Secret Reporters No place to hide
The outgoing Chairman and Leader of the Legislative Arm of Egbedore Local Government area of Osun State, Mr. Olayiwola Abiola Lamby and Mr. Taiwo Adegboye have landed in trouble over alleged misappropriation of public funds while in office.
The investigation was based on the request of a transparency group, the Center for Transparency in Governance (CTG), demanding for forensic audit of the Local Government account books during the tenure of Abiola-Lamby and Adegboye from January 2018 to November, 2020, calling for investigation of the two domiciliary account of the Council area in the Zenith and Polaris Banks.
But it was learnt that the anti-graft body (EFCC) had commenced the investigation into the account books of the Council area for the last three years of their administration where EFCC had requested for the council expenditures for period of 2018 to 2020.
It was also learnt that the E-Governance Department of the Zonal office of the anti-graft body in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were in-charge of the matter and the probe team of the EFCC had been swung into action on the alleged fraud.
The source added that the anti-graft body would soon invite Abiola-Lamby and Adegboye for questioning, for possible prosecution for alleged financial scandal if they failed to account for the public funds in their custody for the period of three years as requested and only God knows what would happen thereafter.
The Petition Letter dated November 6th,2020 were signed by CTG’S Director of Mobilization, Comrade Michael James, and forwarded to the Acting Chairman and Southwest Zonal Head of the EFCC, noted that corruption is like a deadly virus, attacks every vital structure that makes society’s functioning, thus, putting its very existence into serious peril.
It alleged that the public funds in their custody for the period three years were siphoned into the private account of the aforementioned outgoing officials and their cronies.
According to the transparency group in the petition on Thursday, it said; it was on record in the Council area that no single reasonable project were initiated by the Abiola-Lamby administration for the period of three years (January 2018 to November,20202) due to misappropriation of public funds.
The letter further read in part; “Recently, there was an allegation of releasing sum of Three million naira (N3, 000,000) through the Council Chairman, Mr. Olayiwola Abiola- Lamby to the Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Director in charge of Chieftaincy Affairs, Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Rasaq Adeosun and Mr. Oladipupo respectively.
“Also, all the public funds being allocated for construction of public utilities as Ward (Constituency) projects for the period under review were siphoned by the outgoing Leader of the Legislative Arm of the Council area, Mr. Taiwo Adegboye.
“We want the anti-graft body to invite some of the career officials such as; Council Managers, Directors of Finance, Director of Works, and Internal Auditors of the Egbedore Local Government area, Awo for period of January 2018 to November, 2020 for more clarifications.”
It submitted that all the actions of the outgoing Chairman and Legislative Leader(Abiola-Lamby and Adegboye), were contrary to the spirit of democratic ethos and value and Social justice contract with the people of the area and this action has serious negative impact on the lives of the masses living in the area.
For Enquiry
EFCC desk officer-09060186453/0706 823 5494/08093322644
Mr. Olayiwola Abiola-Lamby: +2348067717771
