More rumblings in NEMA as indicted DG allegedly embarks on measures to deal with ‘enemies within’

The indicted Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, may have become desperate in his bid to cover up the rot at the agency.

Recent revelations from the agency suggest that the embattled DG is meting out punishment on staff of the agency who allegedly refused to cooperate with him to perpetrate fraud, forgery and embezzlement.

According to a source at NEMA who does not want to be named for fear of being targeted by Maihaja, the indicted DG has embarked on punitive transfers of members of staff who refused to forge, alter or backdate procurement and relief materials delivery documents to cover up his tracks.

The alleged desperate moves by Maihaja is coming on the heels of his indictment by the House of Representatives on fraud, misappropriation and alleged embezzlement of the sum of N33 billion intervention fund meant for the purchase and delivery of relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the North East.

The money was also to provide relief materials to communities affected by flood in 2017 in 16 states of the federation but were alleged to have been either not procured or diverted despite the fact that money was approved and allegedly released to proxy companies associated with Maihaja.

To cover up for the allegations against him in the face of the indictment, Maihaja was said to have been making desperate efforts to cover up his tracks by doctoring documents but sources say he met with stiff resistance from staffers who insist they won’t put their careers on the line to do any wrong.

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“No civil servant will risk his/her career and future to do what the DG wants us to do. That’s the truth. He is angry and once you refuse to obey his orders, he transfers you out of Abuja as a form of punishment”, a staff who does not want to be named said.

According to competent sources, some of the punitive and vindictive transfers carried out by Maihaja include the posting of Aminu Boyi Ringim, Assistant Director Accounts and Finance posted from HQ to Kaduna zonal office.

Also, Waziri Aliyu an Assistant Director was posted from HQ to Jos Zonal office.

Danladi Abubakar Tanimu, Chief Accountant, was posted from HQ to Enugu zonal office.

The sources also insisted that there were many others who were moved because of their testimonies at the public hearings before the House Committee where the DG contradicted himself severally.
Further revelations allege that Maihaja and an aide at the office of the Vice President have allegedly been working to doctor documents.

Speaking on the moves to cover things up, a senior officer with the Adamawa State government said: “We didn’t receive any relief materials from NEMA and so we are waiting and watching to see how they will forge our papers to say we receive the items.”

Aside punitive measures and transfers, the embattled DG is said to have been boasting of using security agencies to deal with errant officers.

Further investigations have also revealed that NEMA uses the 20% ecological funds it receive monthly to buy food items and always divert the additional funds received while the statutory money can actually handle emergency cases as the agency does in the past.

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