works fired over controversial contracts awards
ON the 8th of December 2015, it was widely reported across major media houses that the government of Edo state having discovered fraud running into several billions of naira in the state penson board ordered the dismissals of the then HoS Mr Obazele, the permanent secretary Mr Dan Aigbavboa and the Director of software Mr Toju Onaiwu.
In addition to this, the government also dissolved the state pension board and directed the EFCC to investigate and prosecute the director of software Mr Toju Onaiwu.
However, with the transition successfully done between the then government of Oshiomhole and into the regime of Godwin Obaseki, the Civil Service was shocked to hear that the dismissed Toju Onaiwu was appointed to head the world bank project SEEFOR in February of 2018.
The most bizarre part of this twist was when Obaseki in January 2022 also appointed the same dismissed Toju Onaiwu as a permanent secretary in Edo state Civil Service.
Sources within the state Civil Service commission told Trojan.com.ng correspondent that members in the commission are gearing up to meet with Mr Governor to express their views as to the illegality of this appointment as it is a violation of the extant rule.
The source added: “with this appointment of Mr Toju who was dismissed in 2015 as a director for alleged fraud, it will serve as a very negative precedent for future reference.
“What will then happen to Mr Ojezele, and Mr Dan Igbavboa the then Permanent Secretary ICT, and others in similar shoes”? He queried.
Tongues have been waging in the Civil Service that Mr. Toju’s appointment will further cause serious crisis within the state Civil Service until it is reversed.
“Governor Obaseki has taken the Civil Service for granted for too long. We won’t accept it, says a union member in senior Civil Service union secretariat”.
Meanwhile, the Governor may have secretly fired the controversial permanent secretary of the ministry of infrastructure Engineer Ferguson Enabulele over allegations of corruption in the award of contracts running into several billions of naira. Engineer Enabulele was said to have violated procurement laws by passing competent and well established construction firms and awarded contracts to his cronies who lack competence and track records.
You will recall that the EFCC has earlier prosecuted the same Engineer Enabulele while he served as director of works in Ikpobha Okha local government area of Edo state in 2014. Sources within the ministry told Trojan.com.ng correspondent that the Permanent Secretary has since moved out all his private properties from the ministry ahead of his pulling out in controversial circumstances.
“The fate of his cronies who he allegedly awarded contracts to is hanging in the air as we speak as majority of them have not been mobilized”, he said.
Engineer Enabulele was also said to have fallen out of favour with the governor having failed to account for billions of naira in donations he allegedly collected on behalf of the PDP leadership from local contractors ahead of edo 2020 elections.
When contacted by Trojan.com.ng correspondent, Engineer Enabulele denied all the allegations. He said there is no iota of truth in the allegations. “Thanks for reaching out though I am at sea as to the erroneous claims here. As I speak, I remain a Permanent Secretary with Edo State Government”.