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Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan
The Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State on Tuesday honoured the invitation extended to it by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission in Ibadan over its (the group) petition against Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
The human rights group in its petition to President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC alleged that Aregbesola and his aides diverted Federal Allocation meant for the 30 local government areas in the state. It also alleged that most of the projects embarked upon by the governor on behalf of the councils did not exist.
Based on the petition, the EFCC, through a letter signed by the Zonal Head, Ibadan, Akaninyene Ezima, invited CSCEOS to Ibadan to clarify some areas in the petition against the governor.
After his meeting with the EFCC officials in Ibadan, Chairman of the group, Mr. Sulaiman Adeniyi, commended the anti-graft agency for its ‘credible and unbiased investigation into the alleged LG funds diversion by Aregbesola since November 2010 to March 2016’.
Adeniyi said that the group was told by an official of the anti-graft body, Mr. Richard Adejumo, that the invitation was necessary to know the authenticity of the petition in the cause of their investigation.
He said, “I urge the anti-graft commission to invite all the affected state and LG officials listed. They include the immediate past Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Kolapo Alimi; Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Wale Bolorunduro; their permanent secretaries, the then executive secretaries and Head of LG Administrations, directors of finance and directors of works.
“No section of the amended 1999 Constitution gives leeway to any governor to divert the allocations accrued to the LG from the Federation Account through the joint account system.”
Adeniyi alleged further that Governor Aregbesola contracted the payment of salaries of councils’ staff, including primary and middle school teachers and council retirees to a private firm, Charms Consultancy Ltd, which charged N4m per month for each of the councils.
He said, “This amounts to N120m per month since 2011 till date for service rendered when all the councils have director of finance, deputy director of finance, accountant, treasurer, cashier and other officers that can render the service of payment of salaries.
“The governor still owes local government staff five months salaries even though the councils have received their monthly allocations up to the month of April.”
The post Group appears before EFCC, insists Aregbesola diverted LG funds appeared first on Punch Newspapers.
Source: Punch News