Operatives
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are on the trails of former
delta state governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and his friends Dere Otubu and Uche
Okpunor.
Here are
the
details
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) is investigating former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and
his closest associate and businessman, Mr. Dere Otubu, amidst several
allegations of graft, sources at the anti-graft agency have said.
Investigators
are also looking at several loans, bonds and credits obtained by the Uduaghan
administration and how they were spent, particularly a controversial N40
billion loan that was obtained towards the end of the administration.
Some
members of the House of Assembly who were kept in the dark about the loan had
moved to impeach the governor when it became public knowledge. THEWILL gathered
that then House Speaker, Peter Onwusanya, colluded with principal officers to
approve the loan and in return were allegedly rewarded in cash for their
effort.
The EFCC,
according to sources in the commission and Presidency, was directed by
President Muhammadu Buhari to commence investigations into the Uduaghan
administration following dozens of petitions and complaints to the President by
some Deltans.
THEWILL
gathered that a top official of the Delta State House as well as other
officials of the state government have been repeatedly questioned in Abuja by
the EFCC in the last two weeks as part of the investigations as the agency
continues to build its case against the former governor.
“The
President directed the Chairman of the EFCC to look into Delta finances under
outgone Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. The Petitions received from prominent
Deltans against him and one Dere Otubu were many,” a Presidency source who
asked to remain anonymous told THEWILL.
A source
at the EFCC said though investigations were still at the preliminary stage,
investigators have noted that Otubu’s name has been commonly mentioned in many
of the complaints.
“Our
officers are looking at how these loans were collected in the first place. Who
approved and how they were approved… Did they follow due process? They are also
looking at companies that were paid from the proceeds. I believe we are working
on the assumption that the payments may have been used to launder funds but we
will see. We will follow the funds until we are satisfied that they were not
laundered using fronts,” the source said.
Some of
the main beneficiaries of the controversial N40 billion loan according to
THEWILL checks include businessman and contractor Uche Okpunor and Mr. Otubu.
THEWILL
gathered that Uduaghan’s problems started when the transition committee
commissioned by his successor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, uncovered a staggering debt
profile of almost N700 billion when they looked through the state’s finances.
The EFCC
sources corroborated what is common knowledge amongst top Delta State
Government personnel that Mr. Otubu helped the governor manage the finances of
the state and in the process shaved the state of billions in fees and
commissions including phoney contracts that were paid in full despite poor
execution. The contracts were mostly executed through companies controlled by
proxies
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