The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission may
have started investigation into the allegation of diversion of local government
funds levelled against the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun
State.
The EFCC’s Zonal Head, Ibadan, Akaninyene Ezima,
said this in a letter of invitation sent to the Civil Societies Coalition for
the Emancipation of Osun State.
According to the EFCC’s letter of invitation made available to our
correspondent in Osogbo on Sunday by the Chairman of CSCEOS, Mr. Sulaiman
Adeniyi, the anti-corruption agency invited the group to come and clarify some
areas in the petition against the governor.
The EFCC’s letter, dated
May 13, 2016, with reference No: CR: 3000/EFCC/IB/T.B/VOL.1/79 was titled,
“Investigation Activities: Acknowledgement/Invitation letter.”
The invitation letter
read, “This is to acknowledge the receipt of your petition dated
April 4, 2016, captioned Report of Illegal Diversion of 30 Local Governments’
monthly allocations by the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.
“Why Civil Societies
Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State is calling for investigation and
stoppage of Releasing of Local Government monthly allocations to Osun State
through Mr. Rauf Aregbesola and to inform you that investigation has
commenced.
“In view of the above,
you are hereby requested to report to the EFCC Zonal Office at No.16 Revd.
Oyebode Crescent, Iyaganku, G.R.A., Ibadan, for an interview with the
undersigned through the Head, Team B, on May 17, 2016, at 10am prompt.”
The governor and
some of his aides were accused of diverting LG allocations by the human rights
group in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group had claimed
that the governor suspended democratic structure in the councils and had
mismanaged funds allocated to them.
The CSCEOS’s petition
read in part, “To affirm this illegality and unconstitutionality, Mr. Rauf
Aregbesola suspended the democratic system in the constitutionally
recognised 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State by appointing the
grade level 14 local government staff as ‘council managers’ to man the council
areas of the state instead of ‘democratically-elected chairmen and
councilors’ as stipulated in Section 7(1) of the amended 1999 Constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria in order to give Aregbesola a leeway in the
criminal diversion of local government funds.
“That the Federal
Government, the National Assembly and its anti-graft agencies should
investigate the acclaimed road projects embarked upon by Mr. Rauf Adesoji
Aregbesola on behalf of the local government areas of the state without
following the due process of the Public Procurement Act.
“The violation of all due
process in managing the public finances of Osun State by Mr. Rauf Adesoji
Aregbesola has been seriously impacting negatively on the lives of the state
masses including the state and local government local workers with
their retirees alike.”
,,,punch
,,,punch
No comments:
Post a Comment