News

Alleged N95bn LG Fraud: Edo To Prosecute Obaseki, PDP Leaders, Others, Says Okpebholo

Published

8 months ago

February 16, 2025

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

The Governor Monday Okpebholo-led government of Edo State is set to prosecute former Governor Godwin Obaseki, some PDP leaders in the state and former local government chairmen allegedly indicted for “looting the local government treasuries, running into over N95 billions.”

This is contained in a statement signed by Fred Itua, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor and made available to newsmen in Benin on Sunday.

According to the statement, the governor made the revelation when he received the report of the Administrative Panel of Enquiry set up to investigate the financial dealings of the “impeached 18 Local Government Chairmen in Edo State from 4th September, 2023 to November, 2024.”

Recall that after taking the baton of leadership on September 12, 2024, the Okpebholo-led Edo State Government on the 18th of December, 2024, set up an Administrative Panel of Enquiry to investigate the financial dealings of the 18 local government chairmen who were allegedly impeached.

Receiving the report in the statement, the governor noted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will prosecute all those involved in the alleged crime.

Okpebholo, while expressing satisfaction with the committee’s manner of professionalism, declared that the days of financial recklessness and lack of transparency in public office were long over.

He added: “Nigerians need to start demanding accountability from elected public office holders.”

He further stressed that “it was the only way to fight corruption and ensure development.”

The Governor, while expressing dismay at the findings of the report, vowed to petition the EFCC on the findings of the report for immediate prosecution.

Okpebholo said: “I want to thank you for a job well done. I carefully listened to the submission of the report.

“The truth is that the administration of former governor Godwin Obaseki took Edo people for granted. They took everything belonging to Edo people and channeled it for their personal gains.

“We thank God for helping us to change the narrative to benefit Edo people. We also thank the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because without his support, we will not be witnessing the kind of development we are experiencing in Edo today.

“A lot has happened. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) looted the treasury of the Local Governments and stole our collective patrimony, and nobody went after them or took action. This time, things are different. We will go after them and retrieve what they have stolen from Edo people.

“They will be made to pay for it. I will personally take this document to the EFCC and ensure that justice is done for this wrong done to Edo people.”

Earlier, Chairman of the panel, Barr. Solomon Imohiosen, while submitting the report and recommendations Okpebholo, noted that findings and forensic investigations uncovered that huge sums amounting to N96 billion was either mismanaged and/or diverted to private accounts.

The panel observed that N95 billion (N95,080,676,687.86) was received from the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) by the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen for the period investigated.

The panel, however, reported that the funds were not judiciously utilized as no meaningful projects were on the ground to justify the amount received.

Confirming fraudulent diversion of Local Government funds to political godfathers in the state, the panel reported that over N10 (10,433 658,452.00) was fraudulently siphoned, using the psudo name, “Security, Environment and Training.”

The panel report added that the 18 Local Government Area Chairmen contributed to the account, using it as a conduit pipe to drain government resources, as money were transferred from there to various individuals and companies.

The panel outlined some challenges faced during the course of the assignment, which included late submission of financial records by various Local Government Councils, incomplete submission of records, deliberate obstruction of the investigation by Council personnel who failed to comply on time, but brought hefty sacks as an after-thought to dazzle panel members.

“The panel’s investigation uncovered significant irregularities in the financial activities of the 18 Local Governments Councils. The recommendations outlined in the report aim to address these issues and promote transparency and accountability in the Local Governments finances.”

News

Ovia South West Council Chairman, Edobor Bags National Merit Award

Published

10 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

The Acting Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government Council in Edo State, Hon. Charles Nosakhare Edobor, has bagged the 2025 Nigerian Local Government Merit Award (LOGMA).

He was awarded as the Best Performing Local Government Chairman in Nigeria (Security and infrastructure development, purposeful leadership).

Speaking after being conferred with the prestigious award, Edobor applauded the organizers for recognizing his administration’s commitment to localizing good governance.

He highlighted his leadership’s remarkable strides in building a sustainable, livable, and prosperous council area through numerous people-oriented programmes and projects-particularly in road infrastructure and the provision of basic social amenities.

Edobor dedicated the award to the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and to the good people of Ovia south west Local Government Area.

