FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will prosecute some of the recently impeached local government chairmen indicted for looting council treasuries running into over N95 billion.
Governor Okpebholo made this revelation when he received the report of the administrative panel of enquiry set up on December 18, 2024 to investigate the financial dealings of the impeached 18 council chairmen from September 4 to November, 2024.
According to the governor, apart from the impeached chairmen who were indicted by the report, former Governor Godwin Obaseki and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were also fingered.
Expressing satisfaction with the committee for the professionalism with which it carried out its duty, Governor Okpebholo said the days of financial recklessness and lack of transparency in public office are long over, as “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders”.
He stressed that “it is the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.”
Okpebholo, while expressing dismay at the findings of the report that implicated the impeached chairmen, vowed to petition the EFCC on the findings of the report.
He said: “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 Obaseki took Edo people for granted. They took everything belonging to Edo people and channeled it for their personnel gain.
“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit the people. We also thank President Bola Tinubu, because without his support, we will not be witnessing the kind of development we are experiencing in Edo today.
“A lot has happened. The Peoples Democratic Party looted the treasury of the local governments and stole our collective partrimony, 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 Edo people.
“They will be made to pay for it. I will personally take this document to the EFCC and ensure that justice is done for this wrong done to Edo people.”
While submitting its report, Chairman of the panel, Solomon Imohiosen noted that findings and forensic investigations uncovered that huge sums amounting to N96 billion was either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.
The panel observed that N95,080,676,687.86 was received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee, JAAC, by the 18 local government chairmen for the period investigated. It, however, reported that the funds were not judiciously utilised as no meaningful projects were on ground to justify the amount received.
Confirming fraudulent diversion of local government funds to political godfathers in the state, the panel reported that over N10,433 658,452 was fraudulently siphoned, using the pseudo name, “Security, Environment and Training”, saying the chairmen contributed to the account, using it as a conduit pipe to drain government resources, as money were transferred from there 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 investigation by council personnel who failed to comply on time, but brought hefty sacks as an after-thought to dazzle panel members.
“The investigation uncovered significant irregularities in the financial activities of the 18 local governments. The recommendations outlined in the report aim to address these issues and promote transparency and accountability in local government finances.”
He added that the report indicted former ALGON Chairman, Oghomwen Newman Ugiagbe, who used his hotel, Demarriots Hotels Limited, Ahonsi Ogiegbaen Osifo, Eric Agbonmwanre, Abraham Burma.
