RMD Fingered In N50m Fraud

Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Richard Mofe Damijo (popularly called RMD) and the acting General Manager of the state’s Tourism Board, Philo Nkem Ajufo, have allegedly embezzled N50 million belonging to the ministry.

Several sources in Delta State, including two employees of the Culture Ministry, told our reporter that a former commissioner in the Ministry had requested N50 million to organize the “Delta State Expo 2007”. However, the state government was unable to release the funds that particular year to sponsor the yearly event.

By some bizarre twist, the funds were finally released to the ministry’s tourism account in May, 2012. “As soon as the money arrived, the commissioner said that the ministry could no longer hold the event since six years had elapsed”, said a source within the ministry. “The Honorable Commissioner also argued that Deltans would have forgotten about the event – and therefore the money should not be used for the purpose it was released”.

However, our reporter obtained documents from the Delta State Ministry of Finance stipulating that the N50 million must be spent on the event for which the Culture Ministry applied for it. The warrant was signed by one P. O Evuojapha on behalf of the Commissioner of Finance. The warrant indicated that N35 million of the funds was to go to the Tourism Board.

Our sources disclosed that Mr. Damijo, a popular Nollywod actor turned politician, connived to issue a cheque of N35 million in the name of Ms. Ajufo who reportedly deposited the sum into her First Bank private account number 30061316119. “Mrs Ajufo and RMD then shared the money”, one of our sources asserted.

Another government source told reporters. “It is very obvious that the manner the cheque was issued in the name of the board GM instead of in the name of the board was fraudulent. It portrays an element of fraud”.