There is tension at the Edo State Urban Water Corporation, following a petition against the Acting Managing Director, Mrs Toyin Rose Adeboyega over an alleged N1.361 billion contract fraud.

SOCIETY REPORTERS reports that Mr Christopher Abhulimen, a staff of the corporation, wrote the petition against the Managing Director to the Edo State Government.

The petition addressed to the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo was dated February 6, 2025.

The petition is titled, ‘Concerning instances of misappropriation of funds, mismanagement of public funds, poorly executed contracts/fictitious contract projects facilitated by the previous administration with the abetment and instrumentality of the Acting Managing Director of Edo State Urban Water Corporation, Mrs Toyin Rose Adeboyega’.

Abhulimen, who listed about eight projects allegedly involved in the fraud, noted that not only did some of the aforementioned projects not exist in reality, but even for the few that exist, there is nothing in them to justify the astronomical funding commitments.

He appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to take all necessary actions to ensure thorough investigations of the projects as well as the complicity of the Acting Managing Director, and/or any other person(s) in the facilitation of alleged unwarranted hemorrhage of public funds.

In the petition, Abhulimen, listed the projects and their cost to include N700 million pipeline network reticulation to Ugboha, Uromi and environs, N23 million funding of Abico Pumping Station, and N120 million provision of potable water to Emotan Garden Estate.

Others are N150 million reactivation of water schemes at Etsako and Akoko-Edo, N150 million supply of pipes and accessories to Ugboha/Uromi Water Scheme, N15 million for supply of chemicals, N160 million for the management of Ugboha Dam and N43 million of illegal sales/disposal of exhumed ductile pipe in the course of road construction at Iruekpen and environs.

When contacted, the Acting Managing Director of the Corporation, Mrs Toyin Rose Adeboyega, said a journalist has already written a rejoinder on the petition.

Adeboyega, who forwarded the alleged rejoinder to DAILY POST, denied the allegations levelled against her.

Mrs Toyin Rose Adeboyega, Acting Managing Director, Edo State Urban Water Corporation.

The alleged rejoinder written by Comrade Robinson Akhenoba, titled, ‘Allegation against Mrs Toyin Rose Adeboyega’, alleged that after conducting a thorough investigation in the said ministry, it was found that “these allegations are not only misleading but also a gross misrepresentation of facts”.

Akhenoba, while urging the governor to take time to investigate the allegations as contained in the petition, advised him to remain vigilant and not succumb to the alleged manipulative tactics of those who seek to divide and rule.

According to him, these individuals often rely on misinformation and speculation to achieve their goals, which can lead to unfair treatment of dedicated public servants.

“I implore you to prioritize facts and figures when evaluating these allegations, rather than getting swayed by baseless claims. As findings have shown, Mrs Adeboyega possesses a high level of integrity and a strong commitment to her role. It’s crucial for you to recognize and appreciate her efforts in serving the people

“By focusing on verifiable evidence and ignoring malicious rumors, you can ensure that justice is served,” he added.

As part of its commitment to nation building and humanitarian works, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) on Monday donated various food items including bags of rice, cartons of spaghetti, sanitary pads and a sewing machine to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Durumi Camp in the Garki area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The organization, a notable civil society group dedicated to combating corruption, financial crimes, terrorism, economic sabotage, human trafficking, and drug-related offenses, extended this gesture as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

The organization further conducted a sensitization session on human trafficking, educating the women on its dangers and equipping them with strategies to protect themselves and their children from becoming victims.

Speaking on behalf of NACAT, the Operational Manager, Stanley Ugagbe, emphasized that the initiative was purely humanitarian and not politically motivated. He reassured the IDPs that NACAT’s intervention was driven by a genuine desire to support their well-being, particularly during the fasting period when food resources might be scarce.

“NACAT is an NGO and our coming here today has no political undertone. We truly empathize with you over your current conditions and it is because of our concerns over your plight that we have come to donate our widow’s mite. We recognize that this is a fasting period, and it is
important that people have access to food while they fast,” Ugagbe stated.

“Your current situation is actually troubling and we pray that soonest, things will get better and you will return to your homes to live your normal lives like you used to live”.

He also took time to educate the women on the increasing trend of human trafficking and shared practical tips on how they could protect themselves and their loved ones from falling prey to traffickers.

