The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has begun the investigation of Osun State governor,Mr Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, few of his former aides and thirty one (31) Local government officials in the State over allegations of financial fraud leveled against them by the Civil
Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEO).
The source informed the Chairman of the CSCEO, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, through a phone call from the desk officer in-charge of the petition in the office of the Chairman of the anti-graft body, Mr.
Ekpo Nta of informing him that proper investigation has commenced on the petition written to the Commission against Mr. Aregbesola, his few aides and local government officials.
The desk officer who called Comrade Sulaiman on Friday, October 15, 2015 around 12.30 pm informing him that investigation has commenced in earnest on the group’s petition before the anti-graft body.
The source also disclosed that the Comrade Sulaiman would soon be invited to defend the various degree of financial allegations, ranging from inflation of contracts sum, duplication of contracts sum, engage
in moribund projects, money laundering, among others, with the sole aim of siphoning the State resources into the private pocket of certain individuals, leveled against Mr. Aregbesola, his son (Kabiru),
former few aides of the governor council officials.
The group had earlier urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct proper, thorough and credible investigation into the alleged financial misconduct of
Aregbesola’s government from November 2010 to August 2015 and as well as forensic audit of the Osun State government Account books.
It would be recalled that the group had alleged in the petition dated Thursday 10th of September,2015 and received on Monday 14th and Thursday 17th of September,2015 in Osogbo and Abuja office of the
Commission respectively, that the immediate past Commissioners of Finance, Dr Wale Bolorunduro, Special duties and Regional Integration,Mr. Ajibola Bashiru, and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Kolapo Alimi with their Permanent Secretaries, Aregbesola’s former Special Advisers on Works, Mr. Sabitu Oladepo
Amuda and Environment and Mr. Bola Ilori should be investigated and possibly arrested because they did not have immunity from arrest like Governor and Deputy-Governor.
Besides, CSCEO urged the ICPC to probe all the thirty local government Executive Secretaries with their Heads of Local Government Administration (HLAs) and Directors of Finance (DFs), alleging that they were collaborators of Mr. Aregbesola in defrauding Osun people of their meager resources through the phantom projects at the council areas of the State.
Comrade Sulaiman who further alleged that Aregbesola began his fraudulent activities with the criminal and satanic increment of State wage bill of workers, retirees and political office holders alike from N1.3 billion to N3.6 billion ,when no fewer than 5,000 workers had retired voluntarily from the service of the State government in December 2012,as a result of the Pension Contributory Scheme policy of the Federal government ,maintaining that Aregbesola like now, did not also constitute the members of his cabinet for period of eleven months, but still claiming the same amount of wage bill in the period.
According to the petition: “The Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) writes this petition to ensure that the sanctity of truth and rule of law that will bring egalitarian society in allocation of meager resources accrued to the State from the Federation Account as enshrined in the amended 1999 Constitution for the purpose of promoting good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of Freedom, Equality and Justice and for the purpose of consolidating the Unity of our people.
“The private investigation conducted by the members of our coalition revealed that the average monthly earnings of the State between the year 2007 and November 2010 was N1,969,622,514.25, while the average
monthly earning income of the State between the years January 2011 to December 2014 was at N3,050,074,327,25 and these figures represents Osun earnings from the Federation Account alone and does not include that of Excess Crude Oil fund: N61.7 billion, SURE-P: N14.4billion,Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Fund:N13.9billion, Internally Generated Revenue(IGR) fund:N43.6billion, Value Added Tax(VAT) Ecological Fund and Millennium Development Goals fund
(All for the period of 2011-2014 courtesy of budgIT, oagf and fmf)”.
Comrade Suliman therefore urged the anti-graft agency to make the report of the outcome of its investigation public because people of the State at home and abroad have been watching keenly, the unfolding events on the financial mess facing the State in recent past.
Signed:
Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman,
Chairman, Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS)
See copies of the petition documents below:
