EFCC Quizzes Ebonyi Accountant General, 2 Commissioners In Abuja

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Nigeria 2015 Election Wednesday, January 14th, 2015

Ignatius Okpara, Abakaliki – The ongoing political war between governor Martin Elechi, of Ebonyi state and some Abuja based politicians has taken a new twist, as operatives of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday quizzed two serving Commissioners and Accountant – General of the state in Abuja.

Ebonyi State Governor, Martin Elechi

A Source told African Examiner in Abakaliki, that the three Ebonyi government officials, namely, the Accountant General, Igbele, Commissioner for finance, Timothy Ogbonnaya Odaa, and Commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy matters, Cele Nwali.

They are being interrogated by the anti graft agency over allegations bordering on corruption and financial recklessness involving state local government funds.

According to the source, they are said to be telling EFCC all they know about an Asphalt Project earmarked for the 13 local government of the state by the Elechi administration for which monies running into millions of naira was deducted at source, from local government account.

It was further gathered that it was Nwali, who allegedly directed all 13 Local Government Areas in Ebonyi State to erect Asphalt complexes in their Local Government Headquarters.

Said the source: “Six of the local councils complied while seven did not, yet funds were deducted from the accounts of all the local governments.

Nwali is also being fingered as the brain behind the deduction of one million naira from each of the council ostensibly to fund the production of T-shirts for the Centenary celebration.

However, there is said to be no evidence that the T-shirts were produced, while the N13m remain unaccounted for.

As at the time of filing this report, no official statement was available from the anti-graft agency.

But investigation by our correspondent revealed that the EFCC sudden intervention was as a result of petitions by governor Elechi’s political enemies within the PDP who are top politicians from the state based in Abuja.