By Onyekachi Eze
The administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma and that of his immediate predecessor, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha are entangled in war of words over alleged N19.63billion said to have stolen from the accounts of Local Government Areas of Imo State through the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Even as governments at all quarters are battling to contain the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the populace, a new twist has been witnessed in the relationship between Uzodinma who took over mantle of leadership of the State as governor after sacking Ihedioha on January 14, 2020.
Barely three months after the Supreme Court judgment, verbal exchanges amidst accusation and counter accusation have become the order of the day following claims by the present administration that the Ihedioha regime allegedly siphoned N19.63 billion LGA fund based on discoveries.
In a statement credited to the Imo State Commissioner for information, Hon Declan Emelumba on Tuesday evening”
“Imo state government has approved the request of the Auditor General for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, to take all necessary steps to recover the sum of N19.63Billion siphoned from the State-Local Government Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC), through the Bureau for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA), by the sacked government of Emeka Ihedioha, in just 7 months in office.
“The staggering amount was siphoned for undisclosed purposes.”
The State commissioner for Information and Strategy, said the N19.63Billion misappropriated Funds was discovered during a routine Audit of the Accounts and Records of JAAC with the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs by the Local Government Auditor General for the fiscal year ended 31/12/2019.
According to him, the Government’s action was in line with the NEW IMO Agenda to entrench a resilient and transparent Public Service and restore financial discipline and Rule of law premised on extant laws pertaining to the Custody, Management and Appropriation of Public Funds”.
According to the Commissioner, J.A.A.C. was set up by law and disbursements of L.G.As Funds is guided by Model Financial Memorandum and other extant laws on custody, and management and audit of the said entity.
He regretted that the money was illegally withdrawn from J.A.A.C. account without any Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) or Stores Receipt Vouchers (S.R.V.) or Stores Issue Vouchers (S.I.V.) in accordance with extant laws.
The Commissioner declared “Some of the agents used by Ihedioha’s government to siphon the billions of Naira include; The Managing Director of Wall House Ltd., a crony of the sacked governor, who was paid N1.215 billion for supply of construction equipment without any document, which he didn’t supply. There was also an unconscionable mandatory withdrawal of N2.405 Billion by the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA).
Others are payment of N9.378Billion to Local Government councils for an undisclosed purpose. Also Anyama and co. received N245 Million for no disclosed purpose. Other fictitious and fraudulent withdrawals include compulsory returns or kick- backs from Local Government Councils to the BLGCA to the tune of N2.404Billion. This was deducted from the allocated funds of the L.G.A.’s.
Payment of N245Million to Raphael Anyama & Co. (Chartered Accountants) from Rural Roads Account without payment vouchers or approvals. Payments made through the banks without payment vouchers or evidence of expenditure to the tune of N3.332Billion. Curious phenomenon where N25Million was paid twice to the Principal Secretary to the governor in December 2019 as security vote, whereas such funds are not paid from JAAC accounts but from state funds”.
He continued; “The state government is shocked and embarrassed that within just seven months; a government could perpetrate such quantum of fraud by an unconscionable abuse of public trust through the use of public funds for self serving purposes. Consequently the government has approved the request of the Auditor-General for Local Government to enforce his recovery order on the Permanent Secretary BLGCA and others indicted as agents used by the Ihedioha’s government to siphon the N19.63Billion.
Adding that Government has immediately ordered the re-shuffling of DAGS and Treasurers.
However, in a swift reaction, one of Ihedioha’s aides who served as special adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs during his eight months reign, Hon Mayor Eze replied that Uzodinma’s claims not only lacks truth but also a comic relief for the Covid-19 sit as home elixir.
Explaining on the matter, Eze said, “as the man in charge of the Bureau then to make some facts clear for the reading public to make up their minds by dealing with the online and viral version.
“Wall House was paid N945m so far before we left and not N1.215 billion as claimed. He has also delivered seventeen pieces of the Earth moving equipments to the present government of Imo State and they are parked within the Hero’s Square premises.
“There was no such thing as Unconscionable mandatory withdrawal of N2.405 billion. From who to who, where and when?
“ There was nothing like payment of N9. 378 billion to Local government councils for an undisclosed purpose. If such funds were paid into local government councils, that’s a bonus. But who paid that and from where?
“Anyama and Co received N245m for no disclosed purpose. I do not know who is Anyama and Co and the Bureau did not pay that under my watch.
“Compulsory returns on kick backs from local government councils to the BLGCA to the tune of N2. 404billion. There is absolutely nothing like that.
“Payment of N245m to Raphael Anyama and Co (Chartered Accountants) from Rural roads without Payment vouchers. I repeat, I do not know this individual or company and no such money was paid to him when I was in the Bureau as Special Adviser.
“Payments made through the banks without Payment vouchers or evidence of expenditure to the tone of N3. 332billion. Like others above, this is a total fabrication and falsehood.
“Curious Phenomenon where N25m was paid twice to the Principal Secretary to the Governor as Security vote. Once again, this is laughable, was the money paid cash or through an account? This is a senseless fabrication.
“I am yet to see the attached document for other details.
