Civil Society Group want NAQS Boss, Dr Isegbe probed, Suspended over alleged corrupt practices
A civil Society and public interest Advocate, Grassroots Accountability Advocacy Foundation(GAAF) has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately suspend, probe and direct the investigation of the Director General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service(NAQS), Dr Vincent Isegbe for acts of corruption, economic sabotage and abuse of office.
The group in a petition signed by Barrister Genevieve Anthony as Convener and Barrister M. O Idam, Legal officer addressed to Mr President dated June 26, 2023 and rooted via the Chief of Staff to the President, and sighted by our correspondent alleged that Dr. Isegbe took advantage of the absence of the board to administer the Quarantine Service and operates it like an emperor who is not accountable to anyone but himself.
The group also alleged that Dr Isegbe compromised the donkey hides/skin regulation to serve his personal interest thereby selectively issuing exportation license to friends and allies who use same to freely export donkey hides and skin from Nigeria and make financial returns to him.
The civil society group further alleged that the Quarantine boss arbitrarily employed without advertisement, his friends and cronies into the service and went ahead to willfully elevate them even before maturity and without confirmation contrary to civil service rules which provides for:
1. There must be vacancy
2. Staff must be matured for promotion
3. Staffs must have been confirmed by the office of the Head of Service through a screening examination amongst others.
According to the group and more interestingly, Dr Isegbe also recently promoted again one of his cronies who was promoted not long before his retirement, even though he was not due for promotion.
In order to reinforce the demands of the group, it said that in July 2022, an Association of donkey dealers petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), ICPC and the Deputy Inspector General, Force Criminal and Investigation Department incriminating Dr Isegbe for using his agents in NAQS and some private individuals to illegally and unlawfully track, intimidate and cart away donkey skin (goods) belonging to members of the association, under the pretext that the goods were prohibited, but would thereafter, smuggle the goods to a hidden location where they are always sold to pre-arranged Chinese business men and the proceed of the transaction are never remitted to the coffers of the federation.
The group further alleged that the Dr Isegbe “in furtherance of his unpatriotic acts, illegally created control posts in parts of southeast areas of the nation where he planted junior officers of the Quarantine Service with specific mandate to generate revenue by every illegal means from donkey dealers and then remit the money directly to him”, adding that so much money has over the years been lost to government.
They also submitted that Dr Isegbe, “as a self-styled emperor now pride himself as being above the law, as he refused and failed to respond to queries over issues bordering on gross misconduct, corruption and abuse of office by the office of the Permanent Secretary in line with Civil service rules and regrettably, he has not been sanctioned for these acts”.
Meanwhile, the group said that it has been informed that the Quarantine boss had in “2018 cleverly manipulated and sponsored the NAQS establishment bill now Act, to plant himself permanently as the Head”.
According to them, this, he did knowing that he was due to retire two(2) years later if the service was not established, hence he surreptitiously inserted a clause in the bill he sponsored, where he made it possible for himself to hold office for five(5)years and also renewable for another five years, after he had spent four years as the Coordinating Director and receiving consolidated salaries.
The group noted that if President Tinubu renews his tenure again for another five years, he would have perfected his craft and as well be spending a total number of fourteen(14) years as the Chief Executive , having spent 9 years already, despite the fact that he ought to have retired as a career civil servant.
The group seized the opportunity to commend President Tinubu for demonstrating that the era of impunity by appointees of government was over, as they urge Mr President to extend the clean up exercise to the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and ensure that Dr Isegbe is immediately suspended and investigated over allegations against him.
In their final submissions, the group among others recommend the immediate suspension, probe, investigation and prosecution of Dr Isegbe as the Director General and appoint the highest ranking officer in the service in order to promote and encourage career progression.
The group also demand immediate removal of illegal control posts created in south east and North central respectively as they were conduit pipes for extortion by Dr Isegbe and also demands the immediate constitution of the governing Board to guarantee transparency and due process in the service.
Meanwhile, the Concerned Staff of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service has similarly petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice over acts of abuse of office and misuse of power levelled against the Director General of NAQS, Dr Vincent Isegbe.
In the petition dated January 17, 2023 and signed by the concerned staff and sighted by our correspondent, the staff equally faulted the Quarantine boss for compromising the donkey hides/skin business with millions of Naira and arbitrarily employing even where there were no vacancies.
The concerned staff also alleged that he elevates staff of the agency without recourse to both Junior staff committee and the senior staff committee respectively, stressing that abuse of civil service rules have been the order of the day.
The concerned staff in their prayers recommend that the Quarantine boss be called to order, and immediately constitute a strong panel of investigation on the blatant abuse of office, stressing that implementing the recommendations would go a long way in averting unrest in the agency.
Head of Media, Dr Peter Nwodo in reaction to the allegations noted that there was no truth in the alleged
“Diversion of monies generated from the sales of hides and skins to his personal bank accounts” adding that”There is nothing like this. The CG has never diverted any monies. This is not even possible, given that ALL user fees are paid directly into government accounts.
On the allegations of employing without advertising and promoting staff without following civil service guidelines, Dr Nwodo said in his text message that it was not true also stressing that “all government recruitment and promotion procedures were duly followed by NAQS. The office will avail the documentations for your perusal when you come in.
On “Working to further elongate his tenure in office in spite of the new civil service guidelines, the media noted that there is no tenure elongation for the office of the CG. You probably mean a re-appointment? Only the President has the prerogative to re-appoint a CG for a second term if he so decides.
He further explained that the civil service guidelines applies only to Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the MDAs.
