Daily Independent (Lagos)
Alexandra Mede
6 July 2009
Speaker Tonye Harry and his Majority Leader, Chidi Lloyd are among 28 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who had been interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the mismanagement of about N5billion constituency project fund.
A reliable source within the anti-corruption commission disclosed at the weekend that the money was released to the lawmakers as constituency project fund by the executive, but they allegedly misappropriated it.
Although there were insinuations that governor Rotimi Amaechi may have reported the matter to the EFCC, his media adviser, David Iyofor told Sunday Independent on Saturday that it was not true. "You know that that cannot be true and you also know that the Legislature is an independent entity," he said.
Regarding the interrogation of the lawmakers, Iyofor maintained that he was not competent to speak on matters affecting the Assembly which he said, "is completely independent of the Executive."
But according to our source, the N5 billion was released to the lawmakers but they have failed to carry out the projects for which it was released.
Sunday Independent gathered that rather than the lawmakers execute the projects, some of them turned themselves to contractors while others were said to have completely abandoned the projects.
"They allegedly collected the money without executing the projects for which it was meant," an EFCC official said, adding that, "the lawmakers also made themselves the contractors where the projects are executed at all."
"That way, the few projects they have carried out are of sub-standard and cannot account for the huge amount of money released for them," he said.
On how the EFCC came about the matter, our source said it was the result of the efforts of the Commission's Intelligent Unit which had learnt to embark on secret, but independent inquiries around government ministries, departments and agencies as well as in the states nationwide.
Our source said that on Monday, June 29, the Speaker and the Majority Leader were quizzed extensively by operatives of the EFCC while the next day, Tuesday, June 30, 12 other members took their turns.
Sunday Independent also gathered that on Wednesday, July 1, 13 other members were interrogated while one member took his turn on Friday, July 3.
The source who said the commission is still verifying the projects, however, added that out of 32 members of the Rivers State Assembly, 28 have been so far quizzed while two are abroad on course and two others indisposed.
The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi confirmed the interrogation of the lawmakers as well as the on going investigation into the matter.
Efforts to speak with the Speaker on Saturday yielded little result as his cell phone did not go through. He also did not respond to a text message sent to him by Sunday Independent at press time.
Meanwhile, indications emerged at the weekend that some EFCC operatives are allegedly demanding gratification from the contractors whose accounts were frozen in respect of the sharp practices that characterised the execution of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) projects which had landed some National Assembly members as well as some officials of the REA into trouble.
Feelers at the weekend indicated that some of the EFCC operatives are allegedly asking the desperate contractors for N150, 000 to enable them "unlock" their accounts in the words of one of the contractors.
Although the accounts were frozen on the orders of the court, some of the EFCC operatives, it was alleged, are hoping that if the contractors pay the money, reports that would be favourable to them would be written.
But Babafemi had dismissed the claim, saying there was nothing like that. He said there are so many people faking EFCC operatives and that the Commission would gladly work with any contractor willing to help the EFCC authority expose any staff who drags the name of the Commission in the mud.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Independent. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
