N8.2BN SCAM: ICPC quizzes, detains Oyo ex-commissioners •Summons Accountant-General

PRELIMINARY investigations are reportedly on by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in the corruption cases against some governors whose tenure ended last Sunday, the Nigerian Tribune was told on Tuesday.

This is even as commissioners who served in the administration of the immediate past governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, were quizzed by the commission on Tuesday in Abuja over an alleged N8.2 billion scam rocking the state.

Five separate petitions were written to the commission, alleging a legion of corrupt acts against the administration.

Commission’s spokesperson, Mr Folu Olamiti, confirmed the quizzing of the former top government officials.

Those quizzed on Tuesday included former Commissioner for Commerce and Cooperative, Dr Kola Balogun; his Education counterpart, Dr Nurudeen Adeniran; Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kunle Isola; Environment and Water Resources, Alhaji Majekodunmi Aborode; Finance, Adebayo Bankole and Works and Transport, Alhaji Raheem Oyedemi Muslim.

THE Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Oyo State chapter, will hold a quarterly lecture, entitled: International Public Relations: The Dynamics and Dimension of Practice and Management, tomorrow, at the Conference Hall of the Federal Secretariat, Ikolaba Road, Ibadan, by 1.00 p.m. The lecture will be delivered by a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communications, BOWEN University, Iwo, Osun State, Deacon Taiwo Abodunrin. The chairman on the occasion is the former national president of NIPR, Chief Jibade Oyekan.Three legal practitioners reportedly came with them.

Though they were granted administrative bail, they were yet to meet the bail conditions at the time of going to the press around 6.55 p.m.
The commission ordered them to produce a surety each with landed property in Abuja and not below the level of director in the federal civil service.

Nigerian Tribune was told that a director in a government agency had indicated to be a surety to one of the suspects, while others were said to be making efforts not to stay in detention for the night.

The state Accountant-General was also said to have been summoned for interrogation next week, while the former commissioners had also been reportedly directed to make a return trip to Abuja next week.

It was unclear, on Tuesday, if the Accountant-General requested by the commission was the immediate past, Alhaji Olaitan, or his successor-in-office, Alhaji Yusuf.

On the immediate past governors, Nigerian Tribune source noted that the commission was still at the level of preliminary issues, like compiling list and pieces of evidence that would be used in investigating the allegations of corruption raised against them.

It was learnt that the commission would also intensify preliminary investigation in the case of Oyo, to determine if and when Alao-Akala would be summoned.

The five petitions against his administration were said to have covered the controversial UBEC contracts during his illegal 11-month administration.

The equally-controversial road construction project gulping billions of naira in the 33 local government areas was also said to be receiving the attention of the commission.

ICPC had threatened to declare the former commissioners wanted last week when they did not show up at its headquarters as directed, with the affected officials reportedly writing in a few days back, indicating their desire to honour the summons.

Indications also emerged on Tuesday that the ICPC might be waiting for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be through with the embattled speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, before turning the heat on him, over the alleged N10 billion scam rocking his leadership.