Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo yesterday received the report of the Administrative Panel of Inquiry set up on December 18, to investigate the financial activities of the removed local government councils chairmen.
The report of the panel was said to have indicted former Governor Godwin Obaseki and key leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state over alleged N96 billion fraud involving the 18 removed local government councils chairmen.
Speaking on the report, Okpebholo disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would prosecute some of the indicted officials for misappropriating public funds.
The governor expressed satisfaction with the panel’s professionalism and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public office.
He said: “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders. It is the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.
“I want to thank you for a job well done. I carefully listened to the submission of the report. The truth is that the administration of former governor Godwin Obaseki took Edo people for granted.”
“They took everything belonging to the Edo people and channelled it for their personal gains
“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit the Edo people. We also thank the President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, because, without his support, we would not be witnessing the kind of development we are experiencing in Edo State today.
“A lot has happened. The PDP leaders looted the treasuries of the local governments in Edo and stole our collective patrimony, and nobody went after them or took action. This time, things are different. We will go after them and retrieve what they have stolen from the Edo people. hey will be made to pay for it. I will personally take this document to the EFCC a
The Chairman of the panel, Solomon Imohiosen, while submitting the report and recommendations to Okpebholo, noted that findings and forensic investigations uncovered that a huge sum, amounting to N96 billion, was either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.nd ensure that justice is done for this wrong done to Edo people.
According to him, N95,080,676,687.86 was received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) by the 18 local government council chairmen for the period investigated with the funds not judiciously utilised, as no meaningful project was on the ground to justify the funds received.
Imohiosen also confirmed the fraudulent diversion of Edo’s local government funds to political godfathers in the state, with N10,433,658,452.00 fraudulently siphoned, using the pseudo name: Security, Environment and Training, while the 18 local government council chairmen contributed to the account, using it as a conduit to drain government’s resources, as funds were transferred from it to various individuals and companies.
He noted that the panel faced different challenges during the course of the assignment, which included late submission of financial records by various local government councils, incomplete submission of records, deliberate obstruction of the investigation by council personnel who failed to comply on time, but brought hefty sacks as an after-thought to dazzle panel members.
“The panel’s investigation uncovered significant irregularities in the financial activities of the 18 local government councils in Edo.
“The recommendations outlined in the panel’s report aim to address the irregularities and promote transparency and accountability in the finances of Edo local government councils,” Imohiosen said.
He also revealed that the report indicted a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Oghomwen Ugiagbe, who used his hotel, Demarriots Hotels Limited, Ahonsi Ogiegbaen Osifo, Eric Agbonmwanre, Abraham Burma and Dickson Notiemwenmwan to loot local government’s funds, which he described as unfortunate.
THISDAY
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