Ugagbe defined human trafficking as the illegal trade of people for forced labor, sexual exploitation, and other forms of abuse. According to him, common tricks used by traffickers are promises of good jobs or scholarships abroad, fake modeling or entertainment offers, forced
marriages, fake recruitment agencies, and kidnapping.

While asking them to watch out for these tricks, the manager averred that the dangers of human trafficking include “physical and emotional abuse, forced labor and inhumane working conditions, sexual exploitation and exposure to diseases, separation from family and community,
loss of personal freedom”.

Harping on how to protect themselves against traffickers, Ugagbe enumerated the following measures: “be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true, verify job and travel opportunities before accepting them, avoid traveling alone with strangers, report suspicious activities to
security agencies or NGOs working against human trafficking, educate others on the dangers of trafficking”.

In her opening remarks, NACAT’s Program Manager, Joy Tomo, reaffirmed the organization commitment to supporting displaced persons and promoting self-reliance among them. She highlighted the importance of skill acquisition in reducing dependency and improving economic stability.

We believe that empowering women with skills is key to helping them rebuild their lives. That is why we are donating this sewing machine. We encourage you to use it as a tool for learning and empowerment," Tomo said.

She further instructed that the machine should be handed over to an experienced seamstress within the camp who would train other women, ensuring that the knowledge is passed on and used effectively.

Expressing deep appreciation for NACAT’s intervention, the camp women’s leader, Liyatu Ayuba Yusuf, described the visit as a life-changing moment for many of them.

“Our joy knows no bounds today. We are grateful to NACAT for remembering us in this difficult time. Many of us had never received this kind of education on human trafficking before and now we understand how to protect ourselves and our children,” she said.
Liyatu noted that the sensitization program had opened their eyes to the reality of human trafficking, a menace that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities. She pledged that the women in the camp would make good use of the knowledge gained and ensure that others who missed the session also learn from them.

Also speaking at the event, the Camp Coordinator, Idris Ibrahim-Halilu, who provided Hausa translations throughout the engagement, praised NACAT for its exceptional commitment to humanitarian work. He called on other organizations to follow NACAT’s example and extend their support to displaced persons.

“I appeal to other NGOs to learn from what NACAT is doing. The impact of their visit today has been enormous. We need more organizations like this to come to our aid,” Ibrahim-Halilu said.

Recall that in October last year, NACAT renovated and transformed an orphanage school in Lugbe into a modern school.

Unity Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Kolawole Ebenezer as its new acting managing director/chief executive officer.

The appointment follows the retirement of Mrs Oluwatomi Somefun who has completed her tenure as MD/CEO.

The development was announced at the Bank’s 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Lagos on Wednesday, after securing necessary approval from its primary regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Mr Kolawole is a seasoned and consummate banker with over three decades of industry experience. He began his financial services career at Caribbean Finance Limited (an affiliate of CFL in Cayman Island) in Kaduna in 1992. He later joined Ecobank where he worked in various departments of the Bank, both operations and finance suites and rose to the position of Deputy Financial Controller.

He moved to Standard Trust Bank (STB) and worked at various strategic areas including Operations, Regulatory Risk Management and Finance suites and played a pivotal role in the STB/UBA merger. Post-merger, he served as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the United Bank for Africa.

He moved to Mainstreet Bank as the Bank’s Group Chief Finance Officer (GCFO) and actively drove the turnaround and transformation initiatives of the Bank. He had a brief stint at Globacom, a foremost and Nigeria’s leading indigenous Telecommunication giant, where he served in various capacities for corporate business development.

Mr Kolawole joined Unity Bank Plc as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2015. He was later, in February 2018, appointed the Executive Director to oversee Finance, Operations and Information Technology, where he played a key role in the Bank’s strategic transformation and cost optimization initiatives which enhanced the Bank’s performance and market feasibility.

In line with the Bank’s succession and business continuity plans, Mr Kolawole is saddled with the primary responsibility to finalise the Bank’s ongoing corporate programmes and other strategic business initiatives of the institution.

Mr. Kolawole holds a First-Class (Hons) Degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. He has participated in several management/executive education programmes in Columbia Business School, New York, USA and TheWharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.

Mr Kolawole is a member of several professional bodies including: Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration, (FICA), Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIB), Associate Member of The Nigeria Institute of Management (AMNIM); Member of the Institute of Directors etc.