Posted by By Sola Adebayo, Warri on
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, have begun fresh manhunt for local government chairmen in Delta State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, have begun fresh manhunt for local government chairmen in Delta State.
It was learnt that officials of the two anti-graft agencies arrived the state on Monday in search of 15 local government chairmen reportedly implicated in various petitions before them.
Our correspondent gathered that the EFCC and ICPC were acting on petitions from politicians in collaboration with officials of the local governments.
It will be recalled that the Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, recently lamented high rate of corruption by the officials of the third-tier of government in the Niger Delta.
Ribadu revealed that majority of the chairmen in the six states of the South-South were being investigated, adding that some of them had up to N200m in their bank accounts.
Our correspondent learnt that some chairmen who probably had foreknowledge of the action of the anti-graft agencies fled their offices on Monday.
Our correspondent further learnt that the councils being investigated by either the EFCC or the ICPC in the state included Bomadi, Patani, Burutu, Okpe, Uvwie, Sapele, Aniocha South, Ika North East and South, Udu, as well as Ughelli North and South.
Investigations by our correspondent further revealed that the EFCC and the ICPC discovered merits in some of the petitions against the chairmen.
It was not clear as at press time on if any of the chairmen had been arrested.
Findings by our correspondent in the state, however, revealed that volume of petitions to the EFCC and the ICPC has been on the increase as the 2007 general election draws near, especially as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party prepares for congresses to pick candidates for various positions.
The petitions were seen in some quarters as veritable tools to eliminate opponents in the election.
Reportedly worried by the trend, the state Governor, Mr. James Ibori, held a meeting with the 25 local government chairmen in the state last week, during which he urged them to be prudent and transparent in the handling of the finances of the councils.
Ibori, who spoke to newsmen through his Political Adviser, Mr. Raymos Guanah, also urged the people of the state to stop writing frivolous petitions against the chairmen.
Media Assistant to Ibori, Mr. Abel Oshevire, said the state government was concerned about the trend, and urged the petitioners to have a re-think.
Oshevire, in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday, described most of the petitions as frivolous.