Yar’Adua’s Aides Blow N10b On Foreign Trips

Since President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was flown out of the country on 23 November 2009 on account of ill-health, his ministers, special assistants, advisers and other aides were alleged to have been junketing from Abuja to other parts of the world on frivolous trips that have so far gulped N10 billion.

According to Aso Rock sources, ministers and other presidential aides have been embarking on trips to Saudi Arabia for about seven weeks now on the pretext of visiting President Yar’Adua or carrying out one official mission or the other in the country.

P.M.NEWS sources in Abuja said while the President was still in the country the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) used to serve as the clearing house for officials who wished to embark on foreign trips.

Investigations, however, revealed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) made up of ministers did not hide their resentment towards the process designed by the presidency to regularise foreign trips by government officials at the federal level.

Therefore, immediately President Yar’Adua was flown out, a source told our correspondent that, overseas trips became an all comers affair, adding “each minister or ministry now sees it as part of its functions to send its officials to Saudi Arabia.”

For some weeks now, P.M.NEWS learnt that there has been a cold war between the FEC and the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye, over the uncontrolled foreign trips.

The central electronic Travel Desk, approved by the president and manned by Oronsaye as HOCSF, had been at loggerheads with the FEC recently on the oversight functions of the desk to control foreign trips.

P.M.NEWS gathered that this has led to an exchange of correspondence between HOCSF, Oronsaye and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa.

While the AGF in his letter to the HOCSF wants him to tread softly on the matter, Oronsaye on the other hand maintains that his office has constitutional backing.

However, the looting spree through frivolous trips to Saudi Arabia has continued unabated. The source regretted that the ministers and other presidential aides were not interested in the health of the president but their target was the estacode that would accrue to them, especially in hard currency.

P.M.NEWS gathered that Yar’Adua’s aides have spent about N10 billion on estacode and other related expenses on trips to Saudi Arabia in seven weeks.

Aso Rock sources added that apart from using the trips to steal public funds, there were other areas public officers explore to enrich themselves.

May God Deliver This Country called NIGERIA! Imagine how Tax Payers Money is being squandered! :(

i sure say de all don enjoy d presidos exile, check every1 acc!

May God help us in this country!

It is well!

House, Positive change is coming to NIGERIA, believe it or not!

Political and Economic revolution is inevitable if any +ve change is expected in this country. All youths must be prepared to fight for the freedom of this nation from our political looters that pose as leaders

If you are a minister, you'll do the same. So, Nigeria is a sickness that has no cure. The only way out is division.

it's a sad thing that the leaders are still not ready to change, even when the common man is bringing development and change in this country. we will continue to act positively in the development of our country. thanks to God we still have some few good people in nigeria, we pray for their voices to be heard.

GOD come to our rescue in this country called "Nigeria" and let those that afflict "Nigerians" be as good as dead. (Amen)

there are thousand of graduate out there who dont have jobs well!
they say graduates are not employable

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