According to reports, Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State and other top government officials are currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial fraud.
A senior officer of the EFCC, who spoke to Daily Sun on Sunday, June 22, 2014 in Abuja, disclosed that the Secretary to State Government (SSG), commissioner for finance as well as the state’s accountant-general have been held by the EFCC in Abuja.
“EFCC is investigating the massive looting of the state treasury. The state accounts were frozen in order to stop the alleged brazen looting going on in the state.
“Immunity does not exempt the governor from being investigated. We are doing our job and as soon as we conclude the investigation, those who have questions to answer will be charged to court.
“The investigation has nothing to do with the perceived disagreement between the governor and the Presidency. EFCC is not a political party. It is an anti-corruption agency. Therefore, we will not join issues with anyone.”
The source also gave a better analysis of how the frauds were perpetuated. “EFCC froze the account of the Adamawa State government as a precautionary measure to safeguard the state treasury amidst evidence of barefaced looting uncovered in an on- going investigation.
“There was a massive looting of the treasury by the governor and his cronies through an illegal department called Special Programme and Project Units (SPPU ) which engaged in over-invoicing and inflation of contracts.
“In the course of investigation, analysis of local government account reveals massive cash withdrawals. The Permanent Secretary of Local Government made cash withdrawal of over N2billion in 181 different transactions, scattered in trenches of three, four, eight and nine million naira per transaction from state/local government account between August 29, 2011 and 2012.
“He made similar cash withdrawal amounting to over N500 million between March 6, 2008 and March 4, 2011 from another joint account,” the source revealed.
Meanwhile, almost one week after the House of Assembly claimed to have issued an impeachment notice, governor Nyako said yesterday he was yet to be served.
Nyako also said he is not dodging beieng served the notice of impeachment which contained a 20-count charge of alleged gross misconduct,constitutional and financial breaches levelled against him and his Deputy, James Bala Ngillari.
The governor, who spoke to Daily Sun, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Ahmed Sajoh, however, debunked claims that the governor was dodging being served the notice which was signed by 19 out of 25 lawmakers.
He maintained that all the talk that the governor was evading service of the impeachment notice was nonsense because, according to him,” the governor represented an institution and therefore, must not be served in person.
“So, even if the individual does not directly collects it,the office would receive it. So, there’s nothing like somebody evading anything,” Sajoh said.
He noted that he was aware the Clerk of the House came to serve the governor, but it was after the close of work. “The last time I was aware the clerk attempted to serve the governor, he came some minutes past 4pm and the office was closed”
According to Sajoh, the official, Mr. Francis Gbensenso, came with cameramen to the entrance of the Government House in Yola.
According to him, “the political impasse in Adamawa State would soon be issues for the courts to adjudicate upon. The issues affect the Federal Government freezing of the state accounts through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while the other has to do with the powers of the legislators, whether they had powers to resurrect an issue from another legislative house and give it relevance.”
Sajoh said taking legal action has become necessary. “Well,these are issues for the law courts to decide. Particularly,that already handled by another legislative session. But on the issue of whether the EFCC requires a court order to freeze a state acount, it is there in the Acts establishing the commission.
“Taking a legal action is required,but what we are alerting people to, is that people continue to overlook such level of impunity and illegality. Gov. Nyako had been crying about impunity by the Federal Government long before this crisis began and alerted that it is good for us to know that this is not only going to continue, but it is going to be without limits”.
Meanwhile, the United Nigerians Forum has urged the Assembly to drag Nyako to the EFCC over the alleged N100 million inducement to stop his impeachment of the governor.
Convener of the forum, Comrade Umar Farouk, who made the plea at a press conference in Abuja at the weekend, said the substantial evidence of corruption and extra-budgetary allegations levied against the governor were overwhelming enough to impeach him.
