Allegation of Financial Impropriety Leveled Against Professor Iremiren of Cocoa Research Institute

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By Seyi Oduyela

Published: August 15, 2009

 

Delapidated CRIN

Allegation of Financial Impropriety Leveled Against Professor Iremiren of Cocoa Research Institute
*EFCC and ICPC Accused of Cover up

 

 

By Seyi Oduyela/Washington DC

 

Some members of staff of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), under the name Concerned Staff are accusing Professor G.O. Iremiren , the Executive Director of the Institute of financial recklessness. They also alleged that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) are helping the Professor to cover up his destructive acts.
In a petition sent to African Reporter, the group alleged that Professor Iremiren claimed travel allowance for trips he never made overseas and also helped some members of the management team too. According to Victoria Tikaloju, a representative of the Concerned Staff, a petition was sent to the EFCC and ICPC in May 2007 and nothing tangible has come out of it; “ instead, what we see is the EFCC officials working with Professor Iremiren to cover up his crime,” Tikaloju told African Interest.
They alleged that Professor Iremiren lied that he traveled to Costa Rica when he actually did not travel anywhere. They accused the two Anti-corruption agencies of cover-up due to feet-dragging and window-dressing attitude of the investigating agencies in collaboration with CRIN management and the Director of Agric. Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Banta.
They alleged that Professor G. O. Iremiren and an Assistant Director, Dr. A. O. Fademi claimed to have attended the 21st Coffee Colloquium (ASIC Conference) held in September 2006 in Montpellier, France; but the organizers of the Conference confirmed that nobody attended the Conference from Nigeria. According to the petitioners the two officers collected N 5 million as travel allowances.

It was also alleged that contract was awarded to Oodua Telecommunication in June 2004 for the installation of Internet to the tune of N 10 million and this same contract was re-awarded in 2006 to another firm for over N 10 million. Up till January 2008, the Internet facility at CRIN was not working. According to Victoria Tikaloju, based on the advice given to the Executive Director by the EFCC (Lagos Office) and ICPC (Task Force Unit), since the EFCC will be visiting CRIN to make a kangaroo report, an erratic/skeletal internet connectivity was hurriedly put in place which we all know cannot be sustained.
Contract was awarded for the repair of Farmhouses which the Internal Management Committee (IMC) of CRIN claimed was executed since 2004. However, as a result of the purported kangaroo visit of the EFCC to CRIN to write a positive report in favour of the Executive Director, work resumed in the farmhouses in August 2007. As at December 2007, only four out of the eight farmhouses have been hurriedly repaired and presented to the EFCC. This is just to mention but a few failed projects due to unlimited corruption perpetrated by the Executive Director of CRIN in collaboration with EFCC Lagos Office.
They also alleged that road network in CRIN is in a dilapidated state despite the fact that the contract of about N 20 million has been awarded since early 2006. So also is the huge amount of money spent on the erection of a befitting Gate into CRIN. They also alleged that N667 million was collected for the SGP but so far, two cocoa seasons have gone since 2006 and nothing is on the ground. Dr Fademi, who is the Assistant Director in charge of the project, is not carrying any of his colleagues along. Himself and the Executive Director along with the Chief Accountant of CRIN, Mr. Adefaka has fixed project money in their personal accounts.
When African Reporter called Professor Iremiren recently, for his side of the story, he hung up twice; Dr. Fademi told African Interest that he was having bad signals when in actual fact the line was clear. Efforts to get the officials of the EFCC, Lagos Office and the ICPC proved abortive as at press time.

Meanwhile our investigation continues.

Additional report by Adetayo Adelaja and Shamsydeen Badmus/Lagos

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