EFCC operatives quiz Edo council officials – TheNigerialawyer

Operatives of the Benin Zonal office of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have reportedly interrogated
seven officials of Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo
State over allegation of corrupt practices.

Those quizzed were said to be officials of the cash office, Exco
recording department, procurement office, health department,
revenue and works departments.

They were alleged to have connived with the council chairman,
Augustine Okoibhole to defraud the council.

It was learnt that the Head of Department, Works, of the council
was first invited last Wednesday but was released by the anti-graft
agency when the allegation of corruption against him could not be
sustained, just as a female staff invited from the procurement
office was granted bail because she was barely two months in the
council.

Some of the seven council officials were said to have been
granted bail on Friday even as it was learnt that a very senior
staff of the council may also be quizzed later this week.

The council officials were reportedly invited following a
petition against the council chairman who was accused of corrupt
practices at the detriment of the welfare of the people of the
local government area and abuse of office among others.

Recall that nine councillors from wards 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,20 and 11
had recently petitioned Governor Godwin Obaseki accusing the
chairman of financial recklessness, alleging that he operates
multiple accounts in the name of the council as against TSA account
policy of the state and federal governments.

They alleged that the chairman had not been able to account for
a N13,348,000 remitted to the account of the council by the revenue
verification committee just as they alleged that the sum of
N144,000,000 realised as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the
past 16 months had not been accounted for.

The aggrieved councillors also claimed that the chairman had not
been able to account for the N116,350,894 Paris Club refund .

But in his reaction, Okoibhole said: “The new NFIU (Nigerian
Financial Intelligence Unit) directive gives us room to operate
three accounts and that is what we are doing, we are operating
three accounts.”

Commenting on his alleged inability to account for IGR, he said:
“We have been paying salaries, we are not owing workers salaries; I
have done many projects, I have built a livestock market, I have
done drainages all these monies did not come from my personal
pocket what we have done is even far more than N144 million
naira.

“My wage bill on monthly base is over N30m and for the last 25
months, I have paid salaries, I have debts that we are owing on
rented properties and several other spendings.”

The chairman also speaking on the allegation on Paris Club
refund and said he acted as directed by the state governor to pay
salary arrears.

“We were owing eight months and now we are owing only two and
half months which means I have paid five and a half months.”