Posted by Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja on
Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has written a letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo accusing him and some of his aides of massive corruption.
Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has written a letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo accusing him and some of his aides of massive corruption.
In the letter, which was personally signed by the governor, President Obasanjo was accused of operating foreign bank accounts including ‘a platinum credit card', which he was said to have recently obtained.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Chairman of Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said the president had instructed the commission to look into details of the allegations.
Governor Kalu, in his letter to the president dated August 22, 2005, said he had 'overwhelming evidence" to the effect that public fund was used to construct hostels and sports complex by Strabag Construction Company at Bells Secondary School and Bells University five years ago.
The governor, who was also under investigations by EFCC on how he disbursed money meant for local governments in his state before he went to court to secure an injunction restraining the commission from proceeding with the investigation, also alleged that some government officials collected commissions for the sale of Ajaokuta Steel Company and Delta Steel Rolling Mill, Aladja in Delta State.
In the voluminous letter, which was shown to newsmen during the briefing, Kalu alleged that some senators and presidential aides had collected large sums of money on several oil and defence contracts.
Although the letter also leveled some allegations against the leadership of the Senate, those allegations were not mentioned and it was not clear whether the allegations were against the current leadership or its predecessors.
Ribadu said the president, in his covering note to the commission on Friday, mandated EFCC to look into the allegations 'and conduct clinical investigations into all the issues raised in the letter."
While appealing to the governor to make his evidence available 'since he said he has overwhelming evidence to support all the allegations," Ribadu said the commission was determined to get to the root of these allegations.
SATURDAY PUNCH, September 03, 2005