By Our Reporter
Abuja (Precise Post) – The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions, (ASURI) a registered trade union and umbrella body of all Research Scientists and Fellows in Nigeria and the Civil Society Organisations have called on Zenith Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria to released the seized foreign fund belonging to the CEAGIS PROPERTIES LIMITED meant for the provision of Housing for workers nation-wide.
ASURI, In pursuit of her members housing, career advancement, researchers welfare, implementation of Research Institutions Mandates in all Federal Research and Development Institutions (RDIs), Inter-University Centres, Allied institutions and Colleges engaged CEAGIS PROPERTIES LIMITED in 2016 vide a contract to develop housing and source for research funding for it’s members.
Sequel to the above, and the subsequent execution of funding contract with international funding partners on loan recourse basis, CEAGIS properties limited received inflow into Zenith Bank PLC since May and July 2021, and Zenith Bank PLC has deliberately refused to release to funds to CEAGIS properties limited.
This precarious and shameful position of Zenith Bank PLC has resulted in a resolution of the ASURI/Civil Society, CSO COALITION to on Thursday 3rd February, 2022 protest the alleged ploy by Zenith Bank PLC in connivance with the CBN to deprive CEAGIS properties limited access to the foreign direct Investments loan meant for ASURI housing projects Nationwide to the tune of 14,210,119.74 euros received via MT103/202 Manual Download in two separate tranches of €4,210,119.74 & €10,000,000.00 Euros for the provision of housing for researchers in Nigeria.
According to ASURI, the union through its National Executive Council, (NEC) approved the land titles secured by CEAGIS properties limited VIDE A VALID AND SUBSISTING CONTRACT AWARD LETTER to enable CEAGIS properties limited source for funding to develop and deliver the housing to it’s members Nationwide across the 774 LGA beginning in Abuja FCT.
CEAGIS properties limited has since secured a funding loan at a single digit interest repayment rates per annum after moratorium vide a contract with a Private Investment Funder from Austria who subsequently issued the first tranche sum of €4,210,119.64 Euro via MT103/202 Manual Download to Zenith Bank Plc on 26th May, 2021 for the commencement of project preliminary activities.
A second tranche was similarly sent to Zenith Bank plc from Germany on 30th July, 2021 in the sum of €10,000,000 Euro for the same purpose which also has not been released by Zenith Bank plc to CEAGIS properties limited.
The aspect of Research Funding is geared towards implementing the Research Institutions Mandates to translate Nigeria from been the poverty capital of the world to one of the richest nations in the world with the abundant human and materials resources endowment of Nigeria.
Being a registered union that is legally empowered to do business and advance the welfare needs of her members, the inflow for project financing secured so far by CEAGIS properties limited
is equivalent to ten billion naira (N10,000,000,000) between May and July last year in custody of zenith bank plc.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of CEAGIS Properties Limited ENGR. ERAGBE ANSLEM APHIMIA (C.REG: COA) communicated relevant documentation to his account officer in Zenith Bank Plc, as regards the expected foreign loan in the last five years.
You will not believe that on the day the foreign funder sent CEAGIS properties limited the swift documents to show that the fund has been remitted, the next day, Zenith bank Plc told the MD of CEAGIS properties limited that their account has been closed.
The MD wondered why all the while zenith bank plc did not close the CEAGIS accounts until the day the money entered the Bank server domain which was to be traced, downloaded and settled in to the CEAGIS account and that has not been done by zenith bank plc till today.
Let it be brought to the public attention that zenith bank plc petitioned CEAGIS properties limited & Engr Eragbe Anslem Aphimia on allegations of “criminal conspiracy & forgery” to the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit, (IGPMU), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Honorable Attorney General of Federation (HAGF), Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, (NFIU) etc for prosecution without investigation.
CEAGIS properties limited had since presented contractual agreement to the EFCC, IGPMU and necessary authorities for investigation and also demanding for the release of funds for project execution.
Let it be noted that even after Zenith Bank Plc ensured that it masterminded the illegal detention in police custody of the MD of CEAGIS properties limited, zenith bank plc has refused to corporate with the Police in their investigation to enable a report of investigation to be submitted by the Police.
CEAGIS properties limited also caused vide an official request to the Nigerian Ambassador in Vienna Austria to meet with the funder in September, 2021. The two met and the funder confirmed his business partnership with CEAGIS properties limited and Engr Eragbe Anslem Aphimia, MD/CEO to fund their ASURI housing project nationwide and that he has sent money.
Now, the Ambassador himself has refused to communicate with us how far he went with the funder.
After these long period of patience, and having submitted all contractual documentation to EFCC and IGPMU for investigation, we have decided to go to the court of public opinion while we also await the investigation report of the IGPMU, EFCC, HAGF etc to the effect of release of these funds for immediate projects execution.
We ought to have done the ground braking since May/June, 2021 but zenith bank plc is now dodging both EFCC and Police, and have closed our account instead of assisting to make sure this project starts since May last year.
We want to tell the public that we have the documents relating the transactions and we have made all available to security agencies and relevant Federal Government agencies in Nigeria.
As resarchers and Trade Union, ASURI wants to assure zenith bank plc that this country belongs to all of us and we cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated by any quarters, we are ready to use any legitimate means possible to ventilate our innocence and demand for the release of our projects funds and we are calling on all well meaning Nigerians to join us to call on zenith bank plc and CBN to release our fund so that we can commence our project.
As at the time of filing this report all efforts made to hear from proved abortive as the numbers given to us during a visit to Zenith bank in it’s Abuja Branch office at Maitama(Zenith Direct 12787000 and 01-278700) to relate with the Head Corporate Communications was called without response.
