I gave NASS members N50m as ‘thank-you gift’ — Ex-IAR&T director tells court

FORMER Director of Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Professor Benjamin Ogunbodede, alleged that he gave N50 million to some committee members of the National Assembly on agriculture.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the former director is standing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, over alleged N177 million hazard allowance fraud.

Testifying before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, Ogunbodede named one Mr Makanjuola, the then House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Agriculture as one of the recipients of the N50 million gratifications.

The former director, standing trial with two others, however, refused to mention names of other members of the committee, Senate members and officials of the Ministry of Finance who received the N50 million gratifications.

Ogunbodede stated that the money served as a ‘thank you gesture’ to the NASS members and others who facilitated the release of N606 million, which was the school’s grant from the Federal Government.

“Makanjuola was one of the House of Representative members from the South-West on the committee who was paid the gratification,” the ex-director said.

The former IAR&T boss further confessed that the school did not actually raise fund from philanthropists contrary to his earlier testimony in court.

Tendering the earlier statement which Ogunbodede had made before the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to EFCC, contended that the witness lied when he told the court that he raised money from the friends to execute some projects in the school.

The court also admitted in evidence many documents by various panel of enquiry that had indicted Ogunbodede.

However, Mr Tunde Olupona, the defense counsel, opposed some of the submissions made by the prosecution.

Ayo-Emmanuel, however, adjourned the matter till April 7 for continuation of trial.

NAN recalled that Ogunbodede, Zachius Tejumola and Clement Adenose have since 2014 been standing trial over multiple charges bordering conspiracy, forgery, conversion and stealing N177,571,609.

The amount was meant to pay hazard allowances of workers of the institution.

NAN reported that one other accused and his nine companies, earlier arraigned with Ogunbodede, in 2016 entered into a plea bargain and were indicted and consequently convicted.

The fourth accused, Jalekun Omitowoju, a contractor, and his companies, were allegedly conduits through which the former director embezzled the money.