Reports have it that President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Professor Mahmood Yakubu as the new chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to Daily Trust, the president confirmed this appointment during the emergency Council of State meeting held few days ago (21-10-2015). It was the first meeting of the Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Briefing state house correspondents after the meeting, the Sokoto state Governor Aminu Tambuwal, informed that the new INEC boss’s appointment tallies with the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution and in consultation with the Council of State. Apart from the confirmation of the new INEC chairman, the Council also approved the appointment of five new national commissioners for the electoral body.
They are: Amina Zakari, northwest; Anthonia Okoosi-Simbine, north central and Baba Shettima Arfo, northeast. Others are: Soyebi Adedeji Solomon, southwest and Mohammed Mustafa Lecky from the South-South.
Yakubu is a professor of political history and international studies, and was the executive secretary of the tertiary education trust fund.
However, few hours after the appointment of Mohammed Mustafa Lecky from the South-South as a national commissioner for the electoral body, a scandal of embezzlement of public fund broke out.
Sahara Reporters claims that, based on the exclusively obtained documents, during his tenure as the executive secretary and the chief executive officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Lecky was suspected of being involved in the embezzlement of public money.
Lecky was under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an allegedly illegal investment of N10.7 billion, and fraudulent representation to the Federal Executive Council for the award of a contract. The report, signed by the former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu, was said to have been submitted to Umaru Yar’adua, Nigeria’s former president.
According to Sahara Reporters: “Among other things, [Lecky] authorized the investment of government funds in three commercial banks that have no banking relationship with the scheme to the tune of ten billion and seven hundred naira (N10.7 billion).”
According to the document, the investigation showed that Lecky first invested the said amount in his private accounts, then he returned the amount to the NHIS, but received the interest from this money which totaled “sixty three million, seven hundred and sixty three thousand, thirteen naira”.
“No evidence was seen suggesting that the board or the minister of health gave approval for the placement of the funds in the various banks. It was the sole decision of the executive secretary.”
The report further discloses that Lecky was part of fraudulent schemes connected with contract awarding and company incorporation.
The conclusion reads:
“A case of misappropriation of public funds cannot be established against Mr Lecky but a case of abuse of office could be sustained against the suspect on the basis of conflict of interest by influencing the award of a contract to a company in which his cousin is the director.”
President Buhari made a series of important appointments on Thursday as he named Mahmood Yakubu as the new chairman for the INEC and Dan-Azumi Ibrahim as the director general of the National Office for Technological Acquisition and Promotion. This comes amid the ministerial screening by the Senate. Yesterday the Red Chamber screened the former Rivers state governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Further screening was adjourned to October 27.
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