The EFCC has arrested the Director General of
the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate
(PTAD) Nelly Mayshak who was recently
suspended over an alleged N2.5 billion fraud.
The anti-graft agency also arrested three of her
staff who it alleged served as front for her in the
award of fictitious contracts, sources told us yesterday.
The staff are Yoab Youssoufou, Patricia Iyogun
and Ruth Imonikhe.
Mayshak was suspended indefinitely in March
over allegations of fraud uncovered in the PTAD.
The directorate is an independent pension
agency established in August 2013 to oversee
management of pensions under the Defined
Benefit Scheme for pensioners who are not part
of a new contributory scheme.
EFCC sources told us that investigations
into the alleged fraud revealed that Mayshak
misappropriated about N2 billion of the N2.5
billion.
She inherited the money from the pension’s
account of the Head of the Civil Service (HOSF)
mainly meant for Nigerian Immigrations Service
(NIS) Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and Nigeria
Prisons Service (NPS).
She is also said to have embezzled about N500
million meant as take-off grant for PTAD.
The source said the alleged fraud was
committed in the award of contracts during her
three-year tenure.
“In one instance, Mayshak allegedly approved
N25, 410,000 contracts for the supply of
121,000,000 litres of fuel in one day when in fact
there was no corresponding storage capacity.
PTAD only has storage capacity of about 11,000
litres, which lasts for about a month,” the source
said.
Mayshak is also alleged to have awarded several
phony contracts to cronies and staff of PTAD,
through which she enriched herself because they
only served as fronts for her.
The source added: “Between December 8 and
30, 2014 she awarded multiple contracts to the
same company, Interactive Wide Nigeria Limited,
to the tune of about N29, 377,993.26.
“Other contracts for the supply of office
materials, air conditioners, and conference
materials to the tune of N375, 704,287 were
awarded to Belzacode, Hosley Nigeria Limited
and Pabak Nigeria Limited.”
The source said investigations revealed that
“Yousoufou, Team Leader, ICT owned Belzacode;
Imonihke, Team Leader, DG’s Office, owned
Hosley Nigeria Limited while Iyogun, Team
Leader, Customs, Immigration and Prisons
Pensions Department, said to be a sister-in-law
to Mayshak, owned Pabak Nigeria Limited.
“They were however, found to be merely serving
as fronts for Mayshak.”
Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun suspended
Mayshak when the scandal broke to enable
unhindered investigations.
The minister’s office said that the allegations
against Mayshak did not relate to pensioner’s
fund but to operational expenses of PTAD.
“The suspension which is a normal civil service
procedure is to pave way for an unimpeded
investigation into the activities of the directorate
under the watch of Mayshak.
“While the ministry assures pensioners that the
suspension will not affect pension payment and
services, it promises to make public the findings
of the investigative panel on the issues leading
to the suspension.’’
Mayshak it was gathered first ran into trouble
during the tenure of the former Accountant
General of the Federation, Jonah Otunla.
She was alleged to have demanded the sum of
N3 billion earmarked for the verification of
pensioners nationwide to be released to her, but
Otunla refused.
Otunla, reportedly argued that the verification
exercise was supposed to be carried out by the
Office of the Accountant General of the
Federation and not PTAD.
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