EFCC Arraigns 6 Orumba North Staff For Fraud, As Governor Obiano Sets Up Probe Panel

                

              

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state is to set up a probe panel comprising of external Auditors, local government civil service commission and ministry of finance and Joint Account Committee to investigate the Orumba North local government area accounts under the administration of Emeka Aforka led transition. 

This is following a petition from concerned President Generals, some members of his transition committee numbering over 21 led by the President General of Ndiokpalaeke , Igboanugo Ernest E and another Chidozie Okoli with 21 others to Governor Willie Obiano alleging gross financial impropriety on the part of the past Chairman.

The Nation learnt Obiano was unhappy with the development and wanted to use it to bring sanity to the local government system and serve as deterrent to corrupt officials and has concluded arrangements to set up the committee through the office of the Secretary to the state Government, Osaeloka Obaze.

The Petition addressed to Obiano and copied the National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh; state Chairman Chief mike Kwentoh , Member representing the local government in the state Assembly, Romanus Obi, all the traditional rulers  and President Generals of all the communities in Orumba North is already causing confusion among political class.

The petition came about following the rendering of stewardship account/ handing over notes by the former Chairman of the council, Emeka Aforka where he said he executed about 60 projects with many completed and some ongoing worth several millions of naira.

The Governor’s probe panel probably came about following the petitioners’ insistence that at the end of two weeks if the Governor does nothing about the petition they would write the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The petitioners called too on the Anambra state House of Assembly to perform its oversight functions on the projects alleged to have been executed by Aforka led transition in order to ascertain whether due processes were followed in the award of the contracts.

They demanded further that all funds belonging to the Orumba North local government area misappropriated by Emeka Aforka for his private use should be recovered and remitted back to the local government accounts as that is the only way justice can be seen to be done by the people.

The petitioners alleged that either there are no projects executed or that they were started but abandoned despite millions already spent allegedly concluding allegedly that monies diverted were used for the former Transition committee’s chairman personal projects at his home town and Awka.  They added that the projects Aforka claimed to have executed were done without due process as members of his Transition committee knew nothing about those projects as even some were projects of other administrations before him.

They demanded to know how many contracts were awarded and how much appropriated for each contract as there no documents to show for it rather than his personal residence at the Ndiowu worth over N40 Million built within three months and properties worth millions scattered all over the state capital.

They listed projects in various communities he listed to have constructed but were not done by him and some not done at all as claimed, adding that he was worth nothing before he became a Transition Committee Chairman but now is worth over N100 Million within two years.      

But in a swift reaction against the allegations leveled against him, the former Transition Committee Chairman Orumba North local government area, Emeka  Aforka denied all the allegations saying he has all the necessary documents to authentic that he followed due process in all his dealings in the local government describing those behind the petition especially Elochukwu as being envious of his feats.

He admitted he built a house in the village which he started since 2008 as an Architect before becoming a Transition Committee member and later Chairman in 2012 but insisted that he has no building or property in Awka as he is still a tenant in Awka.

He said he would react to all the allegations in writing as they have written theirs but reminded that he is not moved by the ranting of his opposition as he was sure of victory over their evil plans at the probe panel or EFCC or anywhere they want to take him to.

However, another group of people under the auspices of Past members of the Transition Committee Orumba North local government led by Sam Mba and Okezie Umeaba former deputy chairmen and 15 others wrote Governor Willie Obiano yesterday too calling on Governor Obiano to disregard the petition and copied same to all the people the first petitioners copied even more.

They described the initiator of the petition Ernest Igboanugo Elochukwu as mischievous and disgruntled who was paid by a major stakeholder they did not call name to write the petition simply to bring the name of the former Chairman Emeka Aforka to disrepute as a result of envy.  They noted that some past Transition committee members who signed the petition were deceived into signing as some never saw the content of the petition and signed for the purposes of collecting money from the local government.     

They alleged that some others have their signatures forged and their names included without their knowledge and therefore they were pleading with Governor Obiano to disregard the petition as baseless and should not set up any panel to probe anything as there was no substance in the petition.

They claimed that the petition was to rubbish the party at local government level and that the projects claimed by the former Chairman, Emeka Aforka were actually completed by Aforka  as could be testified by the Traditional rulers and President Generals of the communities mentioned.  

On another development, a prominent citizen of Ufuma , Prof Benjamin Sunday Okeke has dragged the former transition committee chairman Mr Aforka Emeka to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) for what he described as monumental fraud.

He alleged the council under Aforka sold shops to them and they paid into private accounts but were issued local government receipts hence EFCC based on his petition has arrested six persons who are now under bail based on self recognition.

But Aforka in a swift reaction admitted being invited by the EFCC but reminded that he has been cleared of the allegations based on documents he tendered to the EFCC about his dealings and stand on the complaints by Prof Okeke as he even issued query to those who opened the private account without authorization.  The Afor Ufuma project under question is according to Aforka done under Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangements with applause from prominent people from Orumba North.