Anti-corruption Ambassador, West Africa, Abayomi Makinde has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop network of fraudsters bleeding the economy.

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He said, there was a widespread economic sabotage activities carried out by a network of conspirators to defraud the government of its revenue running into millions of naira on daily basis for several years.

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Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Makinde, urged the citizens to urge President Tinubu to ensure he tasks the security agencies and machinery of government to immediately stop the serious economic bleeding the Nigerian economy is subjected to by the National Chairman of the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport Association, HDHTAN, Engr. Emmanuel Osigbemeh.

Makinde alleged that HDHTAN chairman and his deputy sought for presidential approval but failed to secure same, compromised some officials in government service to produce a fake presidential directive which they used to intimidate extort and even defraud members of the public in the guise of collecting revenue due to the federal government.

In a bid to draw the attention of the relevant authority to the criminal operations, not less than four petitions detailing economic sabotage running into millions of Naira, by Engr. Emmanuel Osigbemeh has been sent to the Inspector General Police (IGP), between 2021 till date by concerned individuals, legal firm and the Heavy Duty & Haulage Transport Association, Makinde told the press.

Also in the expression of concern and clarity on the matter, the office of the secretary to the Government of the federation has written the office of the inspector General of the police to look into the matter and report back for “necessary action.” A response that did not come until after a year but left a gap for the alleged to swing into nefarious activities of self-imposed authority to rake in millions of naira daily.

Makinde who displayed several document on correspondences between the IGP and the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation and other documents to buttress his point said that the outcome of the request by the National Chairman of HDHTAN and his Deputy was sealed with the response of the IGP Monitoring Unit which said “there is not mandate given to the afore-mentioned association.

Quoting from one of the correspondence from the office of the SGF dated 18th November, 2024, to the IGP Monitoring Unit, where it was received on the 20th, November, 2024 and entitled: RE: Investigation Activities: Re Ref. No. 57797/S/.1?C/T1/194.” It reads in part: “I am to forward herewith, certified True Copy of the letter referenced 57797/S.1/C/T1/194 dated 27th October 2023, and informed that the said letter was made by this office, Sequel to a request by the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport Association of Nigeria.

“The Letter only invited the comment of the Inspector-General of Police, to enable further necessary action on the matter. There was however, no record of such comments being obtained and also, no mandate was given to the afore-mentioned association by this office.

The Letter was signed by Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri (Phd), permanent secretary (General Services Office) for the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Makinde asked, where then do these characters have the authority to be extorting monies from Nigerians for the past seven years? Please Nigerians join me to tell the president that while he cannot be everywhere, we the citizens are alive to our duties to expose these kind of sabotage and we expect him to use our mandate as Nigerian President to give clear directive to seal that leakage and swell the purse of the nation to meet the various sectors needs for development.

Unfortunately, the alleged illegal taxation of innocent members of the public and revenue diverted into private pocket has continued unabated, in spite of the evidences provided to these offices exposing how the federal and state governments across the country are being stripped of their legitimate revenue at a time the nation is struggling to harvest revenue for national development.

In a recent letter sent to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), dated 3rd February 2024, by Mr. Ayobami Makinde, Ambassador Anti-corruption (west Africa Network) and received on the same date, the anti-corruption ambassador drew the attention of the SGF to alleged use of that office to defraud transporters across the country in the guise of legitimate authority to generate revenue for the federal and state governments.

The petition entitled: “Complaint Against One Mr. Emmaneul Osigbemeh For Using The Name And Office Of the S.G.F. in Defrauding the Public.” It said “One Mr. Osigbemeh and his partner Murtala Mohammed who are National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman of the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport association of Nigeria respectively for using the name and office of the Secretary to the Government of the federation in defrauding the masses hence the above subject matter.   

Makinde in his renewed petition to the office of the secretary to the government of the federation expressed concern that the office would allow this sabotage to continue instead of halting it for the health of the economy, especially, as the action undermines anti-corruption posture of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He said beside that the ripping of the public of their hard earned money by extortionist in the guise of state apparatus was very disconcerting. “It is very unfortunate that the name of this office is being dragged into the mud for years now by the duo of Mr. Emmanuel Osigbemeh, Alhaji Murtala Muhammed and their cohort.

Reminding the office of the secretary to the government of the federation of its unknowing involvement with the fraud being perpetrated in its name the anti-corruption ambassador said, “It is on record, that the above names mentioned, wrote an application to your office and later got a copy of the secret memo of your office that was sent to all securities formations which only invited their comments.”

Makinde continued that: “The memo which magically got into the hands of the applicants, was used in performing wonders” that wonder was to create semblance of presidential approval and use it to gain nationwide extortion of members of the heavy Duty & Haulage Transport Association using the police as legitimate force to execute illegal activities   

The letter dated 27 October 2023, and sent to the office of the inspector General, was signed by the secretary to the Re: Application for Presidential Enforcement on Economic Sabotage of federal Government Mandate Order -001 on Ease of Doing Business to Achieve Free Flow of Trucks and Haulaging, Monitoring of Our Trucks, Whistle-Blowing On Vandalization/Looting of Critical Infrastructure, “Single Haulage Fee” (SHF) & “Single Inter-State Road Tax Sticker” (SIRTS) Projects Based On Authorities.

The letter reads in part: “I am directed to forward here-with , the attached letter from the heavy duty & Haulage Transport Association of Nigeria dated 4th  August 2023 of the above subject for your comment and necessary action.”

The memo which sought the comments of NPF was relied upon by the chairman of the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport Association of Nigeria, Mr. Emmanuel Osigbemeh, to begin an enforcement that lacked any legality nor was it authorized and fleeced N10,000 daily from Tucks on Nigerian roads. These wonders performed by the applicants, the paper learnt was too use the memo which was only seeking the “seeking comments of the IGP.”

Perfecting the scheme which has been exposed, the Chairman of the Heavy Duty & Haulage Transportation claimed to be in partnership with the federal government. An evidence provided this paper showed a ticket issued for N10,000 dated 21/07/2024 bearing “Heavy Duty & Haulage Transportation in partnership with the federal Government of Nigeria (PPP)” marked “Daily Ticket.”

The other ticket reads: Monitoring/security/protection clearance for drivers and owners NDHTAN Association dues, these tickets are for two states the Delta and Edo state respectively.

Worried about the serious economic damage this action which has not been tamed for about seven years running has cost the nation by these unpatriotic Nigeria, Makinde said there is no better time to act and reverse the trend that is eating deep into the transport sector of the country.

According to Makinde, the duo of the National Chairman and the Deputy National Chairman of the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport Association of Nigeria, stepped up their desperate scheming when they realized that the letter from the office of the secretary to the Government of the federation, was not in their favour and sensing that the government response would empower them. Thus, they created the scheme to rid the nation of the revenue in the Haulage sector.  

“While realizing the negative impact of the S.G.F. response, they conspired with the then commissioner of police Federal operation at Force headquarters, and changed the signal caption from the presidential task force to collaboration in order to further the alleged criminalities, Makinde stated.

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