The Edo State Government on Wednesday
said that it had begun moves to recover $31m which it said was allegedly
“fraudulently taken” from the government coffers, during the
administration of former Governor Lucky Igbinedion.
According to a statement issued by the
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Peter Okhiria, on
Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Louis Odion, disclosed
this at the end of the State Executive Council meeting.
He also said that the state government
would commence a legal action against the former governor’s
administration, in order to recover what had been taken from the
government coffers.
The commissioner said, “There is the
issue of a fraud that was discovered while looking into our books. We
found that $31m was fraudulently taken from the state coffers under the
administration of Chief Lucky Igbinedion. The comrade governor has
directed the Attorney-General to commence a legal action in that
direction.
“So, in the coming days, the state
government will take a legal action to ensure that what was stolen from
the Edo State Government is recovered. When you convert $31m to naira,
it fetches you a whooping N7bn. You can imagine what N7bn will do in
improving the human condition in Edo State.”
The commissioner praised some landlords and companies in the state for their compliance with the payment of the land use charge.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for
Commerce and Industry, Abdul Oroh, alleged that the $31m was allegedly
used to fund a cement firm in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the
state.
Oroh said, “As the money was withdrawn,
the construction of the company started and all the major structures
were in place, 90 per cent completed, machines were installed but there
was no other contribution from any other source for the construction and
procurement of these equipment. So, everything invested in that company
came from the Edo State Government.”
He also accused the Igbinedion
administration of allegedly privatising the state fruit juice processing
company at a “giveaway” price.
“The fruit juice processing company in
Ehor was established in 2001 by the Lucky Igbinedion’s administration.
The cost of establishing that company was N368,458,195 invested in this
company by the Edo State Government. The company was owned 100 per cent
by the Edo State Government. The materials for the company were imported
from England from a company at a sum of £310,000,” he said.
Oroh added, “The company was now sold
including the land and the three hectares pineapple farm which was also
developed by the Ministry of Agriculture for N283.8m. The company was
completed and there was a test-run. There was no reason to privatise it
and it was sold out at a giveaway price which only could have been
influenced by criminal intentions.’’
Efforts to get the comments of the
former governor failed but a source close to him said Igbinedion would
react to the allegations later.
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