PUNCH

How I served as conduit pipe – Cashier

By Tobi Soniyi, Abuja

Published: Tuesday, 29 Apr 2008

Further investigations by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission into the N300m scam in the Federal Ministry of Health have revealed how the suspended Director of Administration and Supplies, Dr. H.B Oyedepo, allegedly used a cashier in the ministry, Mr. J.B. Faniyi, as a conduit for cashing all the cheques for fictitious contracts.

The suspended Permanent Secretary, Prof. Samuel Ogandi, had, in a statement to the EFCC, identified Oyedepo as the initiator of the non-existing contracts on which a large chunk of the N300m was purportedly expended.

In his confessional statement before the EFCC, Faniyi identified some members of the welfare committee set up by the Director of Administration and Supplies in whose names the cheques were raised.

According to a copy of the statement which was obtained by our correspondent on Monday, Faniyi was given a paltry N24,000.

Faniyi’s statement reads in part, “On the issue of cheques which were cashed by me, the payees endorsed them to me and gave me the photocopy of their identity cards.

“These cheques were cashed from the overhead account of the ministry at Oceanic Bank Plc, Account no. 066-1301005284. In respect of cheque No. 08497504 dated 27th December, 2007, in favor of Mr. Ogbonnaya I.K, which was cashed by me, I handed it over to the Director of Administration in the ministry. In respect of cheque No. 1625 dated 27-12- 2007, in favour of Bogdan ventures, but later on changed to Mr.J.A. Olomo, it was cashed by me and handed over to the Director of Administration after it was endorsed to me.

“In respect of cheque No.00001754 in favour of Mrs. Ndubuisi, B.I, this cheque was cashed by me when it has been endorsed to me and I handed it over to Mr. Ibrahim A.M who in turn handed it over to the Director of Administration. In respect of No. 10448423 in favour of Mr. Dona A. Inyang, which was endorsed to me and I handed over to the Director of Administration. Cheque No. 8497498 was on 03-1- 08 endorsed to me whom I handed over the cash to the Director of Administration.

“I, on the 3rd January, 2008, cashed cheque No.8497524 in favor of Henry Onyeagwalam, which I also handed over to the Director of Administration. Cheque No.00001672 in favour of Ekanem Donald was endorsed to me and on instruction, I forwarded the cash to the then Director of Administration.

“In respect of cheque No.00001702, it was endorsed to me and I handed over the cash to the Director of Administration. Cheque No.00001699 was endorsed to me by Henry Onyeagwalam and I, after the cashing, handed over the money to the Director of Administration. Cheque No. 00001747 was endorsed tome for cashing by Mr. O.Oke and the cash was handed over to him on my way from the bank.

“Cheque No.1675 was on 31-1-2007, endorsed to me and I gave the cash to the Director of Administration. Cheque No. 084997508 in favour of Mr. K.O Busari was endorsed to me and the cash forwarded to the Director of Administration. The amount given to me out of the money was about N24, 000 only.”