List of Payments Into Personal Accounts of Government Officials Between 2019-2022

Every year, billions of Naira find their way from Nigeria’s government accounts into personal accounts of senior officials of Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Most of the transactions have vague descriptions, for instance, in a transaction to one Ayodele Elizabeth, the description was not specific, it only says, “…allowances to the Hon Minister”. The name of the Minister or the ministry in question was not stated.

Research shows that the Office Of The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta directly made a payment of N4,000,000,000 in 39 tranches to two personal accounts of one Dasimaka Adokiye Sami and Ebikabowei Victor Ben.

Even though payments into personal accounts are a clear violation of Chapter 7, Section 731 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, one of the recipients in dramatic descriptions received over N200 million in 25 transactions “to discuss the government anti-corruption measures”.

What a way to discuss anti-corruption measures when you pay or receive payments in a mode that contravenes the established law and in ways that promote corruption?

According to govspend.ng, a non-governmental portal that tracks daily payment reports of the FG, 165 transactions worth N10,000,000,000 was discovered to have been paid into personal accounts of individuals with vague descriptions in the 2022 budget.

Who are the recipients of these questionable transactions?

Here is the full list of beneficiaries of N10 billion that was paid into the personal accounts of private individuals in the 2022 budget, including the total amount paid, the number of transactions, and the payment descriptions:

Abu Dhab

• N545.39million
• 4
• W01-00016558,021 | main envelop-personal

Ebikabowei Victor Ben

• N2.20Billion
• 27
• Being payment of September 2022 bulk stipends to the 1,214 ex-agitators of boyloaf camp II, in phase 1 is approved by the internal Auditor on 23rd of September 2022.

Ifeoma Okafor and Hammanjoda Asta

• N1.44Billion
• 10
• Payment made for servicing and distribution of award letter to fresh scholarship awards for 2021for the Nigerian students studying in Nigeria public tertiary institution nationwide.

Dasimaka Adokiye Sami

• N2.20Billion
• 12 transactions
• Being payment of October 2022 bulk stipends to the 2,515 ex-agitators of Tom Ateke Camp in phase 1 as approved by the internal auditor on 20th October 2022.

Abdullahi Mohammed Mohammed

• N886.48million
• 6
• Funds for training of detective inspector course 6 and detective assistant course 2, 2022.

Robert Okon Samson

• N203.74 million
• 25 transactions
• Being payment of estacode, flight ticket, printing of policy documents and other administrative advances to project account for statutory annual meeting with other stakeholders to discuss the government anti-corruption measures, migration

Johnson Agama Ezekiel

• N169.13 million
• 23 transactions
• Severance entitlement and length of service allowance iro retirement.

Ayodele Elizabeth

• N219.42 million
• 1
• Payment of data and other travelling allowances to the Hon. Minister and others embarking on monitoring and evaluation of zonal/constituency projects.

Mohammed NT Ibrahim

• N223.63 million
• Advance payment in respect of community sensitization programme for women on the importance of literacy and adult evaluation in Enugu.

Okonjo Ike

• N167.00 million
• 1
• Severance entitlement and length of service allowance iro retirement.

Joseph Evah

• 11 transactions
• N244.20 million
• Being payment of October 2022 bulk stipends to the 338 ex-agitators of Beribegha camp in phase 1 as approved by the Internal Auditor on 20^th of October, 2022.

Reuben C Wilson

• N289.00 million
• 11 transactions
• Being payment of October 2022 bulk stipends to the 400 ex-agitators of Pastor Reuben camp in phase 1 as approved by the Internal Auditor on 20^th of October, 2022.

Miss Afangekung Mfon Okon

• N130.02 million
• 4 transactions
• Severance entitlement and length of service allowance iro retirement.

Omorhurhu Akpesire Joseph

• N127.89 million
• in 16 tranches
• Payment of estacode allowance to Usman Grace and 2 others while participating in the 2022 Istanbul Conference in Turkey

Harry Tonye Ikemenjeme

• N364.86 million
• 11 transactions
• Being payment of December 2022 bulk stipends to the 505 delegates of Admakiri camp in phase 2 as approved by the Internal Auditor.

Torughedi Selky

• N283.94 million
• 11 transactions
• Being payment of October 2022 bulk stipends to the 393 ex-agitators of young shall grow camp in phase 1 as approved by the Internal Auditor on 20^th of October, 2022.

Alagbada Christiana Omolade

• N118.17 million
• Payment for priority projects in the oil and gas sector.

Odiki Jacob

• N361.25 million
• 12
• Being payment of December 2022 bulk stipends to the 500 delegates of Ekpomopolo Tobi camp in phase 1 as approved by the Internal Auditor.

The Practise Is A Norm

Payment into personal accounts of government officials and their cohorts and collaborators didn’t just start with Betta Edu. It is a practice that has been a norm during previous administrations.

For instance, more than N4.6 Billion was paid into the personal accounts of some officials of the former Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing.

