Bayo Onanuga accused of stealing hundreds of millions of naira as NAN MD
Says Bayo Onanuga is a desperate thief
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The Director of the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Bayo Onanuga, has been accused of stealing hundreds of millions of Naira as former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
A Twitter user, @PIDOMNIGERIA, made the accusation openly on the social media outfit on Wednesday, asking the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to verify his claims.
@PIDOMNIGERIA tweeted:
“Bayo Onanuga is a desperate thief. As MD of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) between 2016-2019, he used the following NAN Bizcom Accounts, Access Bank 0016628258 & Zenith Bank 1012782058, to divert government revenues, into his personal pocket. EFCC should verify.
“He auctioned official vehicles belonging to NAN, to himself & some of his co-corrupt management staff of the agency, through a dubious auction process which violates FGN Financial rules. Unions under his agency had to petition FG, & copy EFCC, due to his high level of corruption.
“Those unions are the Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), Radio Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU), and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation & Government Owned Companies (SSACGOC).
“They all accused Bayo Onanuga of open stealing, diversion, misappropriation of government, and agency funds, high level of corruption, high-handedness, and lack of basic knowledge, to manage an agency.
“These unions are still there, up till date, Nigerians can do their own findings. Don’t forget, Bayo Onanuga was nominated for that post of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Managing director (MD) by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. That is why he is fighting dirty for him.
“The donations NAN got, during their 40th year anniversary, Bayo Onanuga diverted it into his personal pocket, without giving account, or reasonable explanation, up till date. We are talking of Hundreds of millions of naira. Nigerians can go and verify.
“As MD of NAN, he stole monies budgeted for rent payment for state zonal offices, of which they couldn’t pay rent for Nasarawa zonal office, Rivers State zonal office, Taraba, Bayelsa Kebbi. They were asked to vacate despite a bailout fund of 321 million naira, approved and released to Bayo Onanuga by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The agency even generated over 400 million naira on record as (IGR). But all those monies found its way into the chronic thief’s pocket. His record was so bad that workers had to oppose his reappointment.”
It could be recalled that a joint union of NAN had urged the federal government not to reappoint Onanuga as Managing Director of the Agency because, according to them, reappointing him would inflict pain on the staff.
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Speaking on behalf of the unions at a news conference in Abuja, Gambo Haruna asked President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an individual who understands the workings of the agency “to restore its dwindling performance and lost glory”.
Onanuga is yet to respond to the accusation as at the moment of this publication.
See below a report by News Agency of Nigeria dated July 8, 2019, entitled “NAN workers oppose reappointment of former MD“:
“The Joint Union of the News Agency of Nigeria urged the federal government not to reappoint former Managing Director of the Agency, Bayo Onanuga, because reappointing him would inflict pain on the staff.
Gambo Haruna, who spoke on behalf of the unions at a news conference in Abuja, said since the exit of Mr Onanuga, the agency has enjoyed industrial peace and harmony.
Mr Haruna, however, called for the appointment of an individual, who understands the workings of the agency, saying this would go a long way to restore its dwindling performance and lost glory.
“Experience has shown that individuals with no knowledge and understanding of what the agency was established to achieve, come into the agency to manipulate, bastardise the system, and ignore the conditions of service and Public Service Rules.
“NAN members of staff, therefore, wish to thank President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians for their support and understanding.
“The members of staff wish (to) inform Mr President and Nigerians that NAN currently enjoys industrial peace and harmony after the exit of Bayo Onanuga, we sincerely believe that reappointing him would inflict more pains on the staff.
“At this juncture, we call on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt and other related Practices Commission (ICPC) to expedite actions in probing the allegations on misappropriation of funds made by the Joint Union.”
The unionist also demanded the reversal of all acting appointments of some officers, who had also benefitted from January 2018 promotion, saying this was an injustice to other colleagues employed on the same grade level.
He demanded the immediate deployment of officers on posting, seconded to NAN back to their various offices, saying this discourages career progression, and a negation of the Public Service Rules.
According to him, the engagement of contract staff is not only duplication, but a calculated attempt to make a confirmed staff of the agency redundant.
“This is apart from the fact that their continued engagement is costing the agency N3.9 million monthly, while seven state offices have been closed due to the inability to pay rent,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Joint Union includes the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Radio Television Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWUN).
Others are the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government-Owned Companies. (NAN)
