EFCC begins probe of Uduaghan administration

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced an investigation into
the administration of Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Investigations on Wednesday revealed that a team of operatives attached to the
Economic Governance Unit of the commission was entrusted with the responsibility of
looking into the account books of the Delta State Government under Uduaghan.

A reliable source disclosed to our correspondent that some officials of the state
government would appear before the commission to answer questions in relation with
alleged economic crimes next week.
It was learnt that some former commissioners and principal officers of the state’s
seventh House of Assembly would be invited by the commission for interrogation.
The source said that one of the principal officers of the House was at the commission’s
headquarters last week.
It was gathered that the team investigating the immediate past Delta State
administration had not invited the former governor.
It was gathered that Uduaghan’s invitation would be determined by the outcome of the
investigation of the invited officials.
“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.”
When our correspondent contacted the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, to comment on the story, he said he had not been briefed about the said
investigation.
Uduaghan had in May denied an allegation by a group which accused him of embezzling
over N200bn which was appropriated to the Delta State Oil Producing Areas
Development Commission.
The group, under the aegis of the Delta Youths for Good Governance and Anti-
Corruption and Integrity Forum had alleged that the governor had embezzled the money
and was speeding up plans to scrap the commission before leaving office on May 29,
2015.
The leader of the forum, Prince Kpokpogri, alleged that some members of the state
Seventh House of Assembly connived with the governor to secure N40bn bond.
Speaking through his Communications Manager, Paul Odili, Uduaghan, had, however,
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.”

Source : Vanguard