Stolen NUJ funds: Qasim Akinreti recovers N5 million
As lawyer sues NAWOJ president for housing scam
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The spirited efforts of the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos, Dr Qasim Akinreti to recover funds stolen from the council is beginning to yield results as a sum of N5 million has been recovered.
This is as full legal action has been initiated against Mrs Ifenyinwa Omowole, the National Leader of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ. The NUJ money was recouped from Mr Segun Opayemi, in charge of Epega & Co Estate Firm, the sacked estate manager overseeing Light House, property of the Lagos NUJ in Victoria Island.
The money along side other vital documents have been handed over to the council’s lawyer, Mr Jiti Ogunye, few days ago after the solicitor acting on instructions from Akinreti threatened to take legal action against Mr Opayemi.
Earlier, an independent auditor engaged by the union, Mr Kolawole Adegbola in a document submitted to the Finance Committee of the Lagos NUJ headed by the Treasurer of the union, Mrs Iyabo Ogunjuyigbe had traced the sun of N56 million unaccounted for to the Estate manager.
Other members of the financial committee included former Secretary of Lagos NUJ, Mr Biodun Akinbusuyi, Mr Ajibola Abayomi and others.
In the auditor’s report also, the sum of N26 million was traced to the personal account of the former chairman of Lagos NUJ, Mr Deji Elumoye while the sum of N20.6 million being the total money collected for peremeter fencing from Lagos Journalists could not be accounted for by the ex- chairman as well.
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Out of the N26 million, Mr Elumoye had repaid N1 million till date while the balance is pending. It would be recalled that the NUJ lawyer had also commenced legal fireworks at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against the arrow heads of the alleged housing scam led by Mrs Ifenyinwa Omowole of News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, who collected over $530,000 from Lagos Journalists on the aborted project name Pen Juwel Housing Scheme.
At one of the probing sessions, Mrs Ifenyinwa Omowole, the current National Chairman of NAWOJ, claimed that a whopping sum of $24000 expired, a comment that drew provocative reactions from Lagos journalists.
Ogunye, the Lagos NUJ lawyer had declared that no stone will left unturned to recover the stolen funds.
