The Ilorin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) yesterday disclosed that, it had uncovered the sum of ₦5 billion allegedly diverted by the 24 ex-lawmakers of the Kwara State House of Assembly, the immediate past Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Ademola Banu and some companies through the State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) without following due process between 2015-2019 in the state.
Already, the anti-graft agency has commenced full interrogation on the immediate past chairman of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, Professor Muritala Awodu, a former member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Moshood Bakare and some staff of the State Internal Revenue Service over their alleged involvement in the act.
But, a member of the Finance Committee of the eight state House of Assembly who spoke with journalists in Ilorin yesterday on condition of anonymity on the issue, denied the allegations raised against the immediate past lawmakers in the state.
He said that, “there is no money from KWIRS or executive council to the House of Assembly without following law and the written approval of the executive governor of the state during the period.”
The former lawmaker however said that, there was no any N4 million that was coming to the House every month from internal revenue service adding that, “it is vendetta being used by the present government through EFCC to tarnish the image of the ex-lawmakers and former government of PDP in the state.”
However, the EFCC in a statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara State capital yesterday, signed by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said that “During investigations, the agency discovered that about five companies linked to highly placed politicians in Kwara State benefited about N4 billion from the money without any valid contractual agreements with the State government.
“Other beneficiaries in the monies include, all the former 24 members of the Kwara State House of Assembly including the speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad, former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, ex Kwara State Accountant General, Ishola Sulyman, Permanent Secretaries among others”..
The statement added that, “A staff of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service while being interrogated by the operatives of the Commission said “ the house of assembly members were collecting N4million monthly for public relations and shared among themselves.
“The former Kwara State Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu was also collecting N5 million every months without working for it, infact, Mr Banu collect it in cash, I do take it to his house, if we don’t give him, he won’t approve anything we take to him”
“On his part, Bakare, a former Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation and Finance said “ they do send the money, N4m million monthly into the account of my personal assistant who is presently being detained by the EFCC, He will then withdraw the money and give it to me, I will now hand it over to the Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad who will now share it to all the honourable members “
“Some honourable members do collect the money in cash while some will insist that it the money should be transferred into their accounts”.
The statement however said that, “It was further discovered that a Personal Assistant to the Former Governor of Kwara State, Rafiu Olasile received the sum of N10 million cash from one of the aides to ex-Chairman of House Committee on Appropriation and Finance”.
THE SUN, NIGERIA
