By Alltimepost.com
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has embraced the call by the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Dan Orbih, for the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) Oshiomhole Welcomes PDP’s Call For EFCC to Probe Edo State Local Government account, saying however that the probe should start from 1999.
The People’s Democratic Party presided over Edo State from 1999 to November 12, 2008, when the Comrade Governor recovered his mandate through the verdict of the Court.
The Governor, in a statement on Monday through his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Prince Kassim Afegbua said “as a government driven by prudence in its management of resources, we are proud to say that our achievements in the last six years far supersede that of the PDP’s ten years of presiding over the State.”
“We are pleased to state without fear or favour that we welcome the suggestion raised by Dan Orbih inviting the EFCC to look into the books and accounts of Local Government Administration in the last six years but that such investigation should also cover the period between 1999 and 2008.
“Such investigation should also look into the allocations and expenditures of the Local Government, their procurement procedures, who did the procurements, at what costs and the total accruals into the coffers of Local Government Accounts across the State within that period of 1999 to 2008.
“From such investigative effort, the public would be able to know who siphoned Local Government funds between the Government of Comrade Oshiomhole and that presided over by the PDP for ten years.
“This should be the real challenge in the light of on-going effort to sanitize the inherited rotten system from the PDP.
“It will also make an interesting reading if the PDP can publish all accruals to Local Government between 1999 and 2008, same way it published, inaccurately, the figures between 2008 and 2015.
“We will also welcome the invitation of the EFCC to look into the over N300 billion released to the Federal Ministry of Works under the PDP former Minister of Works [a.k.a the Leader] for which no tangible work was done.
“At a point in time during the tenure of the former Minister, the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo had to publicly lament that despite the release of over N300billion naira, he could not explain why Nigerian roads were in such terrible condition infested with potholes and craters.
“In the spirit of the on-going change mantra, driven by prudence, accountability and openness in governance, it won’t be a bad idea if the EFCC took time to look into the inconclusive probe by the National Assembly with respect to this gargantuan road budget that was recklessly plundered by this PDP chieftain.
“Investigation starting from the period of 1999 till date in Edo State will afford the EFCC the opportunity to uncover the fraud by the torn PDP umbrella waiting to be swept into the trash bin by the broom which represents the change mantra of the APC.
“It is therefore needless to dwell on the frivolous allegations of the Edo PDP chairman, as we await the visit of the EFCC to look into Edo State Local Government finances from 1999 till date as demanded by the PDP.”
