General Manager of the Edo State Water Board, Engineer Monday Umane and four other top staff have been arrested by the Edo State police command over a missing N2.4 billion [US$ 16.3 million] including an $18 million Paris Club facility to boost water supply to various parts of the state.
[...] The arrest was as a result of a letter from the office of the chief of staff to the governor, Mr Osarodion Ogie to the state police command to investigate cases of fraud and misappropriation of public funds. [T]he report of the Assets Verification Committee set up shortly after Comrade Adams Oshiomhole assumed office revealed that a total of 56 contracts were awarded by the government of Professor Oserheiemen Osunbor between May 2007 and November 11 2008 totaling over N2.4 billion to revamp water supply in the state.
He said the report showed that due process was not followed in the award and execution of the contracts just as the report revealed that huge sums were physically moved around and that some of the top officials being quizzed revealed to the committee that Umane only directed “how and where the money should be diverted”. Some of the documents obtained indicate that the General Manager proposed and got instant approvals on water projects from the then state governor; Professor Osereheimen Osunbor with dispatch even before the statutory due process of advertisement, tenders and opening of bids. The governor is empowered to award contracts of less than N100 million without recourse to the executive council.
Documents showed that contracts of such magnitude were treated with dispatch while those that were comparatively lower took longer times to get the approval of the governor.
Earlier, the Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, [had been notified that] a N875 million [US$ 5.95 million] contract awarded by the state Urban Water Board for water supply in the state, a contractor, one Mr. Henry Ojiekhomon was paid the sum of N473 million [US$ 3.2 million] .for the seven water projects which he never executed.
Read more: Vincent Egunyanga, Daily Trust / allAfrica.com, 29 Jan 2009 and Gabriel Enogholase, Vanguard / allAfrica.com, 22 Jan 2009
POLICE ARE THE WORST PEOPLE IN NIGERIA , THEY ARE THE PEOPLE SPOILING THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE HAD SO MANY CASES WERE THIS POLITICAL PEN ROBBERS WERE ARRESTED , BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY , THEY LET THEM GO , POLICE INSPECTOR DRIVING ML320, LEXUS JEEP , INFINITY , FROM WHERE DID HE GET THE MONEY , HE GOT THE MONEY FROM THE THIEFS , SO I DONT KNOW IF WE WILL RECRUIT ANOTHER FORCE TO HANDLE THE POLICE , THEY ARE THE MAJOR PROBLEMS IN EDO STATE AND NIGERIA IN PARTICULAR.
… SO MANY CASES “WHERE”
… AND NIGERIA IN “GENERAL”
This is real sad. This is the height of corruption.