Court Fines Isaac Jasper College Of Education Boss Who Stole N285m N1m

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has secured the conviction of Professor Saviour Nathan Agoroagainst a former provost of Isaac Jasper College of Education, Sagbama, Bayelsa State for contracts fraud worth N285 million.

Professor Agoro was arraigned at the Bayelsa State High Court alongside the former accountant of the institution, Mr. Perez Friday Lakemfa.

They were both charged under section 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 for having interest in and conferring corrupt advantage on themselves and relations as a result of contracts awarded by the College.

ICPC’s prosecutors, Mrs. Peace Arocha and Dr. Agada Akogu had told the court in the course of the trial that the Commission had in May 2017, received a petition against Agoro.

The petition alleged that Agoro personalised Tetfund funds by awarding contracts to his company and companies owned by his relatives between the year 2012 and 2014 with flagrant abuse of due process and public procurement rules.

Meanwhile, during the course of investigation ICPC discovered that the contract for the construction of a language laboratory and music studio was awarded to Nancydor Ekperi & Sons Co. Ltd., owned by a friend of the former Provost and former Accountant, Mr. Lakemfa.

The Commission also found other contracts for constructions and supplies awarded to companies owned by family members of the convicts.

In the twelve-count charge against the defendants, the presiding judge, Justice D.E Adekeme found Professor Agoro guilty on count 1, 5 to 12 while the second defendant, Perez Lakemfa was found guilty on count 2 to 4 of the charges.

One of the charges read: “That you, Professor Saviour Nathan Agoro (M), on or about the 28th day of November, 2014, in Sagbama, while being a Public Officer to wit: the Provost and Chief Executive of Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, knowingly acquired direct private interest in a contract otherwise than as a member of a registered joint stock company consisting of more than twenty (20) persons when he awarded a contract for the Furnishing of One Storey Lecturers’ Offices to Neatmosa Integrated Services Limited, a company in which he is a Director for the sum of N47,115,915.00 under the 2013 and 2014 merged Tetfund Normal Intervention program, and which emanated from Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, where he is the Provost and Chief Executive Officer.”

Justice Adekeme thereafter pronounced non-custodial sentences on the two defendants based on the charges.

The first defendant, Professor Agoro was given an option of fine of One Million naira, while the second defendant, Lakemfa was given an option of fine of One hundred thousand naira.