A new twist was introduced to the matter of an alleged fraud regarding the release of N126 million on Monday, July 5, when the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police declared the state’s immediate past governor, Chief Bisi Akande, and three others wanted. While, the Osun State Government insists that it is making moves to ensure the recovery of all funds misapplied, Akande is crying foul insisting that it is a ploy to damage his image. This report presents the efforts of the Osun State Government pursuant to recovering an initial sum of N190 and that which is at stake for Chief Akande.
What, perhaps, started as a rumour now seems to be developing a new life of its own.
Vanguard learnt that sometime last year, November to be specific, there had been a meeting of two governors of Osun State - the one is the incumbent and the other, his predecessor, that is Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Chief Bisi Akande.
The meeting, according to sources close to it, was held at the residence of Chief Akande and it was at the instance of the incumbent, Oyinlola.
In fact, for those who did not know what was going on, the visit of Governor Oyinlola to his predecessor was interpreted to mean politics without bitterness since the norm in Nigerian politics is that political battles are a matter of do or die. So, for an incumbent to visit his predecessor was seen as novel and encouraging.
But information available to Vanguard suggests that whereas, the visit by Oyinlola to Akande still signposted an encouraging development, it was really with a view to resolving some issues relating to the release of some funds by the last administration.
Vanguard was reliably informed that Oyinlola never made the visit alone because the issues involved were very sensitive and would require, in due course, third hand corroboration.
Vanguard was told that Oyinlola, armed with a memo which the former permanent secretary(General Services) had written to Chief Akande through the then SSG which queried the release of N126 million while the former administration was in office, confronted his predecessor. Although held behind closed doors, Vanguard was reliably informed that a political settlement of sorts was reached between Chief Akande and Governor Oyinlola on how best to resolve the matter.
All these happened in November last year.
Candidly, at least according to the results of information pieced together by Vanguard, the actual amount in contention was N190million.
What happened was that the political resolution of the crisis which was being pursued initially sought to find a way to defray the N190million.
Part of the money, it was learnt, had been used, according to people in the Akande administration, some of the money in question were actually spent on furnishing government quarters.
Vanguard learnt that Governor Oyinlola’s disposition was that whatever was actually spent should be deducted from the N190million. It is that deduction that has now brought the money to N126million.
When sometime in March this year Oyinlola again made contact with Akande, it was on the same matter.
Vanguard learnt that the police had actually been chatting with the others except Governor Akande.
However, a new twist was to be introduced into the matter on Monday, July 5, when the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Police declared the state’s immediate past governor and three others wanted in connection with the alleged fraud regarding the release of the said N126 million.
The said amount, it was alleged, was paid to an architect-consultant. The allegation goes further that there was no visible project to show for the said amount.
Akande was said to have described the fraud as a “mess” but allegedly approved another N230 million to cover up the original act which was itself alleged to be a scam.
He was said to have admitted that the money meant for the construction was not properly channeled.
Those also declared wanted along with Akande are the former Secretary to Government (SSG), Chief Sola Akinwunmi; his Finance Commissioner, Chief Lere Adebayo; and the Permanent Secretary (General Services), Mr. Olatoye.
The money was said to be part of the N1.5 billion meant for the construction of the Governor’s Office otherwise known as “Bola Ige House.”
But Chief Akande, elected at a parallel Alliance for Democracy, AD, national convention, has been firing back.
However, in a swift reaction on Monday night, Chief Akande wondered why the police needed to declare him wanted when he left the state for Lagos only 24 hours earlier.
The alleged fraud, according to sources, was blown open by a memo which the former permanent secretary(General Services) had written to Chief Akande through the SSG while the former administration was in office. The memo, it was learnt, queried the release of N126 million to the architect-consultant.
When contacted, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of crime, Mr. Emmanuel Obiakor, confirmed the development. Mr. Obiakor said only the SSG and the Commissioner for Finance reported to the police while Chief Akande has gone into “hiding.”
In a telephone interview with Vanguard, Chief Akande who is also the National Chairman of a faction of Alliance for Democracy (AD) said he was in the state on Sunday and no one got in touch with him over the matter.
His words: “How can they say that they have declared me wanted? They have a duty to inform the whole world about the reasons for such an action. It is unfortunate that this is what they have reduced the police to in their bid to score a political point. They must have decided to take such an action after receiving my letter earlier in the day.”
