A socio-cultural group, Edo Akugbe Movement, with Headquarters in Benin city, Edo State, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demanding for a thorough probe of the outgoing Godwin Obaseki-led administration over the alleged payment of over N2bn to “faceless” consultants over a 4 year period.
In the petition, the group stated that the outgoing administration only listed three months of consultancy payment of N58,171,161 each from July to September 2024, amounting to N174,513,498 against the 4 years contained in the books.
Spokesman for the group, Barrister Osarobo Omorogieva, explained that the group knew for a fact that the N58 million was paid out every month in the past four years, amounting to N2,792 billion.
The group stated that the consultants, though faceless, were used to siphon money from the State. This, it argued, is apart from the Governor’s high security votes, which rose to about N1 billion monthly.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, the Edo Akugbe Movement further alleged that the Governor, “used the consultants to siphon monies from international donor agencies (IDAs) and loans acquired from banks and international NGOs.”
While calling on the EFCC to fish out a certain Mr. Giles, a Sierra Leonan, the statement disclosed that the individual in question, “was constantly in Government House, Benin City, and fronted as consultant for many NGOs on behalf of Obaseki.”
They also chided the governor for “constantly flying expensive private jets across continents, lavishing parties in very high circles, a development which painted us wrongly before the international community.”
“Security agencies should examine the books in Edo state and read in-between the lines to expose how Governor Obaseki used consultants to defraud Edo state in his 8 years as Governor.”
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The group deplored what it described as the poor state of affairs in Edo State with the attendant rot in all sectors especially basic infrastructure such as roads and drainages
Recall, only last week, the Accountant-General and other state officials were quizzed by EFCC operatives in connection with alleged corruption.
Two weeks ago, the House of Assembly turned down the request of by the outgoing administration for a supplementary budget, the third in 10 months, barely three weeks to his exit.
The Governor-Elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo is expected to take over the reigns of power from Obaseki next week.