Bello Accused of Mismanaging N48.4bn Bailout, Statutory Allocations

· EFCC, ICPC asked to probe allegations

Gboyega Akinsanmi

An Abuja-based civil society organisation, Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), on Tuesday accused Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, of mismanaging N30 billion bailout the state received from the federal government and N18.412 billion statutory allocations it received from the Federation Account.

Consequently, the group asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the allegation, which it alleged was monumental fraud.

The group made the demand in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Sadiq Jobi, alleging that the spate of the depletion of the bailout funds and other statutory funds under the Bello administration was mind-boggling.

Giving details of how the funds domiciled in the state’s bank accounts with Zenith Bank Plc and Access Bank Plc were mismanaged, the group said the allegation “must not be glossed over by any right-thinking anti-corruption organisation.”

It alleged that the state government “got N30 billion bailout as follows: N10 billion for infrastructure, N20 billion for salaries. N10 billion out of N20 billion for salaries is domiciled with Zenith Bank, while the remaining N10 billion for local government salaries is domiciled with Access Bank.”

Precisely on July 26, the group alleged that the sum of N 912,648,960.49 “was paid from the infrastructural account number 1010756707 at Zenith Bank to AG Vision Construction Nigeria Limited Account No 1920001651 at Skye Bank as part payment purportedly made for the construction of Agasa-Ukpogoro road, a fictitious no-existing project as at today

Further details later