Assembly indicts 12 ex-LG chairmen in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi House of Assembly on Thursday indict­ed 12 of the 13 lo­cal government caretaker committee chairmen for financial misappropria­tion. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the immediate past Assembly had set up a committee to probe the financial deal­ings of the chairmen be­tween November 2014 and June 2015, when they re­signed their appointments. The indictment was con­tained in committee’s re­port submitted to the House and read by its Chairman, Chief Obasi Odefa, who is also the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. According to the report, the ex-chairmen alleg­edly embezzled the state’s funds during the period un­der review. It noted that some of their expenditures had pho­ney titles such as, immuni­sation costs, breastfeeding expenses, security expens­es and solidarity rally for former President Goodluck Jonathan, among others. “The caretaker chair­men, treasurers, cashiers and Heads of Department (HOD) of works connived to illegally withdraw mon­ey from the councils’ ac­counts and siphoned such into private accounts. “The caretaker chairmen withdrew funds from the councils’ stabilisation ac­counts in connivance with the chairman and secre­tary of the Joint Accounts Committee (JAC). “This is in contravention of Section12 of the Eb­onyi Revenue Distribution to Local Government and Development Centres Law 2006,” the report said. The Speaker of the House, Mr. Francis Nwif­uru, read the resolutions of the Assembly after it had adopted the commit­tee’s report. The Assembly resolved that the former Caretaker Chairman of Izzi LGA, Mr Godwin Nwogbaga, should re­fund N95 million. Nwogbaga, alongside the Head of Department (HOD), Works Depart­ment and treasurer of the council, were also asked to jointly refund N217mil­lion. Similarly, the Chairman of Ohaukwu LGA, Mrs. Chinyere Elom, was asked to refund N53 million, while the council’s HOD for Works should refund N7 million. Nwifuru also announced that the former Caretaker Chairman, Ezza North LGA, Mr. Jeff Ogbu, should refund N97 million, while the treasurer would refund N6 million and in addition, be dismissed from service. “The Chairman of Onicha LGA should re­fund N158 million and re­turn the 60KVA generator, which she allegedly carted away while the council’s HOD for works should re­fund N61 million. “The Chairman of Ezza South LGA, Mr. Edwin Oke, is to refund N115 mil­lion, being fund he could not explain how it was utilised while the council’s HOD works should be dis­missed,” Nwifuru said. The speaker further announced that the com­mittee did not indict the former Chairman of Ivo LGA, Mr. Joseph Obasi, of any financial misappropri­ation, but recommended that he be relieved of his duty for not being able to guide his officials accord­ingly. “The House clerk should present a memo to the governor, urging him to relieve all those in­dicted in the report imme­diately from their duties and prosecute them,” he said. Resolutions concern­ing other former council caretaker chairmen were also read. The report also indicted the immediate past commissioner for Lo­cal Government and the permanent secretary in the ministry, among other council officials.