ASURI, CSOs want interventions over £14m trapped in Zenith Bank
Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, ASURI, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs have called for interventions from all over a housing fund of over fourteen million Euros trapped in Zenith Bank Plc
The coalition which protested at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja on Thursday to draw the attention of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said all efforts to retrieve the money since May last year proved abortive
In taking their “Save Our Soul” cry to the court of public opinion over the said amount, a petition addressed to all patriotic Nigerians and titled “Fervent appeal for your intervention with Zenith Bank Plc and relevant Federal Government agencies over the non-non-release of the total sum of €14,210,119.74 EURO.
Dr. Theophilus Ndubuaku, National Secretary General of ASURI who led the group stated that the money was meant to solve the issue of housing deficits in the country.
“The money, meant for Nigerians was issued to the Zenith Bank Plc domain in two tranches since 26th May, 2021 by NAIM MAOUDA in the sum of €4,210,119.74 EURO and 30th July, 2021 by AVANTULO S.A in the sum of (€10,000,000.00) in favour of CEAGIS Properties Limited for housing development and delivery to civil servants and researchers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURIDI).
“We write to inform you in your capacity as a patriotic Nigerian leader of our struggle for Research Funding and Strategies for National Transformation and report that the first two tranches of the much-talked-about funds for the ASURI Housing Project arrived in the country through the Zenith Bank Plc account of CEAGIS Properties Limited, the company which was commissioned by ASURI in 2007 to source for funds for the housing project.
“Unfortunately, Zenith Bank, instead of releasing the funds for the purpose for which it was sourced and sent from abroad, closed the account of the company, an effrontery against the welfare of Nigerian workers and the society.
“In view of this ugly development, ASURI have resolved to appeal to you to intervene with Zenith Bank Plc and relevant Federal Government agencies to ensure that the fund is released without further delay.
“CEAGIS Properties Limited succeeded in sourcing foreign funders for this noble people-oriented initiative and on 26th May, 2021, Naim Maouda transferred the sum of €4,210,119.74 Euro to the Zenith Bank Plc account of the company while AVANTULO S.A on 30th July, 2021, transferred the sum of (€10,000,000.00) via mt103/202 manual download to the same account for housing development and delivery to civil servants and researchers.
“Upon receipt of funds, Zenith Bank Plc, instead of releasing the funds for the purpose for which they were sourced and sent, closed all CEAGIS Properties Limited domiciliary accounts ($USD, €EUR, £GBP) and naira accounts since 23 June, 2021.
It went further to write a petition against the Managing Director of CEAGIS Properties Limited, Engr. Anslem Aphimia Eragbe and ASURI to the Inspector General of Police (IGPMU), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), HAGF, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), etc, on charges of “CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AND FORGERY,” for which relevant authorities have conducted their investigations, detaining Engr. Eragbe for four days in the process, yet finding nothing incriminating against either the company or the Union.
“Dear Revered Patriot, it is needful to intimate you that shortly after registration in 2007, the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), commissioned CEAGIS Properties Limited to source funds for Research grants and affordable housing programme for the thousands of research scientists and support staff in over 200 Research and Development Institutions (RDIs), their Colleges and Centres spread across the 36 states of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory. There are over 20 RDIs with thousands of research staff in FCT alone. From the ASURI Housing Project, ASURI can conveniently extend the opportunity to interested workers in other trade unions affiliated with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
“CEAGIS is a private limited liability company, duly registered with CAC since 10″ February 2009 with Registration No. RC:799595, and having its EFCC SCUML Certificate with the requisite tranche inflow limit, via an Award Letter to source funds, lands, build and deliver houses across the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria beginning with Abuja FCT since November, 2016.
“A as a full-time Research Scientists and Fellows, we have always known that Nigeria is among the most endowed nations in the world in terms of diversity, quantity and quality of natural resources. neglected by successive Nigerian governments since independence, is the sole reason why the nation has been designated as the world’s poverty capital; when it should rank among the world’s richest. Nigeria has thus become the butt of jokes in the comity of nations.
“It has become very obvious and clear to all and sundry that Zenith Bank Plc is AN ENEMY OF THE WORKERS and the entire labour movement in Nigeria, arising from the effrontery they have decided to impugn the sensibilities of the welfare and well-being of the workers of our great country who desire to have shelter over their heads and families through the initiative of the union since 2011 encapsulated in a valid legal contract with CEAGIS Properties Limited which we contracted to achieve this feat on our behalf since 2016.
The Coalition called on all patriots to “heed to this our ‘SAVE OUR SOUL’ appeal and use your good office to intervene in whatever way you can within the ambit of the law of the land to compel Zenith Bank Plc and relevant Federal Government agencies to release the ASURI Workers Housing and Research/Development fund”, the petition reads.
