Barely one week to the inauguration of Senator Monday Okpebholo-led Government in Edo State, political leaders and other critical stakeholders in the State, have called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after those who have allegedly stolen public funds and other assets of the State.
This is even as the leaders were insisting that the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki must account for over N1.5 trillion the State got in the last eight years through federal allocations, generated revenues, loans, grants and other financial incentives.
The leaders said the EFCC must move fast and not to wait until Obaseki leaves office before stolen funds and assets were recovered by the anti-graft agency.
Speaking through a pro-democracy group, Initiative for Democratic Advancement and Free Speech, the leaders said despite the public outcry by Edo people, some officials of the Obaseki administration were still allegedly fiddling with the State’s resources and assets.
Executive Director of the organisation, Patrick Osaigbovo, who hails from Edo South; Director of Research, Andrew Isewele from Edo Central, and Kamaru Momoh, Director of Mobilisation from Edo North, threatened that they may be forced to lead a protest to the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC if it doesn’t act fast.
On Friday, officials of the EFCC arrested a close ally of Obaseki, the State’s Accountant-General, Julius Anelu. Two other officials of the State government were arrested by the anti-graft agency in connection with N26.6 billion derivation funds allocated to the State.
The three top officials of the Edo State Government were picked up by the Benin Zonal Command of the EFCC in Benin City on Friday, Nov 1, 2024.
The Commission got interested when N13.6 billion of the money was withdrawn, leaving only N13 billion in the account within one week.
The Edo leaders in the statement noted: “We have watched with dismay, the inhuman looting that has been going on in Edo for years. We are surprised that the EFCC, for almost eight years, did not lift its fingers to arrest any official of Obaseki’s administration.
“Even with just a few days to go, the looting has not stopped. We are wondering if the EFCC wants the State to go bankrupt before it steps in? We have enough evidence to assist the EFCC in doing its job. This is to show you how much we care about our State, Edo.
“However, we want to put it on notice that if the EFCC fails to act next week and arrest those allegedly involved in the blind stealing, we will not have any option, but to lead a mass protest to the headquarters of the EFCC.
“We are aware that some key officials of the Edo State Government are already relocating with the stolen funds. How does the EFCC plan to handle this. We can not allow this notorious stealing to go unchallenged.
“Obaseki got over N1.5 trillion as revenues and allocations in eight years. Edo State does not look like it got such funds. So, Obaseki must account for those funds now or later.”