The former governor said he had nothing to hide and was prepared to make himself available anytime the police wanted. He, however, said he was yet to be informed of the development and would, therefore, make no move until the matter is officially passed across to him.
Chief Akande who sounded angry on phone said the police had demonstrated once again that “they are being paid merely to harass and intimidate innocent people. Look, the police are merely playing pranks. They know I am not resident in Osun State. I live in Ibadan. I have not vacated my house and none of them visited me. I was in a public function earlier today (yesterday) at the birthday lecture for Professor Soyinka. Did the police get across to me? They are not really serious about it. They are just playing politics.”
Earlier in the day, Chief Akande had accused the Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, of masterminding allegations of fraud against him. In a letter addressed to the governor, Chief Akande accused his predecessor of plotting to discredit him.
According to Akande, “I want to believe that you are not unaware that the Police authorities in Osun State invited me a few days ago to show up in their station for interrogation on the issue... In essence, I can safely conclude that you are behind all these orchestrated attempts to tarnish my reputation and bring me to ridicule simply to portray me in bad light to the public.
“It will be recalled that on Monday 23rd February, 2004, you telephoned to inform me that one Lanre Ladeji was in your office to “confess” that he contributed N85 million towards my re-election as governor in the April election of 2003. While I strongly denied the allegation, I warned you to desist from giving access to dubious characters who wish to malign my integrity. I then advised you to handle the matter as you might deem appropriate.”
On the procedure adopted in financing the project, Chief Akande reiterated his position that his administration did all possible to prevent fraudulent transaction. He explained that “the highlight of the PDP-controlled Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education was the award of contract for the construction of a 3-bedroom block for N4.6 million which worked out at N1.534 million per classroom.
At that time my government was building a primary school classroom on the terms of the Federal Government at N520,000. In the same manner, the secretariat complex which my administration built can be said to be equal to about 6,000 standard classrooms which, at the rate of N1.534 million which the Federal Government spent on a classroom would have cost N10, billion. Yet, we built it for less than N3 billion.”
Chief Akande further said: “My administration successfully executed and completed over 500 projects among which Bola Ige House was one. None was abandoned. It will therefore amuse any discerning mind that this Bola Ige House Project is now being put into controversy with a view to ridicule the memory of the slain Attorney General of the Federation of Nigeria.”
He suggested that any independent valuer would put the true value of the project which was completed with less than N1 billion at about N3 billion, maintaining therefore, that had he any intention of defrauding the state or raising money for his campaign through the project, he could have raised the cost to N2 billion.
The fact that he did not do so, he argued, was an indication that he had no intention whatsoever of defrauding the state.
It would be recalled that following the successful take over of the South West by the PDP last year, the relationship between the new governors and the displaced AD governors turned sour. In Osun and Ekiti states in particular the incumbents and their predecessors were at war.
Despite attempts to settle the rift in Osun State, the two warring factions are yet to sheathe their swords, raising fears that there might be a threat to the public peace.
But those close to Governor Oyinlola insist that the latest development has nothing to do with politics, adding that it is purely a legal matter with the expectation that the full weight of the law would be brought to bear in a very fair manner.
A spokes person for the Osun State government told Vanguard that if the state government, “under the qualitative leadership of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, able supported by his deputy, Erelu Olusola Obada, had wanted to make so much political capital out of the scam, His Excellency would have been making so much noise about it since his first days in office. But if you look round Osun State, what this administration has been doing is to stay focussed in the provision of the basic amenities which were lacking, for the people of Osun State and not to get bogged down by controversies. This administration is people-focused and not controversy-driven”.
There may be more problems for Chief Akande.
For instance, information available to Vanguard suggests that fresh allegations may soon emerge concerning the alleged rush of contract awards in the last six months of the Akande administration.
The contract papers, which are being scrutinised by the present administration in Osun State are said to spot some discrepancies which would require some explanation from principal actors in the immediate past administration in the state.
In fact, Vanguard learnt that the state administration, which is bent on recovering all funds that may have been mis-applied, is just waiting for this N126million puzzle to settle before another offensive is launched.
Whether this is a political game or not would be seen in the weeks ahead.
