EXCLUSIVE: How Ogun Governor, Abiodun Used ‘Abuja Influence’ To Stop Anti-graft Agency, EFCC From Interrogating Assembly Speaker, Others Over Multi-billion Naira Fraud
Olakunle Oluomo with Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun is frustrating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from interrogating the some State House of Assembly members accused of multi-billion-naira fraud, SaharaReporters has gathered.
The governor, according to impeccable sources, is using his “influential network in Abuja” to rein in the anti-graft agency from interrogating the state lawmakers, particularly the speaker, Olakunle Oluomo.
Olakunle Oluomo with Governor Dapo Abiodun.
SaharaReporters had reported that Oluomo is being investigated by EFCC with the Assembly clerk and some former members of the House.
In a letter obtained in 2021 by SaharaReporters, the anti-graft agency asked the clerk to provide it with information on all budget appropriations and allocations of the House from May 30, 2015 till date.
“The Speaker and others are under probe for different allegations. First one is financial misappropriation. About N85,000,000 monthly for running cost of the Assembly cannot be accounted for since June 2019 till date by Mr Speaker and Clerk, the approving officer and accounting officer respectively,” a lawmaker had told SaharaReporters.
“This led to a rift between the Speaker and the recently impeached Deputy Speaker after the latter demanded accountability and transparency. Even doing Covid-19 lockdown, running costs such as local/international travel, cost for fuelling the generator were diverted to private accounts.
“Diversion of constituency allowance funds (each member of the 8th Assembly collected N20,000,000 twice between 2015-2019. Most of the retired receipts were forged and fictitious pictures of porputed ghost projects were filed by members. The current Speaker and 3 other current members were part of the 8th Assembly under investigation. A current Special Adviser to the Governor of Ogun state who also has a school certificate scandal case over him, was part of the 8th Assembly under the EFCC radar.
“Forgery of Financial Bills (i-The House passed a resolution to approve only N75 billion Bond for the State Government sometime in June 2020, but Speaker secretly falsified the content of the resolution letter in favour of the Executive, changed it to N200 billion after members had already passed and signed resolution for just N75 billion on the floor of the House before the camera.
“Speaker falsified some contents {S.7(4)} of Ogun State Legislative Funds Management Bill, after passage, for personal/selfish grounds. After the passage on the floor of the House, he falsified the contents in his favour before sending a clean copy to the Government for assent.
“Speaker in connivance with Mr Clerk, also falsified the current Standing Order of the House before the commencement of the 9th Assembly, to favour his election as the Speaker and disqualified others to contest, amongst other contents.”
Despite the investigation by the Abdulrasheed Bawa-led EFCC, the anti-graft agency is said to be “handicapped” in interrogating the indicted lawmakers, let alone prosecuting them, insider at the EFCC Lagos Zonal office said.
This development has bolstered the ballooning ego of the speaker who was heard daring EFCC to come after him “if they can.”
Oluomo was said to be banking on the unflinching support of Governor Abiodun in return for the cover that the Assembly has provided to the Governor on several allegations of corruption.
“The governor has reached out to the power-that-be in Abuja and the EFCC investigation will fizzle out,” a source told SaharaReporters.
It would be recalled that the former Attorney-General resigned a couple of months ago citing massive corruption against the governor before he was pressured to change the reason to “personal reason”.
Some of the allegations of corruption against the governor include the massive inflation of the cost of constructing roads such as the Epe to Ijebu-Ode Expressway (which is being tolled for repayment by the public at about thrice the actual cost without any due process) and the resurfaced Shagamu to Abeokuta Road that was executed at higher than the cost of rebuilding.
“The lawmakers are made to believe that EFCC’s Bawa can’t do anything because Governor Dapo Abiodun has reached out to his bosses in Abuja,” another source told SaharaReporters.
It is with this mindset that the lawmakers recently dared the EFCC by refusing to honour the anti-graft agency’s “invitation for interview/interrogation” scheduled at its Lagos office.
It was further understood that the speaker is approaching the state High Court to obtain an injunction that would stop the EFCC from pursuing the case.
The tone of the lawmakers’ letter was riddled with unbridled arrogance and bourgeoning impunity, an EFCC insider said.
“The lawmakers, in their response to the EFCC’s letter, ended up trying to show the anti-graft agency that it doesn’t even know what it is doing. The EFCC has been rendered as a toothless bulldog as far as the lawmakers’ graft case is concerned,” he said.
In a letter dated December 9, 2021, with a reference No: CR:3000/EFCC/LS/CMU/OG1/VOL.3/165, with a subject: ‘Investigation activities: Letter of Invitation,’ the EFCC summoned the assembly speaker, the clerk, accountant, account staff, 26 members of the Ogun State House of Assembly and other principal staff for “investigative interview/interrogation” at its Lagos office.
The EFCC, in its letter, asked the Assembly clerk to provide it with information on all budget appropriations and allocations of the House from May 30, 2015, till date.
However, based on the assurances from Governor Abiodun, the lawmakers had shunned the EFCC invitation, saying that the invitation was “a potential threat to the good of the Ogun people, and has the tendency to shut down legislative business in Ogun State in critical period.”
Insiders at the anti-corruption Commission told this newspaper that despite the lawmakers’ impudent reply to the EFCC, “no action was taken. Nothing was done. This is unusual. It is apparent that the EFCC is indeed handicapped.”
The Ogun lawmakers, through the office of the speaker, sent this reply to the EFCC in a letter dated 13 December 2021, with a reference number: OG/SPK/2021/66.
The letter was signed by the speaker himself, addressed to the EFCC Deputy Zonal Commander in Lagos, with attention: ACE Emeka Okonjo.
The lawmakers argued that they wouldn’t honour the EFCC invite because they were working on a budget document presented by Governor Abiodun.
They said “the House is currently processing several critical and pressing issues of public concern, some of which are in the public domain relating to revenue collection, security, as well as trade and investments.”
The Speaker clearly stated in the letter to the EFCC that the invitation of the lawmakers “poses a logistical nightmare to members.”
Despite shunning the EFCC, the Speaker instead asked that “a copy of the petition against the House be made available to us, so that we can exercise our right of preparing our defence.”
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SaharaReporters, New York
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