The administrative panel of inquiry set up by the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo to investigate the financial accounts of the impeached 18 Local Government Chairmen in the state between September 4, 2023 and November, 2024 has allegedly indicted the immediate past Governor of the State, Godwin Obaseki.
A statement made available to newsmen on Sunday by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor also allegedly indicted some local government chairmen, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, among others.
The chairman of the panel, Solomon Imohiosen while submitting the report to Governor Monday Okpebholo, alleged that they were indicted for either mismanaging and/or diverting to private accounts, the sum of N95,080,676,687.86, being amount received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee, JAAC, by the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen for the period under review.
Imohiosen listed some of the indicted persons to include the embattled chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government, Newman Ugiagbe who is also the State chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON.
Others are Ahonsi Ogiegbaen Osifo, Eric Agbonmwanre, Abraham Burma and Dickson Imasogie Notiemwenmwan.
He alleged that the ALGON chairman used his hotel, the Demarriots Hotels Limited in collusion with others to loot Local Government funds.
He further alleged that findings and forensic investigations uncovered that the N96 billion was either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.
According to him, the panel observed that N95,080,676,687.86 was received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee, JAAC, by the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen for the period under investigation. However, the funds were not judiciously utilized as no meaningful projects were on the ground to justify the amount received.
“The panel established a case of fraudulent diversion of Local Government funds to political godfathers in the state. It was discovered that over N10,433 658,452.00 billion was fraudulently siphoned, using the pseudo name, “Security, Environment and Training”.
“The 18 Local Government Area Chairmen contributed the amount to the account, using it as a conduit pipe to drain government resources, as monies were transferred from there to various individuals and companies.
“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.
“The report indicted former ALGON chairman, Oghomwen Newman Ugiagbe, who used his hotel, Demarriots Hotels Limited, Ahonsi Ogiegbaen Osifo, Eric Agbonmwanre, Abraham Burma and Dickson Imasogie Notiemwenmwan to loot Local Government funds”, he alleged.
Imohiosen, however, noted that the panel faced different challenges during the course of the assignment, which included late submission of financial records by various Local Government Councils, incomplete submission of records.
Other challenges, he listed are 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.
