The inability of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conclude investigation of a petition bordering on an alleged corruption and misappropriation of Akoko-Edo Local Government council funds has emboldened and encouraged others to continue to engage in corrupt activities across the country.
This, according to the representatives of the dominant ethnic communities in Akoko Edo local government area is not limited to the council area alone but the entire country at large.
Representatives of the dominant ethnic group in Akoko-Edo such as Okpameri, Uneme, Ososo and Igarra during a press conference on Sunday said “rumour making the rounds that the suspended council boss, Mr. Akerejola Folorunsho would soon be reinstated before the committee set up to probe his activities submits its findings and recommendation to the Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.
“For over 2 years now, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have been probing the now suspended council Chairman, without any visible result, a development that has casted doubts on the genuineness and integrity of the commission”, a statement signed by Hon. Samuel Oyewole said.
According to the group, “but for the intervention of the Comrade Governor and the State House of Assembly who deemed it fit to suspend the council chairman and set up a committee to investigate the allegations of corruption on Mr. Folorunsho Akerejola, the people of Akoko-Edo would have watched the council chairman running the affairs of the local government without help and consequently impoverishing the people.
“We want to, however, commend the Comrade Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for taking the bold step and wielding the big stick against corruption and subsequently suspending the Akoko-Edo Local Government Council Chairman, Mr. Folorunsho Akerejola, who should even be more interested in clearing his image and not forcefully resuming office.
“We are also not unaware of some sponsored media campaigns aimed at blackmailing the Comrade Governor and members of the House of Assembly over the suspension. We have been reliably informed that some highly placed persons within and outside the local government area have been mounting pressure on the Comrade Governor and members of the House of Assembly to rescind their decision even before the committee submits its report.
“For those of us here today, corruption has no coloration and knows no ethnic boundaries and as such, should not be politicized by any group of persons or political party. When our son, Folorunsho was suspended, we held an emergency meeting to look at the circumstances leading to it and the merit of the petition and we felt that for us to move on in this country, state and local government area, we must queue into President Muhammadu Buhari change mantra and fight corruption vehemently.
“If our son is found to have corruptly enriched himself or misappropriated public funds as alleged, we cannot guarantee him of our support. He has been a guest of the EFCC since 2003 over a petition bordering on corruption, official graft and looting of public treasury.
“As we speak, they even boast in town that the EFCC cannot do anything and that they have been settled. As if to add salt to already festered sore, they boasted at the weekend that the Governor will soon re-instate Folorunsho and that members of the House of Assembly have also been settled. We do not want to believe this hearsay but one thing is sure and certain, the whole world is watching how these whole scene would end.
“We are fully behind the Comrade Governor and the House of Assembly on this. The Adams Oshiomhole led administration that we know is one that has zero-tolerance to corruption and this has gone into positive history, as such, its rather too late to be blackmailed or soil the image and integrity the administration has built over time for political exigencies.
“On the 30th of September 2013, a petition was written to EFCC and was duly received from Ray I.O Okezie & Co and stamped on the 3rd of October 2013 against Folorunsho Akerejola for alleged wastefully expending about N500,000,000.00 of local government funds on non-existent projects, out-rightly over-inflated costs and several frivolities, using fictitious names, festivals and ludicrous sub-heads to justify this outrageous looting of public treasury.
“Folorunsho Akerejola claims to have spent the sum of N6 million to clear refuse dump and cow dung calls for serious investigation. In addition, the claim that he built a-2 room shop without toilets or any other facility for N5 million also calls for concern.
“Worst of all, his claims to have built a 3-room classroom with a headmasters’ office at the cost of N9.6 million is intriguing and mind-boggling. The petitioner has a ground and the petition cannot be killed. We believe in due process and public service anchored on selflessness and probity.
“We hereby resolved to call on well-meaning Nigerians, Non-Governmental Organizations and anti-corruption agencies to come to our aid. Our local government area is the poorest and oldest and largest in the country yet, some persons have resolved to keep us under perpetual servitude and under-development. We cannot continue to fold our arms and watch helplessly while our common patrimony and heritage are being crudely looted, squandered and laundered abroad by a cabal.
“Again, we call on the EFCC to conclude its investigation on this issue and we demand that a thorough investigation by the committee set up by the state government be allowed to do its work without political interference and the report be made public so as to serve a deterrent to others or else, we all would be victims in one way or the other”.