THE STEALING EMPEROR: KOGI STATE GOVERNOR YAHAYA BELLO IN ANOTHER ROUND OF CONTRACT FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT OF ELEVEN BILLION NAIRA STATE FUND

Secret Reporters

The ongoing embezzlement of state fund in Kogi state will continue unabated, if the wing of the Governor of Kogi State is not urgently clipped.

Information at our disposal is that, Governor Yahaya Bello, has looted the State treasury to the tune of 1.6billion Naira through the award of inflated contracts and release of state fund which has not been carried out.

Also fingered in the ongoing fraud in the state are Edward Onoja, Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi State; Commissioner for Works and Finance; Permanent Secretary, Government House, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Permanent Secretary, Board of Internal Revenue, Accountant-General, Director-General, Bureau for Public Procurement, Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Kogi State and some business outfits, as conspirators.

Findings reveal that, there have been award of bogus contract for the renovation of 17 units of mostly three bedroom bungalows for a whooping sum of N 1.6 billion awarded to MAJ Global Construction Company Ltd. without tender, contrary to the Public Procurement by the Kogi State Governor.

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.

Sources who reached Secret Reporters said, “We strongly believe that the so called phoney renovation contract was an avenue to steal and launder funds from the commonwealth of Kogi people,”

It is alleged that the Bello’s government awarded bogus contract for the construction of AGASA-Ukpogoro Road to AG Vision Construction Nig. Ltd of which N912. 6 million was hurriedly paid in a day without physical mobilization to site till date.

Further findings, our sources alleged suspicious money laundering of the sum of N87. 5 million and N91.5 million through CGC Construction Company under the guise of payment of contract sum on 22nd June, 2016 and 1st August, 2016 respectively and money laundering of N103.55 million through Auwaliya Global Resources Ltd of the following amount of monies from the same bank and on the same day; N37.694 million, N23.925 million, N36. 249 million, N1.391 million, N2.191 million and N2.107 million.