The immediate past deputy governor of
Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, says following a series of petitions he
wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the commission
has already begun a probe of Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s government.
Olanusi, who was impeached by the Peoples
Democratic Party-led House of Assembly in April, said this in a
statement on Wednesday.
The former deputy governor said some
principal officers of the Ondo State House of Assembly had also been
invited by the EFCC to explain their role in some alleged corrupt deals.
He said, “The idea behind these petitions
is to let the public know what is happening in Ondo State. There are
some individuals that assisted the state government in this looting and
they have already been invited by the EFCC.
“Some
principal officers in the House have already been invited, including
top officials of the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development
Commission. In the last three weeks, they have visited the EFCC about
three or four times.”
The former deputy governor, who was
impeached shortly after defecting to the All Progressives Congress, said
some projects, such as the residency card scheme, otherwise known as
Kaadi Igbeayo, were fraudulent.
When asked to explain why he did not
expose the alleged corruption by the Mimiko administration while he was
still in office, Olanusi said he tried to “show the governor the light”
but the governor refused to listen to his advice.
Olanusi, who is now a member of the APC
Board of Trustees, said the probe would uncover many shady activities of
the government, including extra-budgetary spendings and dubious bank
loans.
“For instance, the national conference, a
lavishly sponsored Federal Government project, gulped a whooping sum of
N113, 285,000 of the state’s resources,” he said.
But in a swift reaction, the Ondo State
Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, has described Olanusi’s
allegations as baseless.
Akinmade , who spoke on behalf of Mimiko,
said Olanusi should allow the EFCC to act on the petition he wrote and
come out with its findings if indeed he has a genuine case against the
government.
He said, “The EFCC is an agency of
government with the statutory responsibility of investigating corrupt
allegations. Instead of jumping the gun, Olanusi should allow the agency
do its job, except he is telling the world that the agency is not
competent or reliable enough to handle his petitions without any bias.
“The Ondo State Government wonders if
Olanusi’s expectation is that the graft agency should ride like an
invading army, arresting and detaining everybody in Ondo State on
account of his petitions.
“We hope he is not suggesting that the
EFCC should become an appendage of his new party and a tool in the hands
of the ruling government to threaten the opposition.
“Apparently, Olanusi is dazed as he has
lost in his game as his plans to impeach his boss failed. Now , he wants
something to keep him in the glare of the public as he seeks political
relevance.
“Where was Olanusi when the alleged N18bn
was diverted? What action did he take? Or is he just discovering the
alleged graft now? What are the details of the alleged theft and what
are the proofs behind his baseless claims?
“Now that he has assumed the position of
the EFCC spokesperson and petitioner, Olanusi can well provide the
details of his phantom theft, including what he got then as deputy
governor.”
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