Politics
EFCC Accuses Benue Governor of N22bn Fraud .
The EFCC has linked Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to an alleged fraud to the tune of N22bn.This is just as the EFCC revealed that 21 members of the Benue State House of Assembly are under investigation for allegedly diverting N375m meant for the procurement of vehicles that would be used for oversight functions.
The allegations are contained in a report of an investigation which began in 2016 but was made available to punch on Monday.According to the report, the governor, between June 30, 2015 and March 2018, ordered the withdrawal of N21.3bn from four government’s accounts in Guaranty Trust Bank, First Bank of Nigeria and the United Bank for Africa.
On paper, about N19bn out of the money was said to be meant for the payment of six security agencies that had been deployed in the state to address the incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
However, the EFCC stated that less than N3bn of the money was paid to the security agencies while the remainder could not be accounted for. .
.
The anti-graft agency said one person identified as Oliver Ntom, withdrew over N19bn from the account of the Bureau of Internal Affairs and Special Services based on the instructions of the Permanent Secretary, Boniface Nyaakor.The money, which was allegedly withdrawn under the pretext of security votes, was said to have been diverted while the memos written in respect of the withdrawal were destroyed.
The funds being spent were not in the budget of the Benue State Government.It further accused the governor of failing to pay salaries despite withdrawing N1.328bn from the Joint State Local Govt Account in Fidelity Bank with number 50**
Meanwhile, the EFCC has invited 21 out of the 30 lawmakers in the Benue State House of Assembly for allegedly diverting part of the N375m meant for the procurement of vehicles in 2016.
According to the anti-graft agency, the Benue State govt had in 2016 awarded a contract worth N417m (N375m after tax) to Mia-Three Nigeria Limited to procure 30 Prado TXL vehicles for the lawmakers.However, only eight members received the vehicles while the others diverted the funds.
“I have said it before, there are two devils left behind when the British left Nigeria. The first was tribalism. They planted it as a devil and the second is Religious bigotry. What has these issues got to do with managing people.
“Nobody selected himself that I want to be Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa man. No. You just popped out and whether you are a Muslim or Christian is irrelevant.
“In all religions that I know, you are told to love your Neighbor as yourself. What you will not accept, don’t do it to another neighbor because if you pack up and die, that’s the end. Let us have an impact of governance.” -Chief Bode George On AriseTV News
The Presidential Candidate of our Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi has demanded from the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the President, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the retraction of his wild allegation, linking him as behind the planned mass protest being planned for August.
Obi, writing through his counsel, Chief Alex Ejesieme, SAN of the MADIBA Chambers, said that the allegation which was widely published in social and mainstream media and read by many within and outside the country maligned his hard-earned reputation as a man who indulges in violence when all his antecedents are vivid that he abhors violence even in the face of extreme provocation.
“It’s our client’s conviction that the publication was a calculated plot to demean, ridicule, humiliate and embarrass him by the estimation of every right thinking member of the society”
“They said there is a judgment of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy. I think it is just a distraction. We must face the real issue that we have.
“The issue that we have is that we are not producing enough. We are not productive. Maybe it may be part of the problem, we want to have value for what is being shared but our problem is productivity.
“How much are those LGAs generating within their domains? Can they survive without handouts from Abuja? Handouts from Abuja, is that the way to go? Is it sustainable?” -Governor Seyi Makinde, Oyo At Audience With NUJ
-
News6 years ago
Blog Reader; Samson Osagiede Celebrates Fiancè Benedicta Daniels’s Birthday With Sweet Words
-
Home8 years ago
News Channel claims Donald Trump is an orphan from Pakistan,share alleged childhood photo
-
News5 months agoHardship: We Plan To Establish A National Commodity Board To Crash Food Prices – VP Shettima
-
Home8 years ago
Oil Spillage: House of Reps Member Shares Photos of the Water her Constituents Drink .
-
Home8 years ago
Another $175m Found in Patience Jonathan’s wife’s firm’s Bank Account
-
Home8 years ago
Zara Buhari & Ahmed Indimi’s Wedding Access Card
-
News6 years ago
The Best Video You’ve Seen Today?
-
Sport6 years agoModric, Marta Wins 2018 FIFA Best Player Of The Year Awards ⚽️