He expressed satisfaction with the honour. He emphasized that the award would further spur him to work harder in pursuing people-centred programmes aligned with Senator Monday Okpebholo’s S.H.I.N.E and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Edobor commended Governor Okpebholo for his visionary leadership and unwavering support for local government administrations across the state.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to deepening rural development, empowering youth and women, and ensuring the dividends of democracy reach every ward in Ovia south west local government.

Earlier, in his welcome address at the event which held on Wednesday at the National Merit House, Abuja, the National Coordinator of LOGMA, Chief Bayode Ojo, stated that the award was designed to showcase the achievements of local government chairmen and reward excellence in grassroots governance – particularly those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting grassroots development despite the challenges confronting the third tier of government.

He congratulated all the awardees for making the final list after rigorous scrutiny and spot-checking of some of their executed projects to verify the authenticity of their claims.

Chief Ojo further urged the awardees to continue to be shining examples of sustainable growth at the grassroots and in the country at large.

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Sacks CDS Musa, Names New Army Boss

Published

11 hours ago

October 24, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has made changes in the hierarchy of the Service Chiefs in furtherance of the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture.

The President appointed General Olufemi Oluyede to replace General Christopher Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff.

More to follow…

News

Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

Published

1 day ago

October 23, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has launched two transformative initiatives designed to recalibrate traffic governance and restore environmental sanctity across the metropolis.

In a visionary bid to guarantee seamless mobility and safe commuting at all hours, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has formally instituted a 24-hour operational framework for traffic management and enforcement across Lagos State.

The groundbreaking initiative, officially commissioned by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, constitutes a seminal moment in the evolution of Lagos’s transportation governance.

It manifests Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s strategic ambition to ensure the uninterrupted movement of people, goods and services within Nigeria’s economic epicentre—a city that operates continuously, unhindered by congestion or disorder.

According to Giwa, the 24-hour operational regime epitomises the administration’s steadfast dedication to constant vigilance, operational efficiency and disciplined traffic regulation, especially as the metropolis approaches the festive period, traditionally characterised by heightened vehicular and commercial activity.

This information was contained in a statement yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq.

He elaborated that the framework is meticulously designed to facilitate continuous monitoring, rapid emergency response and immediate clearance of traffic obstructions irrespective of time, thereby mitigating congestion and enhancing the commuter experience.

“This initiative exemplifies the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to safeguarding mobility, preserving lives and sustaining economic productivity through perpetual traffic oversight,” Giwa stated.

A pivotal component of the initiative is the establishment of the Night Rapid Response Gang, a specialised unit within LASTMA charged with swiftly addressing nocturnal traffic incidents, including vehicular breakdowns, collisions and other obstructions along critical arteries of the metropolis.

In tandem with these traffic management reforms, the Lagos State Government also executed a comprehensive clearance operation along Apapa Road, Costain and the Ijora Under Bridge, eliminating illegal structures, shanties and unregulated trading that had long obstructed free vehicular flow and compromised public safety.

The far-reaching enforcement exercise, spearheaded by Sola Giwa in coordination with LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, Mobile Police (MOPOL), the Lagos State Task Force and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), culminated in the removal of unauthorised traders, makeshift structures and multiple environmental infractions.

During the operation, enforcement teams uncovered an illegal diesel dumping site and impounded substantial quantities of expired plantain chips and cheese balls, stored under unsanitary conditions—a testament to the government’s prioritisation of public health and environmental integrity.

The exercise followed persistent warnings and public sensitisation campaigns urging illegal occupants under bridges to vacate. Teams also identified blocked drainage channels choked with metallic debris, contributing to perennial flooding and environmental degradation.

Furthermore, several commercial buses and tricycles operating unlawfully along the newly constructed Costain Bridge and Apapa Road were impounded.

Shanties adjacent to St. Catholic Church School, Apapa Road, were demolished, reinstating the area to its intended urban and educational purpose, while criminal hideouts beneath the Ijora Bridge were dismantled to enhance public security.

Giwa reaffirmed that the Sanwo-Olu administration will not compromise on public safety, environmental protection or the rule of law, stressing that Lagos must remain a city distinguished by structure, order and discipline.

General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, appealed to traders, transport operators and commuters to comply with government directives, utilise designated markets and parking facilities, and actively support the administration’s efforts to maintain a safe, efficient and orderly metropolis.

He emphasised that the integration of 24-hour traffic management with environmental enforcement represents the Lagos State Government’s holistic approach to sustainable urban mobility—one that blends innovative regulation, proactive enforcement and civic responsibility.