The Peoples Democratic Party has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate how the Ondo State governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, spent the COVID-19 intervention funds that accrued to the state.
The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, said the excuse given by Akeredolu that the account of how the COVID-19 funds were spent by the state had been submitted to an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation was self-indicting.
An advocacy group, Connected Development, had through the Freedom of Information Act dated July 24, 2020, requested the account details of how the state spent the COVID-19 funds including donations.
However, the state through the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Wale Akinteriwa, replied to the group with random figures of account of how the funds were spent.
In the document, the state government explained that it received a total of N378, 625, 285 as contribution and donations to respond to the spread of the pandemic.
Although, the state was silent on how much it received from the federal government to fight the spread of the pandemic, it only gave a random account of how much was received as contributions from individuals, public figures, banks, privates, and public organisations.
But dissatisfied with this, the PDP accused Governor Akeredolu of seeking to drag the advocacy group as a cover to evade answering to all entreaties concerning a full public details account of how the COVID-19 intervention funds were spent.
It said, “It is sickening that Governor Akeredo seeks to confuse the citizens of Ondo State by referring to a bank account he claimed to have sent to an NGO, which provides no proof of actual item purchases as well as the actual delivery of materials and services for payments.
“We invite Nigerians and the Ondo people to note that Governor Akeredolu’s self-serving administration has failed to account to the people on the management of the fund, having failed to show the term of expenditures, approving details; quantity and quality of products and services paid for; as well as confirmation of actual delivery for payments made.
“The response by Governor Akeredolu has only muddled up statutory financial accounting system by referring the people of Ondo to an NGO in Abuja.
“Our campaign, therefore, invites the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to immediately commence an investigation into the handling of the Ondo COVID-19 funds now that Governor Akeredolu has failed to give a proper account as demanded by the Ondo people.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
