- EFCC deepens partisanship, aArrests Ekiti Commissioner, Accountant-General
Very strong signal of undemocratic occurrences from the presidency is beginning to pervade the polity. Within hours of Governor Ayodele Fayose’s declaration for the 2019 presidential race, in a seeming intimidation from the President, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it arrested the Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo, and the Accountant-General, Mrs. O.O Owolabi.
The feelings are that the EFCC is deepening in partisan politics in tis anti-corruption war, raising the fear that the 2019 general elections may not transparent under the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Finance Commissioner and the Accountant-General were arrested during Fayose’s declaration for 2019 presidential election in Abuja.
The declaration which held at the Chelsea Hotel in Garki-Abuja, was attended by former senator and Deputy Governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, and a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, both of who are still facing trial for money laundering by the EFCC.
Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC Spokesman, in a statement, had explained that the the two officials are in the Commission’s custody.
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“They were picked up following their refusal to honour previous invitations for interrogation in relation to pending investigation on the misuse of bail out funds by the Ayodele Fayose administration,” Uwujaren stated.
In July, Ekiti State acknowledged receiving N4.7 billion as Paris Club refund, according to a statement by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka.
The pay advice form showed that N4, 772,836,647.08 was the amount credited to the state account by the Federal Government.
The state also earlier got N8.8 billion, out of which the Local Councils got N3.4 billion.
Since the money, got into government coffers, there had been allegations that it was diverted and not used to pay outstanding salaries and pensions.
However, the arrest of the two Ekiti Government officials is raising the imperatives of keeping President Buhari under close watch against using the federal might to destroy his opponents in the 2019 presidential race.