By Jude Opara, Abuja
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo state at the weekend, revealed that the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will soon prosecute some of the recently impeached Edo State Local Government chairmen for allegedly looting the Local Government treasuries, running into over N95 billions.
Governor Okpebholo made this revelation in Benin city when he received the report of the Administrative Panel of Enquiry set up on the 18th of December, 2024 to investigate the financial dealings of the impeached 18 Local Government Chairmen in Edo State from 4th September, 2023 to November, 2024.
In a statement yesterday, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Fred Itua said apart from the indicted and impeached Local Government Chairmen, the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki and leaders of the factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were also among those fingered.
While expressing satisfaction with the committee for the professionalism with which it carried out its duty, the governor assured that the days of financial recklessness and lack of transparency in public office were long over.
He said; “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders because that is the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.”
Senator Okpebholo, who was unhappy over the findings of the report, vowed to petition the EFCC on the findings of the report for immediate prosecution.
“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 Edo people and channeled it for their personnel gains.
“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit Edo people. We also thank the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed 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 (PDP) 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.”
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the panel, Barr. Solomon Imohiosen, while presenting its report and recommendations to Governor Okpebholo, revealed that findings and forensic investigations uncovered that huge sums to the tune of N96 billion was either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.
According to the panel, N95 billion (N95,080,676,687.86) was received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) by the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen for the period investigated.
It further reported that the funds were not judiciously utilized because there were no meaningful projects on ground to justify the amount received.
The statement also alleged that Local Government funds were used to service political godfathers in the State, even as the panel reported that over N10 (10,433 658,452.00) was fraudulently siphoned, using the psudo name, “Security, Environment and Training”, addiing that the 18 Local Government Area 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.
Imohiosen equally noted that the panel experienced different obstacles 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 Governments Councils. The recommendations outlined in the report aim to address these issues and promote transparency and accountability in the Local Governments finances.”
