There were indications in Osogbo on Sunday that Justice
Folahanmi Oloyede, who recently accused Governor Rauf Aregbesola of graft, had
been invited to the Abuja headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission.
A source close to the judge told journalists in Osogbo, the
Osun State capital, on Sunday that the judge was contacted by an official of
the EFCC, who asked her to come to the Abuja office of the commission to assist
them in the investigation into the allegations.
Osun State capital, on Sunday that the judge was contacted by an official of
the EFCC, who asked her to come to the Abuja office of the commission to assist
them in the investigation into the allegations.
Oloyede, a serving judge in the Osun State judiciary had
recently petitioned the state House of Assembly, asking that impeachment
proceedings be commenced against Aregbesola, who she also accused of being
corrupt.
recently petitioned the state House of Assembly, asking that impeachment
proceedings be commenced against Aregbesola, who she also accused of being
corrupt.
The source said the judge had expressed her readiness to
assist the anti-graft agency if they come to Osogbo to investigate the petition
but that she could not afford to travel to Abuja at the moment.
assist the anti-graft agency if they come to Osogbo to investigate the petition
but that she could not afford to travel to Abuja at the moment.
The judge had in her petition written on June 19 to the
Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, accused
Aregbesola of financial recklessness.
Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, accused
Aregbesola of financial recklessness.
She had also sent a copy of the petition to the EFCC and the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, among
others.
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, among
others.
The governor had told the House of Assembly during the
inauguration of the lawmakers in June that his administration had received
N20bn from federal allocations and internally generated revenue since inception
till the end of 2014.
inauguration of the lawmakers in June that his administration had received
N20bn from federal allocations and internally generated revenue since inception
till the end of 2014.
But the judge said the state got N538bn and alleged that the
governor falsified the figure in order to hide the balance of the receipts.
governor falsified the figure in order to hide the balance of the receipts.
Her petition read in part, “Mr. Governor is deemed to have
received on behalf of the state and local governments, revenues well in excess
of N538bn within the period under reference, therefore, the figures being
currently touted by Mr. Governor are cooked, manipulated, fallacious and
fraudulent. They are undeniable evidence of corruption!
received on behalf of the state and local governments, revenues well in excess
of N538bn within the period under reference, therefore, the figures being
currently touted by Mr. Governor are cooked, manipulated, fallacious and
fraudulent. They are undeniable evidence of corruption!
“But in spite of all those huge earnings, and for no
justifiable reasons, at least not justifiable before rationally thinking minds,
coupled with the accumulation of foreign and local debts, Mr. Governor could
still not provide the much touted infrastructures and to make matters worse, he
couldn’t even discharge the simplest and least complicated of functions in
governance, which is to maintain the civil service, pay pensions, run public
schools and hospitals, and the maintenance of existing ‘Trunk B’ Roads.”
justifiable reasons, at least not justifiable before rationally thinking minds,
coupled with the accumulation of foreign and local debts, Mr. Governor could
still not provide the much touted infrastructures and to make matters worse, he
couldn’t even discharge the simplest and least complicated of functions in
governance, which is to maintain the civil service, pay pensions, run public
schools and hospitals, and the maintenance of existing ‘Trunk B’ Roads.”
The state House of assembly had set up a panel to
investigate the judge’s petition but she had disagreed with the panel.
investigate the judge’s petition but she had disagreed with the panel.
The judge, who did not show up in person before the panel,
had sent her counsel, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi (SAN) to represent her and she
complained that the panel ought to make a copy of Aregbesola’s reply to her
petition available to her for further action.
had sent her counsel, Mr. Lanre Ogunlesi (SAN) to represent her and she
complained that the panel ought to make a copy of Aregbesola’s reply to her
petition available to her for further action.
But the panel headed by Mr. Adegboye Akintunde, who is also
the deputy speaker of the House, disagreed with the judge’s request, saying the
panel was not obligated to make the response of the defendant available to the
petitioner.
the deputy speaker of the House, disagreed with the judge’s request, saying the
panel was not obligated to make the response of the defendant available to the
petitioner.
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