination by other defendants’ counsel and continuation of the trial.

For more information on this article and other related posts from Bushradiogist, please join our WhatsApp channel by clicking this link https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaUumOODTkK7AZL1Fw3o. For advertisement inquiries only, kindly send a message to 090 1907 0863 on WhatsApp.

Stay connected via Google News

Follow us for the latest travel updates and guides.