2nd August, 2016
But the Kogi State Government denounced the allegations, saying it has only gotten N20 billion bailout so far and not from the Federal Government.
The group alleged that monumental fraud and rapacious movement of cash is currently rocking the Kogi State Government.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Sadiq Jobi, EMA said the spate of the depletion of the bailout funds and other statutory funds under the Yahaya Bello’s administration, especially within the last two weeks was mind-boggling and must not be glossed over by any right-thinking anti- corruption organisation.
According to Jobi, the state government got N30 billion bailout as follows: N10 billion for infrastructure, N20 billion for salaries.
He said the N10 billion out of the N20 billion for salaries is domiciled with Zenith Bank, while the remaining N10 billion for local government salaries is domiciled with Access Bank.
“It is instructive to note that on July 27, 2016, the sum of N 912,648,960.49 was paid from the infrastructural account number 1010756707 at Zenith Bank to AG Vision Construction Nig Ltds Account No. 1920001651 at Skye Bank as part payment purportedly made for the construction of Agasa – Ukpogoro road, a fictitious non – existing project as at today. Our investigation reveals nothing of such happening on the road. We are highly suspicious of the movement of the money, especially at this time where four appellants are challenging his purported election at the appeal tribunal.
“We also note that towards the end of the case at the lower tribunal, the state governor approved the movement from the infrastructure account the sum of N1.7 billion accounts purportedly for a contract to a Lebanese Company, MAJ Global construction Company Ltd, owned by one Michel Abboud as CEO. The contract was purportedly meant for the renovation of 17 units of Houses within Government House. Now the question is why did the government award such contracts without advertising them? Even if the contracts were advertised, how could a single company win all the bids in such a competitive environment as we have in Nigeria today?” He asked.
A breakdown of the projects showed that N500,000 was meant for preliminaries, N56.831 million for renovation of Personal Assistance residence; N55.393 million for Permanent Secretary residence; N85.553 million for PPS residence, N54.171 million for ADC residence, Guest House (Aliyu) residence, N64 million and 64.67 million for Accountant General’s residence.
Others are: Deputy Governor’s Protocol residence, N53.324 million; C.S.O residence N52.916 million; C.P residence, N 50.557 million; SSG residence, N 52.321 million; Imam’s Residence N47.527 million; 6 units office building, N 857 million; four units Residential Building N669.645 million and consultancy fees, N40 million, bringing the cumulative total to N1.566 billion.
“Again our investigations reveal that nothing is being renovated in most of these buildings. We note with shock that most of the payments to the contractors are done in cash at Government House apparently to facilitate movement of cash.
“Our investigations further revealed that from the salaries account No. 1014673585 with Zenith Bank out of the N20 billion bailout for salaries, the account has less than N1 billion left, civil servants and pensioners are not paid, owed 7 months salaries, no Infrastructural facilities being embarked on; nothing on ground,” he alleged.
According to him, “More startling is our investigation into the Federal Allocations accruing to the State from January 2016 totaling close to N20 billion with nothing on ground to show.”
A breakdown showed that in January, N2.580 billion was received; February, N2.690 billion; March, N 3.516 billion; April, N2.291 billion; May, N3.843 billion; June, N3.490 billion, excluding July allocation.
“This is exclusive of the allocation to the 21 LGAs, yet Kogi State Government is not paying salaries, no single drainage being done, students have been home, no subvention to tertiary institutions. So what has Governor Yahaya Bello done with all these monies?
“More shocking is the spate of shameless deductions form local Government Accounts using the Local Government Administrators to deduct N20 million each monthly and submitting the cash to the cash to the Chief of Staff, Edward Onoja on the basis that N10 million out of the N20 million is for the repayment of vehicles bought for them.
“However, the remaining N10 million is shared between three people-the Chief of Staff, Auditor-General and Accountant General respectively on monthly basis, according to our investigations. More bizzare is the fact that in order to keep abreast of when the local governments accounts are credited monthly, the Chief of Staff has his phone connected to the accounts of all the LGAs. He receives alerts of LGA accounts on his phone in order to monitor strict compliance with the N20 million monthly bazzar,” he alleged.
Jobi added that: “Our suspicion of unholy movement of cash, especially at this time when judgement in the Appeal case against the governor is to be delivered was aroused when the State Government opened a new Sub-treasury Account called: “Govt. House Admin.” account number 1010662710 with Zenith bank. The shocking aspect is that the sum of N100 million is now daily drawn in cash from this account for the past 2 weeks.
“Meanwhile, the other old “Govt House Admin.” account with the same Zenith Bank has a negative balance of N498, 157,883 unserviced. The question is: Why would Zenith bank allow another account to be opened in the name of Govt House Admin? What is the Chief of Staff doing with the alleged over N1 billion cash ferried in his black G-Wagon Mercedes Benz to Abuja last week? Time is here for the EFCC and ICPC to move into Kogi for a clinical review of the criminal rape of the commonwealth of the longsuffering people of the State before it gets out of hand,” he alleged.
However, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Gbenga Olorunpomi said all the allegations leveled against the Kogi State Government were false and that the government only got N20 billion bailout.
Olorunpomi stated that the government applied for bailout from Zenith Bank and Access Bank, saying that out of the N50 billion applied for, N20 billion was released, while rubbishing the allegations.