ABUJA: Few days to the inauguration of Senator Monday Okpebholo-led administration in Edo state, a group of political leaders and other stakeholders from the State, have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to go after state officials who held sway in the last eight years.
The leaders are also insisting that the out-going Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki must account for the over N1.5 trillion the State got in the last eight years through Federal allocations, generated revenues, loans, grants and other financial incentives.
Speaking through a pro-democracy group, Initiative for Democratic Advancement and Free Speech, the leaders said despite the public outcry by Edo people, some officials of the Obaseki administration are still allegedly fiddling with the State’s resources and assets.
Executive Director of the organisation, Patrick Osaigbovo, who hails from Edo South, Director of Research; Andrew Isewele from Edo Central; and Kamaru Momoh, Director of Mobilisation from Edo North, threatened that they may be forced to lead a protest to the Abuja office of the EFCC if it doesn’t act.
On Friday, officials of the EFCC arrested a close ally of Obaseki, the State Accountant-General, Julius Anelu. Two other officials of the State were arrested by the anti-graft agency in connection with N26.6 billion derivation funds allocated to the State.
The three top officials of the Edo State Government were picked up by the Edo State office of the EFCC in Benin.
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The Commission got interested when N13.6 billion of the money was withdrawn, leaving only N13 billion in the account within one week.
Edo leaders in the statement noted: “We have watched with dismay, the inhuman looting that has been going on in Edo for years. We are surprised that the EFCC, for almost eight years, did not lift its fingers to arrest any official of Obaseki’s administration.
“Even with just a few days to go, the looting has not stopped. We are wondering if the EFCC wants the State to go bankrupt before it steps in? We have enough evidence to assist the EFCC in doing its job. This is to show you how much we care about our State, Edo.
“However, we want to put it on notice that if the EFCC fails to act next week and arrest those allegedly involved in the blind stealing, we will not have any option, but to lead a mass protest to the headquarters of the EFCC.
“We are aware that some key officials of the Edo State Government are already relocating. How does the EFCC plan to handle this. We can not allow this go unchallenged.
“Obaseki got over N1.5 trillion as revenues and allocations in eight years. Edo State does not look like it got such funds. So, Obaseki must account for those funds now or later.”
There were speculations after the arrest of the Accountant General and others that some senior EFCC officials have moved into Edo State and may arrest more senior officials of the Obaseki administration in the coming days.
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Edo Commissioner for Information, Chris Nehikhare, however said he had nothing to say about the matter. “We have nothing to say about that. All we know is that the new government is coming in on November 12.”