There are indications that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, might have commenced investigations into financial transactions carried out the administration of former Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Punch reports.
According to the report, some officials of the state government are due to appear before the commission to answer questions in relation to alleged economic crimes next week.
Also some former commissioners and principal officers of the state’s seventh House of Assembly would be invited by the commission for interrogation.
A source quoted by the report said one of the principal officers of the House was at the commission’s headquarters last week, adding that the team investigating the immediate past Delta State administration was yet to invite the former governor.
“It is not true that Uduaghan and his aides were quizzed by the commission. Even his aides have not even been quizzed. The commission has invited some of the officials who served under the former governor. Some of them are commissioners and others are principal officers of the House of Assembly.
“Only one of the principal officers (name withheld) has appeared and left. The others are expected next week. The governor was not invited. He can only be invited after the interrogation of the officials involved. For now, he is out of it.”
EFCC’s spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, however failed to confirm the development, as he said he had not been briefed, when contacted.
A group, Delta Youths for Good Governance and Anti-Corruption and Integrity, had accused Uduaghan of embezzling over N200bn which was appropriated to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission. The former governor however denied the allegation in May.
Leader of the group, Prince Kpokpogri, alleged that some members of the state seventh House of Assembly connived with the governor to secure N40bn bond.
However, Uduaghan, speaking Speaking through his Communications Manager, Paul Odili, said the allegations were false and mischievous.
Odili said: “People are just heaping all kinds of allegations against the person of the governor. How can the governor take such a huge amount of money? It is cheap blackmail because the governor has the interest of Deltans at heart and he cannot do that. That allegation is ridiculous and from an ignorant mind.”
Comments