Civil servants have demanded the immediate return of the N14.38
billion withdrawn from the account of the Nigeria Export Processing
Zones Authority (NEPZA) to Nigerian Special Economic Zones Company
(NSEZCO).
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Head of the FCT
Chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria
(ASCSN), Comr. Isaac Ojemhenke, said the Minister of Industry,
Trade and Investment, who served out first term today, Dr.
Okechukwu Enelamah, “illegally and fraudulently” transferred the
money from NEPZA, which was the agency the money was budgeted for
to carry out the capital projects in special economic zones.
Comr. Ojemhenke said the action of the Minister amounted to
transferring the functions of NEPZA to NSEZCO and to appropriate
public funds to NSEZCO, a private company.
He said Dr. Enelemah was not only scheming to privatize Kano and
Calabar free Trade Zones to himself using his close allies as his
fronts under the umbrella of a private company called NSEZCO, but
to also appropriate public funds to the said company in the 2019
budget in disregard to extant rules and constitutional
provisions.
He said the Association had on December 19, 2018 called the
attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to Dr. Enelamah’s intention
to privatize Kano and Calabar Free Trade Zones to himself and his
allies.
In a statement today, Dr. Okechukwu denied the allegations,
saying the company was a special purpose vehicle for development of
special economic zones.
He said the company was incorporated to drive, alongside other
investors, a project to develop world-class Special Economic Zones
to position Nigeria as the manufacturing hub in sub-Saharan Africa
and a major exporter of made-in-Nigeria goods and services.
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EFCC Arrests Proprietor, Students of Internet Fraud
School
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal
Office, has arrested the proprietor of a Yahoo Yahoo training
school in Lagos, Frank Chinedu.
Chinedu, 22, was arrested alongside eight students of the
unnamed training centre located at 14, Animashaun Street,
Progressive Estate, Ojodu Berger, Lagos, while receiving lectures
in internet fraud activities.
The students are: Ahmed Musa, 24; Desmond Eze, 29; Preye Kingsley,
23; Benjamin Irabor, 21; Benjamin Opah, 19; Akapo Prosper, 22;
Innocent Paul, 20 and Olamide Edun, 20.
The suspected internet fraudsters were arrested under cover on
May 22, 2019, following intelligence reports received by the
Commission about their involvement in alleged criminal
activities.
Items recovered from the suspects at the point of arrest include
nine laptops, 16 mobile phones, an Airtel modem, Orange Wifi and
one Toyota Camry with registration number EPE406FN.
The suspects will soon be charged to court.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity