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Panel absolves ex-FAAN boss of wrongdoing
By Rotimi Durojaiye
Aviation
Correspondent, Lagos
Former
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Managing Director Mohammed Sani
Baba was sacked last month probably as a result of power play between him and
Aviation Minisger Isa Yuguda.
Contrary
to allegations by Yuguda that Baba was booted out over a N500 million scam, a
panel set up by the minister to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against
the man actually absolved him of blame.
Baba
was queried on August 10 by Aviation Ministry Permanent Secretary Tommy Oyelade
for allegedly contravening public service rules
The
query centred on the resurfacing of Runway 19-R of the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport, being handled by PW Nigeria Limited, review of
appointments of officers, failure to carry out directives and failure to submit
monthly financial and budget performance returns.
He
was queried by the ministry for paying N500 million to the contractor without
Due Process Certification (DPC) of the project and approval of the minister.
But, in his reply dated August 12, Baba denied making the payment,
“I
duly observed the minister’s directive. The payment was not made. The
funds are in FAAN’s current account with Inland Bank, MMA Branch, Ikeja,
Lagos. Meanwhile, please note that the Due Process Certificate for the payment
of N496,934,550.00 is dated 9th August 2004”, he stated in his reply.
He
also received another clean bill from the DPC Office at the Presidency, dated
August 9, with a covering letter signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the
President and Head, Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit, Obiageli
Ezekwesili.
Unimpressed
by the response to the query, Yuguda raised a committee, headed by his Director
of Personnel (Management) Baffa Usmanu, to investigate the allegations.
The
committee cleared Baba over the allegations and, in some cases, asked that he
should be commended.
It
said in its report: “It is evidently clear that payment of the contract
sum could not have been made in the light of the conditions in paragraphs 9-12
of the Treasury Circular No.TRY/A4 & B4/2002, in item VI of the paragraph 3
above under 24 hours.
“It
is not possible to obtain the clearance, prepare and audit the payment voucher
as well as issue the cheque to the huge sum of N496,934,550.00 within a very
short span of time. The allegation, in the light of the above cannot, be
substantiated. The FAAN MD should be given the benefit of doubt”.
On
the review of appointments of officers in which Baba had asked some officers to
revert to their proper grades, the report recommended that the FAAN management
should be applauded for the exercise which was meant to stop wastage of resources.
The
report recommended that Baba should be exonerated from blame in the absence of
any proof of the allegation that he failed to submit monthly financial returns
and budget performance, since there was no written information or circular or
legal document on it.
The
committee concluded: “The MD (FAAN) should be absolved from blame in
respect of allegations contained in paragraphs a, b and d of the query issued
him. His team should be given time to pursue the matter, including legal
processes, so as to ensure complete evacuation of abandoned aircraft at
Nigerian airports in respect of allegation made in paragraph 6 of the query.
“The
ministry should reconsider and endorse the action taken by FAAN management on
the reversion of appointments made to 89 employees. It will assist FAAN to
avoid wastage of funds as well as to promote peace and harmony in its entire
workforce. The officers responsible for granting the appointments to 89
employees over and above their normal posts should be sanctioned”.
But
Yuguda acted contrary to the recommendations and fired Baba together with his
management team as well as all the seven FAAN directors and 13 others who had
been on more than 12 months compulsory leave.
In
their place came a new management headed by Mohammed Gambo Umar head hunted
from Kapital Insurance Limited, Kano.
Last
month, Yuguda denied the allegation of miscarriage of justice in the way Baba
was treated. He insisted that the man was removed for contravening due process
in paying for the contract at the MMA, gross abuse of office and incompetence.
In
his view, Baba “was not in tune with the reform programme of the Obasanjo
administration with respect to the aviation sector in general and FAAN in
particular”.
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