Alleged N7.2bn fraud: ‘I didn’t know civil servants can’t get govt contract’

A former Abia State Government House Director of Finance, Mr
Jones Udeogu, Wednesday said he was not aware that it was against
public service rules for a civil servant to get government
contracts.

Udeogu is standing trial on a N7.2billion fraud charge,
alongside former Abia State Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, at a Federal
High Court in Lagos.

Kalu, Udeogu and a firm Slok Nigeria Ltd, are first to third
defendants on the charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC).

Udeogu, also stated that it was Kalu’s Chief of Staff, Dr. T. A
Orji, who determined who got what from the Government House
account.

He disclosed this while being led-in-evidence by his counsel,
Chief Solo Akuma (SAN).

Udeogu said based on Civil Service Rules, he neither had direct
contact with the former governor nor took orders from him, rather
he interacted with Kalu’s Chief of Staff, who also managed
Government House funds.

“According to Civil Service Rules, nobody can bypass the Chief
of Staff to see or take orders from the governor, all the Directors
take orders from the Chief of Staff, Unit Heads take orders from
their various Directors and it is only the Chief of Staff that can
give approval for who gets what from the Government House bank
accounts.

“My duty then was just to work out release of funds in any forms
either by cash or cheque from the accounts”, he said.

He added that all the disbursement of funds in Abia State
Government House were made pursuant to the approval of the Chief of
Staff.

Udeogu also denied partaking in payment of any money to the
account of the third defendant (Slok Nigeria Ltd).

“I did not partake in the payment of funds to the account of
Slok Nigeria Ltd as alleged in counts 34 to 38. I am also not a
signatory to the account of Slok Nigeria Ltd.

“Neither me nor any other staff of Government House paid any
money into Slok account. We also did not receive any Board
Resolution from Slok requesting for any money to be paid into Slok
account”, he said.

Under cross extermination by EFCC counsel Mr. Rotimi Jacobs SAN,
Udeogu stated that he owns Udex Nigeria Limited with his wife who
works in the Abia State Ministry of Justice and is now a state high
court judge.

When Jacobs asked him if didn’t know that it was against public
service rules for a civil servant to collect contracts from the
government he and wife worked for, Udeogwu said he was not
aware.

Further hearing in the matter continues today.

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