“The investigation revealed that Wola had unilaterally and with out session with the board decided the promotion, recruitment and salaries of seconded employees from the beginning of the secondment course of in 2017.
“Her failure to observe due course of left investigators unaware and led to additional scrutiny of her previous actions for violating firm coverage.”
KOKO TV FROM discovered that investigators additionally found that two of the employees members recognized by Wola for wage will increase have been ghost employees. It was discovered that they by no means labored for the corporate nor the regulation agency of George Etomi and Companions. The investigation revealed that within the three years they have been allegedly employed, she had by no means met any of the ghost employees but permitted their promotions, salaries and bonuses value practically N62 million, a report KOKO TV FROM obtained indicated.
The report discovered that among the firm's employees members who had resigned or been dismissed by the corporate have been nonetheless on the payroll and had their salaries and bonuses permitted by Wola.
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A part of the report KOKO TV FROM obtained reads: “Someday in October 2023, Wola filed a request for the rise within the salaries of sure seconded employees together with one Simileoluwa Dada which was opposite to the corporate pay scale as they have been paid a month-to-month wage of N1.6 million for a supervisor really useful, an quantity increased than even a Principal Supervisor wage scale in Eko.
“Given the inconsistency and violation of firm coverage, which was additionally sparked by an nameless protest from a whistleblower throughout the firm, the request was additional investigated and the next discoveries have been made:
“The CLO, through the inception of the secondment scheme in 2017, had unilaterally decided the promotions, salaries, recruitments and ranges of all seconded employees with out following due course of, in violation of the corporate's insurance policies and the secondment settlement.
“We now have found that two of the seconded staff, together with these for whom a wage enhance was proposed in October 2023, are ghost employees, by no means labored for the corporate or the regulation agency George Etomi & Companions (GEP), and didn’t even exist in any respect. throughout the workspace of each entities.
“The CLO confirmed that she by no means met these employees, but for the three-year interval she had approved the fee of their salaries each month of the yr, granted them promotions and permitted the fee of thirteenth month salaries to them, all of which amounted to fraud in opposition to the corporate to the tune of N61,478,750 since 2020 when the ghost employees got here into existence.
“Additional investigation additionally revealed that some employees members remained on the corporate payroll regardless of their departure and dismissal, and that the CLO (Chief Authorized Officer) signed off on month-to-month wage funds and the thirteenth month fee, subjecting the corporate to additional monetary losses uncovered. ”
It added: “In keeping with related firm insurance policies. I’ve despatched a request for an evidence to: CLO for the above discoveries: The Chief Audit and Compliance Officer for her dereliction of obligation in not auditing the Authorized Division for years and due to this fact not verifying employees salaries and never detecting the fraud: and,
“The Chief Human Sources Officer for not escalating the coverage violation, his non-involvement within the implementation of the secondment settlement throughout the firm.”
In the meantime, the state of affairs has raised doubts and issues among the many firm's staff about their future with the group, particularly in gentle of the current points.
“Nobody is aware of what number of ghost employees there are in EKEDC (EKEDP) receiving salaries just like the employees who work onerous. Administration has averted their eyes and Wola has continued to siphon off cash whereas sustaining her brutal management type.
“CEO Sanda has stored quiet. The Chief Audit and Compliance Officer, Sheri Adegbenro, has appeared the opposite method since Wola turned her good friend. It’s as much as the board to avoid wasting EKEDC, in the event that they too haven’t been compromised,” stated an organization insider.
“It’s tough to say the whole lot we all know as a result of what we now have stated has not been acted upon, and we hope that the Nigerian authorities, the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC), the Impartial Corrupt Practices and Different Associated Offenses Fee (ICPC) and the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) can examine EKEDP earlier than issues get dire.”
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The Nationwide Union of Electrical energy Staff (NUEE) has additionally joined the decision for investigations into Wola and others.
The NUEE stated in an announcement that the federal authorities owns 40% of the group's public curiosity, that means its members are essential stakeholders within the firm's affairs.
“This clearly requires the eye of President Bola Tinubu and his minister accountable for energy,” the NUEE stated.
The union made its attraction in a letter to the Managing Director/Chief Govt Officer Eko Electrical energy Distribution Firm, dated January 10, 2024, with reference quantity NUEE/NS/2024/005.
The letter signed by Appearing Secretary Normal, Dominic Igwebike, was titled: “Alleged Ghost Employees in Eko Electrical energy Distribution Firm (EKEDCP) Name for Investigation”.
Urging an intensive and unbiased investigation, the union reminded the corporate's administration that the federal authorities owns a 40% public curiosity within the group, including that it considers its members essential stakeholders within the firm's affairs makes.
It stated: “NUEE has been following with nice curiosity the difficulty of alleged involvement of some prime administration officers with ghost employees and frantic efforts to suppress them, in violation of the phrases of service and ethics of the electrical energy provide of Eko Electrical energy Distribution Firm (EKEDC). Trade.
“It’s appalling to say the least that an unpleasant subject of this nature is being talked about within the firm, and much more appalling is that futile makes an attempt are being made to cover the reality: with the perpetrators behind one finger, resulting in month-to-month monetary losses for the corporate and on the expense of the final workforce.
“It’s instructive to remind you that the Federal Authorities nonetheless controls a 40% public curiosity share of Eko Electrical energy Distribution Firm (EKEDC), making us essential stakeholders within the day-to-day administration and well-being of the corporate. ”
It added: “To assist the corporate and protect our ethical integrity, we demand immediately an intensive investigation into the Ghost Employees scandal in EKEDC and the administration's try and cowl it up, and the perpetrators of this dastardly act shall be punished in accordance with the phrases of the Firm's Phrases of Service.”
“The administration/board of administrators of EKEDC is suggested to not play the ostrich on this matter as any try to comb this underneath the carpet shall be vehemently resisted,” the union warned.
With the allegations of fraud and a cover-up by these concerned, the corporate known as for an instantaneous investigation by related anti-graft businesses into the actions of the EKEDC, particularly as its providers have been severely affected and its livelihood can be threatened.
On the time of submitting this report, Wola Joseph has returned to work. It’s believed that the chairman and different board members of Eko Disco are doing the whole lot they’ll to comb the matter underneath the carpet. In the meantime, the efforts of KOKO TV FROM To get the response from the EKEDP Normal Supervisor Company Communications, Babatunde Lasaki was unsuccessful.
After repeated calls, he answered, however hung up as quickly as our reporter launched himself. He didn’t reply subsequent calls or reply to textual content messages despatched to him.
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