ESTATE AGENT POCKETED N56.6 M
IYALLA, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria – The auditors looking into the accounts of the Lagos State Council of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), has found immediate past Chairman of the union, Mr. Deji Elumoye guilty of diverting the sum of N26.6 million, being proceeds from NUJ Light House into his personal salary account number 000983830 in ThisDay newspaper.
” The former chairman displayed high sense of irresponsiveness, hence he should refund all light house money within 30 days, failure to do so, he should be handed overto EFCC and reported to Thisday Newspaper”, the auditor said in the report.
The auditors also found that the Estate Manager under paid the union to the tune of N56.6 million and recommended that the money be refunded to the purse of the union. Based on the report, the house was informed that the Estate Agent has owned up and has agreed to refund the money.
Congress was informed that the Estate Manager has refunded N8 million to the purse of the union and has agreed to pay N5 million every month until the whole amount is liquidated. He was said to have appropriated to himself 10,000 per square metres from 2012 to 2015.
The auditors also recommended that the NUJ should hire another Estate Surveyor and reevaluate the value of the property and bring it into parity with what is obtained in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. The auditors also recommended that the NUJ should hire another estate valuer to revaluate the property in Shomolu since the past executive council under Deji Elumoye said they have spent N57.1 million on the uncompleted Shomolu Guest House. The sum of N21.22 million was also claimed to have been spent on renovation of NUJ Light House without approval of the council.
The auditors recommended that Deji Elumoye should refund the money within 30 days otherwise he will be reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and in addition be reported to his employer, ThisDay Newspaper. The committee also uncovered that proceeds from NUJ Light House from 2004 to 2016 were misappropriated into private accounts.
The auditors also recommended that the NUJ should report the Estate manager to his professional body for breaching his code of conduct.