Described as “Authority Stealing” by Nigeria’s leading investigative media organization, the activities of the ministry were coordinated by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola.

According to records obtained from the Open Treasury Portal, N4,608,394,262.22 billion was paid in 654 transactions into 21 personal accounts of some directors and employees of the then ministry before Power was made a standalone ministry.

The practice cuts across other Federal Ministries. As for the Federal Ministry of Health, over N2.4 Billion was transferred into personal accounts of its senior workers.

Payment Infractions By The Ministry of Power, Works, and Housing in 2019

Below is a list of beneficiaries of such transactions, the amount received, and the number of transactions:

Ogueri , Mr. Ugochukwu Pascal

• N1,642,407,539.93
• 306

Olasehinde Micah

• N1,417,921,892.59
• 34

Adebowale, Mr. Adebayo Kamoru

• N665,123,476.80
• 41

Aliu Giwa

• N203,141,139.48
• 23

Data Nanbam Hezekiah

• N150,049,200.00
• 14

Nwachukwu, Mr. Chiemeka Ogbonna

• N79,856,382.50
• 29

Mohammed, Mr. Nura

• N51,669,320.00
• 44

Ayodele, Mr. Ademola Anthony

• N49,431,000.00
• 19

Mohammed, Mr. Bala Halilu

• N40,768,300.00
• 16

Ayodele, Mr. Olaoluwa Titus

• N40,568,665.00
• 13

Tobi, Ms. Deimi Edna

• N35,086,834.00
• 6

Babangida Ibrahim

• N28,169,400.00
• 3

Okoro, Mrs. Egwu Ola

• N26,739,200.00
• 28

Aku, Mr. Alewo Linus

• N25,289,873.76
• 1

Ayodele, Mr. Olajide Sunday

• N23,123,200.00
• 6

Bappah, Mr. Abubakar Salihu

• N21,648,222.00
• 6

Edo, Mr. Paulson Uyi

• N20,985,033.85
• 8

Alonge, Ms. Funke Grace

• N19,365,200.00
• 11

Akindele, Ms. Enitan Olusola

• N17,503,995.00
• 29

Onwubalili, Mrs. Oyinlola Adunola

• N7,678,800.00
• 2

Onwubalili, Mrs. Oyinlola Adunola

• N7,678,800.00
• 2

The Federal Ministry of Health also involved in questionable transactions in 2019

Before the discovery of payment of N2.4 Billion during the tenure of Dr Osagie Ehanire as the Minister of Health, BudgIT, a Nigeria-based civic organization, had earlier raised alarm that large sums running into billions of naira were moved from government accounts to personal accounts in January and July 2019, most of them with vague descriptions on the Open Treasury Portal.

The beneficiaries of these questionable transfers include:

Idris, Mr. Abdullahi

• N5,376,000

Onoja, Mr. Oche George

• N5,907,600

Anyanwu, Mr. Chinedu Lawrence

• N6,132,000

Ike, Mr. Maduabuchi Sunday

• N6,553,000

Semlek, Mrs. Nawok Rachel

• N6,874,130

Olowu, Dr. Rosemary Omobolanle

• N7,571,950

Adamu Paiko Mamud

• N8,820,622

Toye, Mr. Adedokun Femi

• N9,398,000

Shenkoya, Esther Abiodun

• N10,399,429

Godwin Brooks Asuquo

• N10,836,800

Alonge, Dr. Oluwatoyin Boladale

• N11,388,200

Uloko, Mr. Daniel Sunday

• N11,448,000

Akwuh, Mr. Israel Shaibu

• N11,803,200

Sanni Adeniyi, Mrs. Adetoro Olufunmilayo

• N14,949,240

Keshiro, Mr. Ibukun Boniface

• N15,753,271.94

Osibe, Mr. Emmanuel Ejike

• N18,881,200

Adegbite, Mrs. Bola Oluwafunmilola

• N34,904,912

Ali Umar

• N39,339,000

Dorothy Nkiruka Ezeokpube

• N40,652,000

Ibrahim, Mr. Y Mohammed

• N57,004,800

Mohammed Badeggi Mohammed

• N175,015,182

Adama Mohammed Danladi

• N355,911,809.8

Ajiji, Mr. Barde Yusuf

• N392,350,175.16

Musa Adamu Musa

• N471,493,235

Bulam, Mr. Sadiq Abubakar

• N671,996,049

Are Payments Into Personals Account Legitimate?

Moving money from government accounts to personal accounts contravenes Chapter 7, Section 731 of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations.

“An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.”

Nigeria Financial Regulations

The section specifically stresses that public and personal money should kept separate saying, “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a  private bank account.”

But it is a practice that is not alien to public servants in Nigeria, that is why the spokesman to the now suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, ignorantly claims that it is not against the law for government money to be paid into personal account of officials. Such a statement only shows how government officials look for loopholes in defence of their wrongdoings.