Mary Ekpere-Eta
By Our Reporter
An Abuja based Anti Corruption Campaign group, Anti -Corruption Surveillance, ACS, has accused the leadership of the National Center for Woman Development Commissions of massive Corruption, abuse of office and diversion of public funds in fragrant violation of the Public Procurement Act in the award of contracts by the Commission.
The Center, which was established by the federal government primarily, as a resource center for training and empowerment of women and youths in various skills across the country, is alleged to have become a conduit pipe for siphoning public funds by its Director -General , Mrs. Mary Ekpere-Eta.
In a six paged petition to the Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, and copied Economics and Financial Crimes Commissions, EFCC, Independent corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and other relevant bodies and dated 15th May, 2020, signed by Dr. Patrick Ugoye, and made available to our correspondent, the group accused Mrs. Mary Ekwpere -Eta of violating public procurement rules and extent regulations in the award of slush contracts to cronies without following due process.
The group, in the petition specifically accused the Director General of fraudulently awarding Multi -million Naira contracts to herself, through proxies in contravention of relevant procedures and laws..
Citing specific instances of such corrupt- driven acts in the Commission, ACS; stated that, the Director -General bluntly ignored advises from relevant and competent Procurement staff and illegally purchased three( 3) luxurious, exotic vehicles valued at over hundreds of millions for personal use.
The exotic vehicles: Lexus SUV, 2019 model, a new Toyota land Cruiser, and a Toyota Hilux were allegedly bought this year under the pretence of executing capital projects in the 2019 Appropriation of the commission.
Similarly, ACS also alleged that, the Director General perpetuated corrupt act, and enriched herself and cronies by authorising and ensuring payments of N 1 .8 Billion naira for non executed contracts in favour of some companies in the 2019 budgetary allocation.
According to the group, under the current leadership at the commission, huge sums of money are paid for contracts that were executed, and reports of such illegality are concocted by some directors and key procurement officials she brought to the commission from other government agencies to cover up such fraud and diversion of public funds.
“There is a serious, total disregard of the Procurement standard procedures in the procurement process of the National Center for Women Development, and this has been going on since the Director -General came on board. Anything call illegality is the practice at the Commission and that is why the Commission has never been audited for its procurement activities. The procedure has been bastardized and hijacked, whilst the procurement Audit Report wouldn’t be forwarded to the Bureau of Public Procurement as required by law. Contracts are being awarded to the selected contractors at will with total disregard to the procurement proceedings. ” It emphasized.
“It is also, mind-boggling that the contracts that were awarded in 2018 and 2019 were not executed at all, yet, payments were all effected to these selected contractors. For instance, in 2019 alone, the sum of N 1.8 Billion were appropriated and released, but the funds were diverted. ”
The Non -Governmental anti -Corruption organisation said it’s deeply worried and saddened by the vicious fraudulent activities which constitute an abuse of public trust, going on in the commission and further accused the Director General of living above her legitimate earnings with her recent purchase of multi million naira choice property in Abuja and Ikom respectively.
While calling on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commissions and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, as well as the Bureau of Public Procurement to investigate the sleazy in the NCWDC, the group urged them to quickly investigate and possible prosecution of key officials of the commission found culpable in aiding the commission’s leadership in perpetuating fraud , misapplication ,abuse of public trust and out -right diversion of public funds.
Mrs. Mary Ekwpere- Eta is also accused of maladministration and exhibiting high level of impunity by rendering redundant, thoroughly breed procurement staff who are averse to her penchant for abuse of due processes by sending them on indefinite leave .
It will be recalled that, Mrs. Ekpere -Eta was suspended after the Commission’s board found her guilty of indulging corrupt activities but she has since found her way back to the commission owing to her regular boast of being connected to the power that be, especially at the presidency.
Efforts to get Mrs. Ekpere -Eta react to the allegations were not successful as enquiries sent to her twitter handle, Facebook page and her media consultant, Kemi Yusuf were not responded to as at the of filing this report.
