The outcry over corruption in the Nigerian society and within the leadership cadre have ratcheted to new levels as the Nigerian community living in the international community lament of the dwindling moral integrity of the leadership in contemporary Nigeria. This is while new mind blowing evidence suggest that not all is well with the Nigerians residing within the international community – as per the management of financial resources of the many Nigerian based associations/unions in the United States of America. Of particular attention is the Anambra based union established in the USA for indigenes who are resident in the USA. The name of the associate – Anambra State Association USA [ASA-USA].
Information available to 247ureports.com indicate that the leadership of the association in tandem with the state government of Anambra have agreed on expending a warping sum of $250,000 to cover up a money looting scandal involving the embattled president of ASA-USA, Dr. Allison Anadi, his executive cabinet members and some members of the Nigerian healthcare community in the USA.
As a caveat, the association [ASA-USA] had been entangled in a drawn out legal battle over the illegal management of the of the association’s finances by the Allison Anadi executive. Particularly, the Anadi led executive was sued to court by Mr. Ikeanyi who was also a member of the ASA-USA executive at the capacity of Assistant Secretary – until he resigned.
The lawsuit was filed in the state of California following what appeared suspicious activities within the association at one of the yearly medical missions to Anambra State in Nigeria. The suit was filed after the 2011 medical mission where Mr. Ikeanyi who was responsible for the store where all medicines were stored – observed that some within the executive were engaged in a free for all bazaar in looting the association’s treasury by submittals of fake receipts/invoices to the association in return for cash refunds.
Following Ikenayi’s discovery of the illegal activities, he raised alarm to the remainder of the executive members. But he was rebuked and told to “shut up”. Unsettled by the response from the ASA-USA executive, he announced his immediate resignation from the Anadi led executive and instituted a lawsuit against the illegality and the persons responsible.
The lawsuit led to the turning of a new page. The association divided into two groups – one group loyal to the Anadi led executive and the other group loyal to the formation of an interim committee to oversee the functions of the association until the court case is resolved. As a result, two executive bodies were created. The activities of the association grounded to a halt.
Through the litigation, it was discovered that the executive members led by Anadi were engaged in heart drenching stealing of funds belonging to ASA-USA members. Through the discovery stage of the lawsuit, it was gathered that over $80,000 was paid to two members of the ASA-USA executives fraudulently.
One of the executive officers was the financial secretary in the person of Mr. Nwanso who works for the City of Nashville as a financial analyst. Mr. Nwanso was found to have submitted falsified receipts to the ASA-USA medical team seeking to be reimbursed for supplies that were never supplied to the ASA-USA. Mr. Nwanso was said to have obtained receipts/invoices from supplies made to his private company – and submitted them to ASA-USA for payment. The receipts were estimated at a little over $28,000 – and through the cooperation of the treasurer and the president, the money was remitted to Nwanso.
John Obegolu was another culprit found by the discovery process to have defrauded the association to the tune of $48,000 through the submission of fake receipts. John Obegolu served as fund raiser for the association against the 2011 medical mission. He is a registered nurse by profession who works for a medical facility in California. He was discovered to have presented fake receipts/invoices illegally obtained from the said medical facility where he worked as a nurse. The receipts/invoices were said to have been generated by a supplier to the medical facility – for drugs supplied to the medical facility. Somehow, Obegolu managed to smuggle copies of the receipt to present to ASA-USA for reimbursement – for supposed medical supplies he purchased for ASA-USA. The invoice valued in excess of $48,000 was paid to Obegolu through the connivance of the president, the financial secretary and the treasurer.
The discovery process also found that chief among the culprits was the embattled president of the said association, Dr. Allison Anadi. Available documents indicate that Dr. Anadi may have defrauded the association in excess of $150,000 – monies dating from the funds raised for the erection of a secretariat in Awka, to the $60,000 donated by the CEO of Capital Oil, Ifeanyi Uba, to the depletion of monies previously saved in ASA-USA bank accounts. In addition, other private businessman based in Nigeria have come to lay claims that monies were given to Dr. Anadi on behalf of ASA-USA – which were never presented to the association.
The Peter Obi administration had made behind the door appeal to both warring parties to reach an agreement to end the standoff. Governor Peter Obi, in June 2013, offered to offset the missing monies looted by the ASA-USA executives. While the Anadi led executive agreed to have the state governor intercede and offset the looted cash, the Ikeanyi/Okafor led faction directed that Dr. Allison Anadi step down from the seat of president before peace talks may begin. Anadi refused but pleaded with the governor to impress on the Ikeanyi/Okafor faction to withdraw their case from the court so as to enable for negotiations to begin. Anadi plead that his tenure expires October 2014. Responding, the governor advised Anadi to drop his “ego” and go beg the Ikeanyi/Okafor group for forgiveness and leniency. Anadi agreed but refused to carry out the advice.
Governor Peter Obi who was prepared to pay out the sum of $250,000 [- $200,000 for the funds looted by Anadi and his partners – and $50,000 to offset the legal expenses incurred by the Ikeanyi/Okafor group -] shelved the plans and returned to Nigeria. When 247ureports.com contacted the Commissioner for Information, Joe Martins Uzodike regarding the olive branch offered by the Governor, the commissioner failed to respond.
The Governor – Elect is slated to visit the USA on January 10, 2014.
The next court date is August 2014.
