The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the Kwara state Commissioner of Finance, Nurudeen Banu and the Accountant General of the State, Sulaiman Ishola, over investigations into alleged slush funds for 2019 elections.
Daily Trust reported that the duo
are being held at the Ilorin, Kwara state Zonal head office of the
anti-graft agency to explain the utilisation of over N1 billion fund
received from a commercial bank a few days to the election.
Both Banu and Ishola, are being held to explain why the money was received and how it was disbursed, the newspaper reported.
The
EFCC had been asked by the Kwara Coalition for Good Governance and
Accountability (KWARA-CGGA) to probe the over N1billion loan the State
Government secured from a bank a few days before the general elections.
The
secretary general of the group, Hassan Omoiya said it had intelligence
that the state government obtained the loan on 13 February from a first
generation bank using the remittance of Kwara State VAT allocation due
in February and March 2019 as collateral.
“We urge the EFCC and
indeed the Federal Ministry of Finance to determine the appropriateness
of utilisation of credit facility of N1 billion by Kwara State
Government at the twilight of general election.”
“The status of
VAT Account as collateral for the credit facility in the absence of
prior approval and authorization from Debt Management Office and Federal
Ministry of Finance in tandem with extant laws and regulation on
granting of loan to State Governments.
“It is our expectation
that your investigation will extend to individuals and corporate
institutions that participated in the unwholesome act with a view of
prosecuting the affected individuals and institutions with attendant
cost and penalty.”
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