Following the recent revelations on the missing N600million Zonal Intervention Fund, allocated to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) by the House of Representatives, over N100 million had been recovered and more than three suspects arrested from the account department, with the help of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A source, close to the anti-graft agency investigating the matter, revealed that the prime suspect, a grade level 12 officer, names withheld, of the Account Department secretly returned the said amount after petitioning the EFCC, alerting them of the involvement of some directors and senior account officers who deliberately served him a query.
The source, who pleaded anonymity revealed that the prime suspect, who is signatory to the N600million account alongside two other colleagues, opened the can of worms about all the persons involved in the fraud after being issued a query, questioning the source of a property he recently purchased in Garki and an on-going building project in Gwarimpa.
It was gathered that, although the minister, Dr. Steve Oru had described the scandal as a mere noise by politicians who could not return to the National Assembly, the Anti- Graft Agency is bent on exposing all those who looted the constituency fund.
According to the Source, ‘the minister is just not bothered about the scandal making the rounds. He is not even moved that his image is being dented. It appears, he has godfathers that he so relies on. To him, newspapers owners are just after making sales, after which they will relax.’
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs had invited officials of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to appear before it to explain how an alleged N605million zonal intervention fund allocated to the ministry suddenly got missing.
The House committee had alleged that, the money allocated to the ministry was to ensure that certain vital infrastructural development projects nearing completion are completed before the February 2015 general election.(Thisdaylive)
A source, close to the anti-graft agency investigating the matter, revealed that the prime suspect, a grade level 12 officer, names withheld, of the Account Department secretly returned the said amount after petitioning the EFCC, alerting them of the involvement of some directors and senior account officers who deliberately served him a query.
The source, who pleaded anonymity revealed that the prime suspect, who is signatory to the N600million account alongside two other colleagues, opened the can of worms about all the persons involved in the fraud after being issued a query, questioning the source of a property he recently purchased in Garki and an on-going building project in Gwarimpa.
It was gathered that, although the minister, Dr. Steve Oru had described the scandal as a mere noise by politicians who could not return to the National Assembly, the Anti- Graft Agency is bent on exposing all those who looted the constituency fund.
According to the Source, ‘the minister is just not bothered about the scandal making the rounds. He is not even moved that his image is being dented. It appears, he has godfathers that he so relies on. To him, newspapers owners are just after making sales, after which they will relax.’
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs had invited officials of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to appear before it to explain how an alleged N605million zonal intervention fund allocated to the ministry suddenly got missing.
The House committee had alleged that, the money allocated to the ministry was to ensure that certain vital infrastructural development projects nearing completion are completed before the February 2015 general election.(Thisdaylive)
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