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Two employees of
the Veterinary Council of Nigeria who were allegedly sacked by the
management for exposing corrupt activities in the council have taken
its registrar and chief executive officer of the council, Daniel Maddo,
along with the council, before a Federal High Court in Abuja. Abiakwe
Darlington and Ehirim Comfort are alleging that they were victimized
for testifying and giving evidence which exposed fraud in the council
in their testimonies before the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission and an investigative panel set up by the board of the
council to probe a series of allegations of fraud and abuse of office
against the registrar of the council and other management staff. In the
originating summons, the plaintiffs alleged that following the exposure
of the financial scam in the council which led to the sack of the
council’s accountant, Hilary Ibe, the registrar who aided and abetted
the former accountant, had not hidden his disdain for them because of
the evidence they produced before the anti-graft agency and the
investigative panel. Noting that since the exposure of the fraud, they
have both been inundated with queries and interdictions, all in an
attempt to relieve them of their appointments without recourse to due
process.

Accusations

The registrar and
the sacked accountant were accused of inflating the nominal roll of
employees in the Veterinary Council and systematically defrauding the
federal government of millions of naira for over a decade as salaries,
allowances and entitlements for the ghost workers who they placed on
high grade levels. The EFCC investigated the matter last year before
another panel was set up by the council’s board which recommended the
sack of the accountant and reprimanded the registrar.

Seeking an order

The plaintiffs are in court, seeking to stop the council from
relieving them of their appointments and their eviction from their
quarters in Abuja, where they reside. They are asking the court to make
an order vacating the interdiction of the first plaintiff, Mr. Abiakwe,
which was made by the respondents on the April 1, 2010, which was done
in disregard to the pending suit. They are also seeking an order
compelling the respondents to restore Mr. Abiakwe to his position as
confidential secretary 2 with all entitlements and benefits as well as
an order restraining the defendants from terminating their appointments
or harassing them and their families as a result of their roles as
witnesses at the investigation conducted at the Council by the EFCC.
Mr. Maddo who is due to retire from service this June is alleged to
have threatened that the duo will never return to office over their
conduct which led to the discovery of the scam. Donatus Okorowo, the
presiding judge adjourned the matter to February 24 to allow for the
service of the court processes on all parties.