Multi-billion contract fraud rocks PTI

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Professor Sunny Iyuke has been accused of involvement in a contract fraud amounting to N5.8 billion.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Audu Oshiokhamele, Chairman of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Effurun branch made the accusation.

The fraud busted by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) indicated that the N5.8 billion was allegedly withdrawn from PTI’s accounts in three years with no regards for due process.

Allegations of contract racketeering and salary payments to about 500 ghost workers in the organisation were also levelled against the CEO of the PTI.

Meanwhile, according to documents exclusively obtained by The ICIR, Oshiokhamele had on the 14th of February petitioned the Ministry of Petroleum Resources over the matter.

“We wish to bring to the attention of the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources on the uncanny prevailing atmosphere at the Petroleum Training Institute arising from recent petitions from our Association and many other petitioners bothering on gross mismanagement and mal-administration by prof. Sunny Iyuke led management,” the document reads.

The 41-page petition claimed claimed that Iyuke arbitrarily moved the money as virement from the PTI’s personnel cost with supports of Aliyu Mafindi, PTI’s Director of Finance and Account.

Mafindi allegedly used his accounts to launder the funds from the institute’s accounts through transfer from the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) – to Remita which allowed the funds to be easily manipulated.

However, findings by The ICIR revealed that three hundred and thirty-seven million Naira (N337M) was discovered to have been removed from institute’s personnel cost from 2017 to 2019, using over 500 names of staff in a pay voucher number (PV no.) 78313 of which the fund was claimed to have been credited to dead, retired and existing staff.

Acting on the petition, the Human Resources Management Department of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources directed Iyuke to make formal representation at the office of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry within 72 hours.

However, when contacted, Iyuke told The ICIR to “Kindly reach out to my public affairs? Please reach out to Mr Brown. I don’t want to comment on this issue”.

When Brown Ukanifimoni, the Public Relations Officer of PTI was contacted, he said the matter was with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).

“The issue is still with EFCC and ICPC, why not let us cross our hands and wait for their response and know who is exactly corrupt?

“They have been writing petitions against now. We have attended several meetings with EFCC and ICPC before now, let’s just wait for their response,” he said.

All efforts sought by The ICIR to get the comment of the EFCC and the ICPC) proved abortive.

However, Etanabene Benedict, PTI’s Procurement Development Director refuted all the claims.

“You see those PENGASSAN people, they lack knowledge, and they have been alleging the principal/ Chief executive before now,” Benedict argued.