The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission 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 issued 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.”
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