Anikwe, CBAAC DG |
Anikwe who allegedly corners the bulk of the allocation on local and overseas contrived conferences and false trips, also personally oversees the Centre’s procurement needs in utter violation of Due Process as stipulated by the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
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The Secretary of the Board, Mrs Nkechi Agubuzor who was unilaterally suspended by Anikwe last month for blowing the whistle on his nefarious activities, has sent a strongly-worded petition against Anikwe. In the petition to the Inspector-General of Police Solomom Arase, dated Tuesday August 11, 2015, Mrs Agubuzor accused Anikwe of irregular employment and placement of over 40 of his kinsmen and family members. She referred to the employment of one Mrs. Nwora Calista Obiageli, a relation of his from this same home-town in Ezeagu LGA of Enugu state. For someone without cognate experience, Mrs. Nwora who ought to be started on grade 8, was initially placed on grade level 10, before quickly being moved to grade level 12, within one (1) month on the instruction of the Director-General.
Though still on probation for two (2) years Mrs. Nwora Calista Obiageli who holds a BA (Ed.) degree in English, has since 11th August, 2015 been elevated to the position of the Secretary to the Board, replacing Mrs Nkechi Agubuzor, a holder of Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators, and holder of a Master Degree in Law. The replacement of Mrs Agubuzor was clearly a punitive measure, and in utter contravention of the provisions of Section 295 of the Compainies and Allied Matters Act, Cap C 20, Laws of the Federation (LFN), 2004.
Mrs. Agubuzor’s sin is that she blew the whistle against Anikwe after she complained about the DG’s appointment of his younger brother as the Centre’s external solicitor. The Director-General upon assumption of office had insisted that his younger brother; Barr. Edwin Anikwe, the Principal Head of Chambers; Edwin Anikwem & Co., be appointed the External Solicitor for the case between NICON Insurance PLC, Global Fleet Oil Vs CBAAC & 50 Ors. As soon as this was discountenanced by Mrs. Agubuzor (a Lawyer and the Board Secretary), Edwin had surfaced with another letter headed paper, NEDMEX SOLICITORS. Both Edwin Anikwem & Co. and NEDMEX SOLICITORS have the same office space, same address and telephone contacts. The DG had hurriedly approved that the sum of one million, four hundred and fifty thousand naira (1, 450,000) be paid to NEDMEX SOLICITORS through their Zenith Bank Accounts number 1014197939. The DG insisted on paying his brother from the CBAAC Pensions Fund, discounting warnings to the contrary. Mrs Agubuzor’s days in the CBAAC were numbered. Yet, after the huge payments, Edwin Anikwem’s NEDMEX SOLICITORS did not attend to the case diligently until a negative ruling was delivered by Hon. Justice E.S Chukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja on the case concerning the recovery of N138 million being the Centre’s Pension Fund Contributions held over the years by NICON Insurance PLC.
The Director-General also allegedly borrows money both from outsiders and staff members to run the centre, most of which are diverted for his personal use. He has repeatedly avoided payment of such borrowed money even when the centre’s running cost comes, thereby causing the Centre so much embarrassment. For instance, he personally borrowed the sum of N1 million from the Centre’s Co-operative Society without the Board or Management approval, and had the money paid into his Zenith Bank Account by one Miss Liliian Eguruze, the Co-operative’s Treasurer. He had claimed that he would use the money to ‘settle’ the Chairman of the National Salary and Wages Commission to increase the staff salary structure from Consolidated Public Service Structure (CONPSS) to Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS). He has refused to explain to the staff why their monthly contributions from salaries have to be used to bribe officials.
Anikwem who assumed office on the 7th September, 2014, at the time the workforce of the organization stood at 184 staff members, has since employed over 40 (forty) additional staff members made up mainly of members of his immediate family, friends and acquaintances from his Ezeagu LGA of Enugu state. This is clearly against the Federal Character principle. Without the Board’s approval, Anikwe had hurriedly opened a branch of the CBAAC in University of Nigeria, Nsukka without the formal approval of the University Senate and the necessary documentations defining the relationship. This was done in a bid to provide a home comfort zone for some of the candidates from his Ezeagu community, Enugu state, including his son Mr. Anikwe Obinna Franklin, who is not resident in Lagos.
Anikwe, an alumni of the University of Port Harcourt, is also accused of politically victimizing members of the staff who do not share in his PDP political party interest. During the national political campaigns, he had hidden under the umbrella of the University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association organized a political rally and compelled the staff members of the Centre via Circular C/CBAAC 140/IV/661, dated the 16th march, 2015 to be in attendance at the Presidential Town Hall Meeting held on Wednesday, 18th March, 2015 at 11 a.m., at Cinema Hall 1, National Theatre, Orile Iganmu, Lagos. The Presidential Town Hall Meeting turned out to be a political rally in disguise organized by the Corporate Affairs Department of the Centre under the directive of the DG and his alumni friends with the centre’s public funds. Those absent, like those who intended to vote for APC and other political parties, were to face disciplinary actions.
Agubuzor said though she faces victimization and threat of dismissal from office by the Director-General, she could not but continue to proactively support the national agenda transformation policy of President Mohammadu Buhari by fighting and reporting any acts of irregularity, corruption and public loot by Public Office Holders.
The Centre for Black And African Arts & Civilization (CBAAC) which was established as a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism following the successful epoch hosting of the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), 1977.
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