* Prof .Sani Mashi
Facts have emerged on why the former Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency(NiMET), Prof. Sani Mashi was fired last week Thursday, March ,2021 by the Federal Government,through the Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika.
Mashi , who is also the Permanent Representative of Nigeria and Member of Executive Council to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has allegedly been petitioned severally for fraud.
Abelnewsng.com gathered that one of Mashi’s sins was that he was accused of fraud and flagrant award of contracts without recourse to the extant rules.
It was also learnt that as result of the fraud allegations against him, Mashi has been a guest of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) in the last six months and that he visits the anti- graft body every Friday.
Furthermore, Abelnewsng.com reliably gathered that the petition to EFCC that finally nailed the former NiMET boss was written by one Muktar Sirika , alleged to be the younger brother of the Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika .
Checks by the online news medium revealed that EFCC after going through the petition and investigating the matter found evidence of fraud in the case , hence he was sacked by the Minister .
Mashi, apart from allegedly diverting COVID -19 funds approved for NiMET, he was also accused of depleting the Internally Generated Revenues (IGRs) of the agency .
The former NIMET Chief Executive Officer, who previously was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), University of Abuja, was also accused of awarding contracts to the tune of N30 million and above without following due process for approval.
However, a source close to NIMET said that Mashi just like Sirika has political ambition ;to become the governor of Katsina State come 2023,
The source alleged that already , Sirika has penciled down to names that would be acting capacity ;Prof. Mataju, a General Manager, NiMET and another Professor from Katsina.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Prof Sani Abubakar Mashi the Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) in January 2017.
Contacted, the Public Relation Officer of the agency, Muntari Ibrahim feigned ignorance of the latest development in NIMET.
According to him, “Honestly , I am not aware.”
Recalled that in 2019, Prof. Mashi was accused of converting land meant for staff quarters at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to his personal property.
The staff accused Mashi of selling the landed property, which staff claimed that they had planned to develop for the workers.
He was said to have allegedly changed the papers at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), brought developers to the land to commence sale to the workers.
Union in the agency had alleged that Mashi through the cooperative, deducted the sum of N25, 000 each from the salary of workers, saying that the land was going to be property of NiMET, but that barely two months after the collection of the sum changed it to his personal estate under Abubakar Mashi Housing Estate.
