Leadership (CACOL) has sent a petition to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), seeking the probe of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, the immediate-past governor of Oyo State.
CACOL, in the petition made available to The NEXT EDITION on Monday, titled, ‘Call for Probe into the Alleged Corrupt Practices of the Ex-Governor Of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi’, said the petition was a follow up to several calls on the ICPC and EFCC to urgently commence a probe into the various allegations of corrupt practices levelled against Ajimobi by his successor, Governor Seyi Makinde.
The petition, dated September 14, and signed by Debo Adeniran, CACOL Executive Chairman, which and routed through the ICPC Lagos Zonal Office, Ikoyi, copied President Muhammadu Buhari and EFCC Acting Chairman.
Adeniran recalled that apart from Makinde’s calls on the anti-graft agencies to probe Ajimobi, it was also alleged that apart from huge amounts of money meant for projects, the former governor allegedly carted away several government vehicles.
He also alleged: “These vehicles were illegally taken away and were not paid for by those involved. Also, many of the vehicles were never bought by officials of the past administration. There is nowhere in the public service that a governor is allowed to gift public property to cronies like a Santa Claus.”
According to the CACOL’s petition, Makinde also alleged that his predecessor diverted money meant for project. “What he met on ground was a situation where a project for which money was allocated, got only about 10% of the total funds for execution.”
Adeniran also wrote: “We also have it on record that Governor Makinde’s revelations about how public funds that belonged to the good people of Oyo State were looted and shared by Ajimobi and others: 50% goes back to the governor, 30% to the appointee who allocated the project out of which 10% goes to the governor’s wife. His vow not to allow a repeat of such official heist gives cause for support.
He maintained: “In his resolve to not allow those who looted the treasury of the state go scot free, the incumbent Oyo State governor has vowed to probe the alleged corrupt practices adding that he would soon establish an anti-graft agency to address mismanagement of public funds.
“In giving full vent to this, Governor Makinde informed on how he has sent a bill to the state Assembly to establish an anti-graft agency that will probe the corrupt practices of the past administration.”
He said “Section 7 (1) a and b of the EFCC Establishment Act vested the power in your Commission to cause investigations to be conducted as to whether any person, corporate body or organisation has committed an offence under this Act or other law relating to economic and financial crimes or cause investigation to be conducted into the properties of any person if it appears to the Commission that the person’s lifestyle and extent of the properties are not justified by his source of income.
“We are therefore requesting that the ICPC should cause an investigation of Senator Abiola Ajimobi on the said allegations in line with the power vested in the commission.
Adeniran stressed that CACOL, as a group with the objective of fighting corruption and corrupt persons at all levels, would not want or encourage anyone to jump into any conclusion on any allegation without availing those alleged the opportunity to defend themselves.
“We, therefore, have reasons to believe that the matter raised by Oyo State incumbent governor is weighty enough to attract the interest and concern of the two major anti-corruption agencies in the country, the ICPC and EFCC, to warrant a complete investigation and eventual invitation of ex-Governor Ajimobi for questioning and made to have his days in court, if he is found culpable as alleged, without any hints of bias.
“We are ready and willing to avail your agency of necessary cooperation in ensuring that justice is manifestly done on this matter.”
