Association of Ebonyi State Indigenes in Diaspora (AESID) has asked the
Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft
agencies to embark on a comprehensive probe of the state financial
records in the last 16 years.
The association specifically called on the Independent Corrupt Practices
and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) the Directorate of State
Services (DSS) and the Police to bring to book all those who have caused
the state economic doldrums and future dooms beginning from the Sam
Egwu-led administration to Elechi and now, the Dave Umahi-led
government.
In a statement signed in Sunday by the President worldwide of the
association, Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, said the probe become
necessary over alleged mismanagement of a N2 Billion loan given by the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the state government under the
leadership of Engr. David Nweze Umahi, for the 2016 farming season.
“We are aware that it all started with the courage and boldness of one
of the enlightened citizens of the state and former Secretary to the
Ebonyi State Government, Professor Benard Odoh to hold the Umahi-led
administration accountable especially with regards to the disturbing
statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics which recently named our
State as the 3rd poorest in the federation and information from the Debt
Management Office, DMO which indicates that the present government has
increased the State’s domestic and external borrowings.
“Already, Prof. Odoh had in his response to the allegations maintained
that he had no hands in the disbursements of the said fund as his role
was merely limited to providing strategic leadership for the supervising
Ministry of Agriculture as then headed by Barr. Uchenna Orji as a
Commissioner.
“After making startling disclosures to the effect that only a little
over N900m out of the total sum were released to the committee for
disbursements and purchase of tractors, a seemingly confident Odoh has
filed a petition to the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC) inviting it to probe all persons involved in
the matter while also stunningly offering himself to be investigated.
“AESID as a non-governmental organization whose mandate is to protect
and safeguard the interests and welfare of the common Ebonyian, we laud
the steps taken so far by the former SSG, Prof. Odoh in reporting this
matter to the EFCC which is indeed the appropriate body to investigate
financial crimes and prosecute offenders as being in the right
direction. This is because it is only reasonable that the accuser whose
present and former appointees are also being questioned cannot be the
judge in their own case.”
While condemning what it called witch-hunting, intimidations and
harassments of the former SSG Prof. Odoh, the group said: “We strongly
believe that the state would be saved from an impending economic doom if
its financial records are holistically ascertained and offenders who
have plundered its resources made to face the wraths of the law.
“There exist in our beloved state, many phony contracts and projects
which have remained uncompleted several years after they were awarded
till date while the contractors obviously live large on public funds
meant for their executions. Also, many funds, grants and loans given the
State which is still being repaid from the allocations as debts have
remained largely unaccounted for. This has severely hampered
developments on all fronts in critical sectors in the State such as;
Education, Health, Agriculture, Economic and Human capacity developments
and Empowerment, Youths and Sports development among several others.
“In specific terms, we were reliably informed that the Engr. David
Umahi-led government for instance has accessed many grants such as N6bn
UBEB funds which could not be secured by the previous Elechi
administration. Also, information at our disposal indicates that the
same government has in the last 5 years accessed a total of over N9bn so
far as Agric loans for farmers from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Despite these humongous sums and the fact that the government prides
itself as investing heavily in the Agricultural sector, we are terribly
disappointed that our dear State only boasts of getting most of its rice
from some northern and neighbouring States for milling and packaging as
the ‘Abakaliki’ brand of local rice.
“Like the rest of Ebonyi people who have been made to believe that this
step was meant to save cost for the government and the people, we demand
to know: How much exactly have been saved by the government through this
use of direct labours by the Umahi-led administration?
“To this end therefore, we also call on other anti-graft agencies such
as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) including the Directorate of State Services (DSS) the
Police and indeed, any agency that is responsible for law enforcement
and justice implementation in Nigeria to wade in and ensure that
fairness and justice is not only seen to be done but actually done and
the state’s looted resources recovered.
“It is our strong believe that this probe would be in the overall
interest of the Ebonyi masses,” the statement said.