The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to conduct an investigation into Mr. Onsachi Musa Idris, the Executive Director of Procurement at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). NACAT alleges that he owns and operates private companies while being employed in violation of existing regulations.
In a statement released by NACAT’s Executive Director of Investigation, Oghenedoro Tega, in Abuja on Sunday, the organization accuses Idris of breaching public rules and misusing his position. NACAT asserts that their findings indicate that Idris failed to disclose his involvement in these companies to the Code of Conduct Bureau, as required by the law.
The statement from NACAT reveals, “NACAT’s investigation has uncovered that Onsachi Musa Idris, the Executive Director of Procurement at the Federal Capital Territory Administration, and some of his associates hold positions as directors in the companies ‘Hollywood Films, Television and Creative Arts Institute Limited – RC 1280962,’ registered on 14th August 2015, and ‘El-Meela Heritage International School Limited – RC – 1282658,’ registered on 24th August 2015. However, he did not declare these affiliations in his Assets and Liabilities Declaration Forms with the Code of Conduct Bureau, as required by law.
“Paragraph 1(1) of Part 1 of the 5th Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended, obligates public office holders, whether elected, appointed, recruited, contracted, or by any other means, to submit their asset and liability declaration forms/returns to the Code of Conduct Bureau, covering themselves, their spouse, and children under 18 years old.
“The CCB Act also specifies that every public officer must adhere to the Law by declaring their assets/liabilities upon (a) taking office; (b) upon leaving office; (c) every four years for public officers in continuous government employment, be it Federal, State, or Local Government; and (d) at intervals determined by the Bureau.
“Moreover, Section 172 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) compels all public service individuals to conform to the Code of Conduct. The Fifth Schedule (Part 1) (Section 5) of the Constitution states that ‘A public officer shall not place himself in a situation where his personal interests conflict with his duties and responsibilities.’
“By failing to declare his company, we believe that Mr. Idris may have leveraged his influence to interfere with procurement procedures and processes, potentially favoring his company while depriving others of a fair bidding process.
“The group also threatens to pursue legal action if the responsible authorities do not investigate Mr. Idris for the alleged misconduct.
“As an NGO dedicated to combating corruption and with a track record of involvement in various anti-corruption efforts, we are deeply concerned that such an official is allowed to continue in his role without a proper investigation or appropriate sanctions.
“This is why we are calling on the relevant agencies to initiate an inquiry into the director.”
NACAT specifically calls on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to suspend Mr. Idris from his position immediately while the investigation takes place to prevent the concealment of information relevant to the case.
“We are puzzled by how a director can own a school and another company and instead of resigning from his federal government job to focus on his private ventures, he chooses to run them concurrently. Therefore, Idris should not be exempt from scrutiny for violating the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” NACAT asserts.