EFCC quizzes Abia Finance Commissioner, 4 ministry officials over alleged fraud
The commissioner said that the anti-graft probe was prompted by a petition from a commissioner in the state Civil Service Commission, Mr Guy Okite.
EFCC operatives
Recommended articles
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi, made the disclosure on Friday in Umuahia during a joint news briefing with the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Obinna Oriaku, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Enyinnaya Appolos, and Dr. Moses Orji, a media aide to the governor.
The commissioner said that the anti-graft probe was prompted by a petition from a commissioner in the state Civil Service Commission, Mr Guy Okite.
He said that four of the suspects worked in the payroll unit of the ministry of finance.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said that the finance commissioner was also invited to shed light on some of the issues raised by the petitioner adding that he had since returned to his work.
Okiyi said that while two of the suspects were still being detained by EFCC, three others, including Oriaku, would only report to the commission whenever the need arose.
The commissioner, who did not disclose names of other suspects, said that the thrust of the investigation followed the 2017 annual report of the state audit team.
He, however, said that the petitioner should not have gone ahead with the petition since the contentious issue in the report had already been withdrawn by the same audit unit.
Okiyi said that the activities of the state government were open to scrutiny by relevant government agencies.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to him, Ikpeazu’s administration has zero tolerance for financial impropriety and would not shield any official allegedly involved in corruption.
He said, “Ikpeazu has zero tolerance for corruption and has long been adjudged the most transparent in the country.
“We, therefore, welcome scrutiny by relevant agencies of the state into our transactions, but such should be within the ambit of the law.
“The governor expects all employees of the government to carry out their official functions with the highest level of transparency and professionalism.
“Employees should also be prepared to give account to relevant institutions and the people of the state upon demand,” the commissioner said.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said that the state government welcomed the probe but charged EFCC to conduct their investigation professionally, in line with their constitutional mandate.
He further opined that those found culpable should be punished according to the law.
Speaking further on the alleged fraud, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Oriaku put the amount involved at approximately N6 million.
“The amount involved was not in the neighborhood of N200 million or N100 million as speculated but around N6 million,” Oriaku said.
JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!
ADVERTISEMENT
Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:
Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng
Recommended articles
Chess master Tunde Onakoya's parents get house gift from good Samaritan
Teacher told everyone her man abandoned her for another woman — the truth was worse
Ile-Ife is our ancestral home, Benin Kingdom tells Ooni
American school refunds $760,000 Yahaya Bello deposit to EFCC
Agege LG gives traders, scavengers 5 days to vacate rail lines
Prophet El-Buba wants Tinubu to give EFCC more backing in fight against corruption
Kwara govt rescue 40 poisoned cows from death, 33 others dead
BDC operators' president warns against naira speculation, vows unified market
Olorunfemi emerges Ondo LP guber candidate as other aspirants fail to buy ₦25m form
ADVERTISEMENT
![FCE, Zaria sets committee to investigate 12 students suspected to be cultists [myschoolgist]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'300'%20height%3D'172'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "FCE, Zaria sets committee to investigate 12 students suspected to be cultists [myschoolgist]")