By Newsmata
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State at the weekend, vowed that he would personally ensure that his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, the suspended 18 local government council chairmen and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in the state are prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged looting of over N95 billion local government funds.
Promising to go after those indicted in the report of an administrative panel of enquiry he had set up December 8, 2024, which submitted its findings and recommendations at the weekend, Governor Okpebholo emphasised that the days of financial recklessness and lack of transparency in public office were long over, as “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders”. He submitted that “it is the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.”
The scope of investigation of the Solomon Imohiosen-led committee covered September 4, 2023, to November 2024.
Expressing satisfaction with the committee for the professionalism with which it carried out its assignment, Governor Okpebholo expressed dismay at the findings of the committee and accused the PDP government of having “looted the treasury of the local governments and stole our collective patrimony”.
The governor 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 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 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 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, Chairman of the panel, Solomon Imohiosen, a lawyer and former managing director of the state-owned Nigerian Observer, while submitting the report and recommendations, noted that findings and forensic investigations uncovered that huge sums amounting to N96 billion, were either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.
The panel observed that N95 billion (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 but lamented that the funds were not judiciously utilised as no meaningful projects were on the ground to justify the amount received.
Confirming fraudulent diversion of local government funds to political godfathers in the state, the panel reported that N10,433 658,452.00 was allegedly fraudulently siphoned, using the pseudo name, “Security, Environment and Training”, saying that the suspended 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 noted that the panel faced different challenges during 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. The recommendations outlined in the report aim to address these issues and promote transparency and accountability in the Local Governments’ finances”.
He added that the report indicted, among others,the former chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, Oghomwen Newman Ugiagbe, who allegedly used his hotel, Demarriots Hotels Limited, to loot local government funds.