Ebonyi govt did not misappropriate N6bn LG funds ― Umahi

Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi has debunked allegations that the state government misappropriated N6bn statutory allocation of the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

Umahi described the allegations contained in a petition submitted to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging misconduct as concocted and laughable.

Recall that the former aides of Governor Umahi, under the auspices of G-64 Former Coordinators’ Forum of Ebonyi State, had petitioned the EFCC over alleged “misappropriation of statutory allocations of over N6,756,800,000.00 belonging to the 13 local government councils” by the state government.

They had in the petition dated January 11, 2021, and signed by their lawyers, Amos Ogbonnaya and Co., claimed they were short-changed by the governor, calling on the anti-graft agency to investigate the funds, which according to them, had yet to be accounted for.

But the governor in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media and Publicity), Francis Nwaze, at the weekend said it will make itself available for public scrutiny, noting that the state has not been involved in any case of financial misappropriation as alleged.

The statement reads in part: “While we are constrained to make remarks on the travails of the self-imposed political savages who are now at the mercy of the incorruptible EFCC, it is pertinent to note that all the financial dealings of the present administration in the state have always been published in the state government’s official website for public knowledge and there has not been any case of financial misappropriation as alleged by the relevance seeking group of power mongers.

“It is however laughable how this recyclable political job hunters could descend so low as to accuse the administration of Engineer David Umahi of misappropriation of this magnitude.

“This is more laughable considering that the person they accuse is a personality who was crowned the anti-corruption ambassador by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for his unbeatable track record in the prudent management of meager resources.

“The Ebonyi State Government is however not averse to make itself available for public scrutiny should the EFCC require its inputs to ensure exhaustive investigation of the spurious allegations at any point in time.

“I therefore call on the people of Ebonyi State to remain vigilant and watch how merchants of fake news and blackmail would one day be implicated and vilified in the temple of justice.”

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