Abdullahi Sambo, Deputy General Manager/Head of Internal Audit, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc
Although he was neither sacked nor suspended, Abdullahi was redeployed to Learning and Development Unit and has been denied his salary and other entitlements since December 2017. His offence was that he refused to co-operate in fraudulent practices and abuse office/violation of due process perpetrated by Dr. Marilyn Amobi, Managing Director/CEO of NBET.
In reaction to his continuous victimization, he sent petitions to the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing which supervises NBET, and anti-corruption agencies seeking their intervention. In July 2018, Abdullahi was invited by the Department of State Security (DSS), confronted with the petition and detained for 24 hours. The DSS did not address the issues he raised in the petition.
But following an investigation of the petition by a committee set up by Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, a report was issued absolving Abdullahi of any wrongdoing and recommending that Dr. Amobi accord him all the dignity of a staff of NBET, restore him to his audit desk and pay all his outstanding salaries and other entitlements.
Two separate letters were sent at different times from the Ministry to the MD/CEO of NBET directing her to comply with the recommendations contained in the letters, but Dr. Amobi refused to do so.
AFRICMIL has been following up on the case of Mr. Sambo Abdullahi. The organization has petitioned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, the Director General,Bureau of Public Procurement, as well as anti-corruption agencies.
In February 2019, AFRICMIL issued a statement calling on the MD/CEO of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, Dr. Marilyn Amobi, to immediately stop the victimization of Sambo Abdullahiand Waziri Bintube, General Manager and Chief Finance Officer, two whistleblowers at NBET.
In a statement signed by Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL, the organization expressed concern over the management style of the NBET boss which has for long been overshadowed by allegations of fraud, abuse of office and harassment of both management and non-management staff.
The organisation requested Dr Amobi to take immediate steps to end the victimization of the whistle blowers by complying with the directives of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing asking that they be recalled, and their outstanding salaries and allowances paid.
AFRICMIL statement came on the heels of a two-part investigative report published on the alleged fraudulent activities at NBET under Dr. Amobi, and her victimization of whistleblowers who refused to co-operate with her in the perpetration of illegality at NBET. The report by Leaks Ng was compiled by the Coalition for Whistleblower Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF).
