The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr Mohammed Umar Bello, stands the risk of being dismissed from service following the purchase of an uncompleted building for N7billion and other allegations currently leveled against him by the federal government.
The allegations Real-Time24 can authoritatively report are contained in a query letter signed by the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, dated May 11, 2019, with reference number HCSF/PSO/AOD/P.030/58, and addressed to Bello on a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari.
In the query, Dr Bello, who was former Perment Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was accused of overseeing the purchase of the building for use by the Ministry at the sum of N7,044,746,264.06 without the conduct of the mandatory statutory structural integrity tests and prior approval of the FCDA Public Building Department.
The building according to the query was eventually found to be an uncompleted carcass that would require billions of naira to complete and put to use.
The letter reads partly: “The attention of Mr President has been drawn to the acts of serious misconduct against you in your former post as the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on which he has given further directive.
“In spite of the budgetary release of the N98,405.763,678.68 in 2018, (which represents 99.44 of 2018 appropriation) you did not take necessary action to pay the eligible contractors which led to the Ministry having an outstanding contractual liability in the sum of N48,429.543,895.72;
“Under your leadership as the Accounting Officer, the Ministry utilised the entire 2019 first quarter release of N7,737.208,135.18 to pay for the 2018 contracts that were fully funded in 2018 which constitutes virement without authority;
“ Under your watch as the Accounting Officer, the Ministry procured seven deep drilling rigs for borehole at an average cost of N300.000.000.00 without recourse to the Federal Executive Council;
“ And in April, 2019. you gave out the seven rigs procured at over N1.3 billion Naira to some individuals under fraudulent arrangements, without the approval of the Minister: and one of the rigs inked to you is yet to be returned despite several written reminders; and
“ You misapplied the intervention funds approved for the purchase of strategic grains and the establishment of the Rural Grazing Area Settlements in violation of extant Financial Regulations.”
The query noted that the allegations are acts of serious misconduct which proven can lead to dismissal from service and Dr Bello 72 hours to respond to them from the day of receipt.
