Politics
A transparency group, the Centre for Transparency in Governance, CTG, has urged the security operatives to place the outgoing Chairman, Oriade Local Government area of Osun State, Olubunmi Ezekiel Obeissun, under security watch in order to stop his plan to jet out of the country without the knowledge of the authority of the anti-graft body that is investigating him on the alleged N193 million misappropriation of council funds.
Obeisun has been under the criminal financial investigation of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, since November 2020 for alleged fraud, adding that Obeisun has concluded arrangements to leave the country for another shore to escape the ongoing investigation of the EFCC about his administration from January 2018 to November 2020.
The group claims in a statement that investigation has it that Obeisun is allegedly involved in fraud, while working with the defunct National Electric Power Authority, NEPA and ran to neighbouring Republic of Ghana to escape the criminal prosecution of the alleged fraud then.
It claimed that the former Chairman of the Council area, Caleb Ojo, began his journey to Prison, Correctional Centre, for misappropriation of the fund of the same Local Government.
According to the petition letter, sent to the authorities of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Nigeria Police Force, NPF, Directorate of State Security, DSS, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on the hidden motive of the council boss to evade investigation and possible prosecution for misappropriation of public funds.
The letter dated 13th of January, 2021 and signed by Michael James, the CTG’s Director of Mobilization and copies were made available to newsmen on Friday, informing the concerned authorities not to allow Obeisun to escape from the shore of Nigeria.
The transparency group had earlier written the anti-graft agency in a letter dated 6th of November, 2020 and forwarded to the office of the Acting Chairman of the EFCC and Zonal Head of the EFCC in Southwestern Nigeria.
The letter noted that “CTG, as a believer in transparency in governance to draw the attention of anti-graft agency to the obvious financial impunities, illegal and criminal diversion of public funds belonging to Oriade Local Government area, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, to the tune of N193 million through the duplication of contract projects and disparities between the actual cost and receipts (invoicing) and others.
“To our dismay, all these public funds were siphoned into the private account of the Council Chairman, Ezekiel Obeisun, and there should be forensic audit of the account of the local government for the period of January 2018 to November 2020,” the group said.
– Jan. 29, 2021 @ 14:59 GMT |
Tags: Group urges EFCC others to place outgoing Local Govt. chairman on security watch
