First lady’s ‘uncle’ in trouble over embezzlement of $350,000 presidential intervention fund for Nigerian embassy in Mexico
“This Embassy received 350,000USD and not one dime of it was used to settle the money owed to staffs. The local staffs in that embassy are going through hell and live in a state of fear instilled by the Finance Attache, Mr. Mohammed Wada, who is defacto Head and runs the mission like his personal fiefdom.”
By Steve Oko
The Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, Aminu Iyawa, and some key embassy officials have been accused of squandering a whopping $350,000 presidential intervention fund meant for the defrayal of the embassy’s indebtedness.
This latest scandal is coming barely two weeks the Nigerian embassy in Kuwait and a week that of Spain were involved in similar scandals.
Wawa News Global searchlight has been spotting some monumental corruption rocking most Nigerian foreign missions and embassies.
There has not been any official reaction by the presidency since the exposure began but according to feelers, some of the indicted diplomats may be sacrificed to redeem the integrity of the president which has come under doubt.
The Ambassador who allegedly claims to be “an uncle of the President’s wife ” is accused of diverting presidential intervention fund meant to pay off salary arrears of local embassy staff.
Wawa News Global could however not establish if the Ambassador is truly related to the First Lady.
He, alongside the Finance Attache, Mohammed Wada and the Head of Chancery, HOC, Habillah Yusuf, are also being accused of running the embassy as their personal estate.
A letter of complaint about the atrocities of the Ambassador and his collaborators was made available to Wawa News Global by a concerned embassy staff who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation.
The complainant commended Wawa News Global for exposing the decays in various Nigerian foreign missions and embassies.
According to the letter, some career Ambassadors who had reached the mandatory 60 years retirement age or served for 35 years in the civil service are fraudulently securing service extension.
The complainant who doubted if President Buhari or the Head of Civil Service of the Federation was aware of the sharp practices called for the recall of the affected diplomats.
Below is a full text of the letter of complaint sent to Wawa News Global :
“Let me thank you for the good job you are doing sir. Thank you for your patriotism and overwhelming sense of loyalty to our fatherland.
“May God bless you and your generation.
Sir, I read of the financial misappropriation in Embassies – Kuwait and Spain. The truth is that 70% of Nigerian Embassies are guilty of this.
“The President in 2017 approved intervention funds to Embassies to help clear the indebtedness owed but most of this political appointees and some career ambassadors in the twilight of their careers, saw this money as their personal wealth.
“Most of them did not use the money for the purpose for which it was released. Rather they went on frivolous sprees of renovation, furnishing and buying cars.
“Another of such Mission is the Embassy of Nigeria, Mexico under the leasershio of Amb. Aminu Iyawa, the F.A, Mohammed Wada and the HoC, Habillah Yusuf, a Second Secretary.
“This Embassy received 350,000USD and not one dime of it was used to settle the money owed to staffs. The local staffs in that embassy are going through hell and live in a state of fear instilled by the Finance Attache, Mr. Mohammed Wada, who is defacto Head and runs the mission like his personal fiefdom.
” Amb. Aminu Iyawa, lays claim to being close to the corridor of power as uncle to the Wife of the President. One of the staff being owed is a retiree with challenging health issues. Who will fight her case for her?
“Another issue Nigerians should know is the extension given to retired career Ambassadors!
“These people have retired from the federal civil service by reason of 60yrs of age or having spent 35yrs in service. But they have been given extension across board.
“These retired Ambassadors, we learnt paid a lot of money to get this extension. It is not known if the President is even aware of this abnormally. Neither is the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Ita-Oyo.
“These acts is destroying the Nigerian Foreign Service. The retired Ambassadors should be recalled with immediate effect so that sanity can be restored in the Nigerian Civil Service. This is a very bad precedence.
God bless you sir. “
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