Monday, February 17, 2025 - Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has received the report of the Administrative Panel of Enquiry investigating the financial dealings of the 18 impeached Local Government Chairmen from September 4, 2023, to November 2024. The governor has vowed to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the findings.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Fred Itua, disclosed this in
a statement on Sunday, February 16. He revealed that the panel, led by Solomon
Imohiosen, uncovered massive financial irregularities, with forensic
investigations showing that ₦96 billion was either mismanaged or diverted to
private accounts.
“The panel’s investigation uncovered significant irregularities in the
financial activities of the 18 Local Governments Councils. The recommendations
outlined in the report aim to address these issues and promote transparency and
accountability in the Local Governments' finances,” Imohiosen stated while
submitting the report to the governor.
According to the panel, the 18 Local Government Chairmen received ₦95
billion from the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) during the period
under review. However, the funds were allegedly not judiciously utilized, as
there were no meaningful projects on the ground to justify the expenditure.
The report further claims that over ₦10 billion was fraudulently
siphoned under the guise of “Security, Environment, and Training.” The panel
alleges that the chairmen contributed to a special account used as a conduit to
drain government resources, with funds being transferred to various individuals
and companies.
Besides the impeached Local Government Chairmen, the report also
allegedly implicates former governor Godwin Obaseki and leaders of a faction of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
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