The Heat is On: ICPC Goes After Governor for Diverting Bailout Funds

Posted by Thandiubani on Tue 19th Apr, 2016 - tori.ng

A governor might soon land in trouble as the ICPC has commenced investigation into an alleged diversion of bailout funds meant for payment of salaries.

Chairman of ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta

The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and Allied Offences Commission, ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, has disclosed that the commission is investigating a state governor for alleged diversion of bailout funds meant for the payment of workers’ salaries.

He made the revelation when he received students of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, who were on a study tour to the commission in Abuja. He said the commission would soon publish the outcome of its investigations.

According to the ICPC boss, the commission was working with ministries, departments and agencies to prevent corruption in the system before they manifest.

He said: “Last year, 27 states got bailout funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. We decided to go into collaboration with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, to monitor the movement of the funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the final destination.

“One state, where bailout funds were moved to three different accounts, is being investigated and we will soon publish the outcome of our investigations.”

According to him, the investigation was as a result of petitions from members of the public to investigate allegations of corruption being perpetrated by some state governors. He promised that the agency will continue to do its best in the fight against corruption.

Nta said: “We have done a lot of seizures. We seized 61 houses from a staff of one organisation, whose income could not justify such massive accumulation.”