₦96bn loot scandal: Okpebholo’s panel indicts Obaseki, LG chairmen
Obaseki (left) and Okpebholo
Published By: Kazeem Ugbodaga
By Jethro Ibileke
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has alleged that former Governor Godwin Obaseki, leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the 18 local government chairmen were indicted for looting the local government treasuries, with misappropriated funds amounting to over ₦96 billion.
Okpebholo made this disclosure while receiving the report of the Administrative Panel of Enquiry, which was set up on 18 December 2024 to investigate the financial dealings of the impeached local government chairmen in Edo State between 4 September 2023 and November 2024.
He stated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would prosecute some of the recently impeached local government chairmen.
Expressing satisfaction with the professionalism displayed by the panel, Okpebholo asserted that the days of financial recklessness and lack of transparency in public office were over.
Okpebholo emphasised the need for Nigerians to demand accountability from elected officials, describing it as the only way to combat corruption and ensure development.
He further expressed dismay over the panel’s findings, which implicated the impeached chairmen. He vowed to petition the EFCC for immediate prosecution, adding that the report confirmed the mismanagement of public funds under the previous administration.
“I want to thank you for a job well done. I carefully listened to the submission of the report. The truth is that the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki took Edo people for granted. They took everything belonging to Edo people and channelled it for their personal gains.
“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit Edo people. We also thank the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because, without his support, we would not be witnessing the kind of development we are experiencing in Edo today.
“A lot has happened. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) looted the local government treasury and stole our collective patrimony, yet nobody went after them. This time, things are different. We will go after them and retrieve what they have stolen from Edo people. They will be made to pay for it. I will personally take this document to the EFCC and ensure that justice is served,” he said.
Presenting the panel’s report and recommendations, Chairman of the panel, Solomon Imohiosen, disclosed that forensic investigations uncovered significant financial irregularities, with over ₦96 billion either mismanaged or diverted into private accounts.
He revealed that the 18 local government chairmen received ₦95,080,676,687.86 from the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) within the period investigated.
However, the panel found no meaningful projects to justify the amount received.
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He further explained that over ₦10,433,658,452.00 was fraudulently siphoned under the guise of “Security, Environment, and Training.”
The chairmen allegedly contributed to this account, using it as a conduit to drain government resources by transferring funds to various individuals and companies.
According to him, the panel encountered several challenges during its assignment, including the late submission of financial records, incomplete documentation, and deliberate obstruction by council personnel, some of whom attempted to overwhelm the panel with sacks of documents submitted at the last minute.
“The panel’s investigation uncovered significant irregularities in the financial activities of the 18 local government councils. The recommendations outlined in the report aim to address these issues and promote transparency and accountability in local government finances,” Imohiosen stated.
The report also indicted the former chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Oghomwen Newman Ugiagbe, alongside other individuals, including Ahonsi Ogiegbaen Osifo, Eric Agbonmwanre, Abraham Burma, and Dickson Imasogie Notiemwenmwan. Ugiagbe was alleged to have used his hotel, Demarriots Hotels Limited, for financial misappropriation involving local government funds.
Reacting to the allegations, former Governor Godwin Obaseki dismissed the claims as a desperate attempt to justify Okpebholo’s unconstitutional attack on duly elected council executives.
Speaking through his aide, Crusoe Osagie, Obaseki criticised Okpebholo for overstepping his authority, arguing that the governor has no supervisory responsibility over local governments and cannot lawfully investigate elected officials.
“We have read with disdain a statement by Monday Okpebholo alleging that the elected 18 local government chairmen in Edo State mismanaged ₦96 billion, in another of Okpebholo’s frantic efforts to justify his unconstitutional onslaught on the elected leadership of the third tier of government.
“What is most shocking about the statement is that Okpebholo appears completely oblivious to the fact that he does not have supervisory responsibility over local governments and, therefore, cannot initiate any investigation into government officials who were elected just like him.
“As a matter of fact, these local government chairmen have a better claim to their democratic office than he does. His election stands on a knife’s edge, with the election petition tribunal set to deliver justice in the September 21, 2024, election, which is widely believed to have been rigged.
“Also exposing Okpebholo’s ignorance is his repeated attempt to drag His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, into his propaganda. Okpebholo should note that Obaseki was never obsessed with controlling local government funds during his tenure, unlike Okpebholo, who has displayed a keen interest in doing so over the past three months.
“We are compelled to remind Okpebholo that there are limits to his powers as governor. If he believes there are financial infractions in a separate tier of government, he should simply inform the relevant agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), to carry out their constitutional responsibilities. Okpebholo needs to be reminded that he is neither the Inspector General of Police nor the Chairman of the EFCC.
“We urge Edo people and Nigerians to ignore the lies and falsehoods propagated by Okpebholo in his statement. His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, who is clearly the target of Okpebholo’s witch hunt, ran the most transparent government in the history of Edo State and had no authority over local government funds at any time during his eight years in office,” he explained.
