Men of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences
\nCommission (ICPC) were in Ekiti State for the better part of last
\nweek, in continuation of the anti-graft agency\u2019s investigation of the
\nalleged misappropriation of\u00a0 over N25 billion.<\/p>\n
The ICPC team of investigators, which included two men and one woman,
\nvisited some of the projects claimed to have been executed with the
\nN25 billion bond obtained from the capital market by the Fayemi
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
The visit was said to be at the prompting of petitions written by the
\nState Government and a group, Save Ekiti Coalition (SEC).<\/p>\n
Sources close to the commission also disclosed that the Federal
\nGovernment was no longer comfortable with the public perception of
\nPresident Mohammadu Buhari\u2019s anti-corruption fight as being selective
\nand most importantly, Governor Ayodele Fayose\u2019s claim that complaints
\nfrom the State to the ICPC and Economic and Financial Crimes
\nCommission (EFCC) about how the immediate past All Progressives
\nCongress (APC) government of Fayemi fleeced the State were ignored.<\/p>\n
Apart from its petition, the State government also forwarded a
\nreminder to the EFCC and ICPC with Reference Number PB\/894\/5, dated
\nSeptember 14, 2015 and signed by the Secretary to the State
\nGovernment, Dr (Mrs), Modupe Alade, expressing the displeasure of the
\nSatte government to the way and manner the commissions were handling
\npetitions submitted to them.<\/p>\n
Some of the contracts being investigated were the construction of
\nearthwork for the New Governor\u2019s Office was awarded to PONTI-ITALWARE
\nNig Ltd on March 3, 2012 at the sum of N383, 900,911.06, construction
\nof new governor\u2019s office awarded to Interkel Nig Ltd at the sum of
\nN2,027,495,857.45, Civic Centre awarded to Tiajin-Yuyang Construction
\nEng. Company Ltd at a sum of N2,573,584,395.75, rehabilitation of
\nroads among others.<\/p>\n
Also being investigated is the N852, 936,713.92 State Universal Basic
\nEducation Board (SUBEB) counterpart fund, which was withdrawn from the
\nAccess Bank account of SUBEB on October 8, 2014, eight days to the end
\nof Fayemi\u2019s tenure.<\/p>\n
The N852, 936,713.92 was SUBEB Counterpart Fund paid to enable the
\nBoard access fund from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)
\nand the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of the fund from SUBEB account
\neight days to the end of Fayemi\u2019s government was the reason Ekiti
\nState Government was blacklisted by UBEC.<\/p>\n
ICPC is said to be interested in the rationale behind the transfer of
\nthe N852,936,713.92 into what was called Ekiti State Government
\nCapital Project account and not used to pay SUBEB contractors.<\/p>\n
Also, the ICPC team were said to have asked questions from officials
\nin the SUBEB about the contracts worth N4, 246,094,751.14 awarded in
\n2012 through the Bureau of Special Projects (under the Governor\u2019s
\noffice). The contracts were for renovation of schools, supply of
\nschool furniture and construction of classrooms. Funds for these
\nprojects were taken from SUBEB and Local Governments accounts.<\/p>\n
Petitions to ICPC alleged that of these contracts, N3, 672,078,820.14
\nwere for renovation of schools alone. Atlantic Offshore & Properties
\ngot N1, 152,562,555.14, Strabic Nig. Ltd got N1, 107,744.408.21, Bam
\nDarley Nig. Ltd. got N924, 977,310.95 while Fatub Nig. Ltd got N486,
\n794,545.84.<\/p>\n
\u201cImmediately the renovation contracts were awarded, Atlantic Offshore
\n& Properties was paid N750 million (70% of contract sum), Strabic Nig.
\nLtd was paid N600 million (65% of contract sum), Bam Darley Nig. Ltd
\nwas paid N600 million (70% of contract sum) while Fatub Nig.
\nEngineering Ltd was paid N150 million (60% of contract sum). \u201cA total
\nof N2.1bn was paid from SUBEB and LG accounts to these contractors
\neven before the commencement of work, and over 40% of the payment was
\ndiverted into private pockets.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the 2014 Capital Projects Report, payments to the contractors were
\npresented as; Atlantic Offshore & Properties (N1, 022,130,415.64),
\nStrabic Nig. Ltd (N957, 237,829.62), Bam Darley Nig. Ltd (N742,
\n730,990.25) and Fatub Engineering Nig. Ltd (N431, 327,270.41)<\/p>\n
\u201cAs at the time N1, 022,130,415.64 was paid to Atlantic Offshore &
\nProperties, only 60% work had been done, meaning that Atlantic
\nOffshore & Properties was only entitled to N691, 537,551. Bam Darley
\nNig. Ltd that was paid N742, 730,990.25 had done 60% work too and
\nought to have been paid N554, 986,386.57,\u201d one of the petitions
\nwritten by a group, Save Ekiti Coalition read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Men of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) were in Ekiti State for the better part of last week, in continuation of the anti-graft agency\u2019s investigation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n