– Governor Rauf Aregbesola is believed to be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following a petition of alleged diversion of local government funds
– Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman has submitted new documented evidence to the EFCC to make it easy for the latter to get to the root of the allegation
– The group said its action is in line with the anti-corruption posture of President Muhammadu Buhari
The Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun state (CSCEOS) has presented more documents allegedly indicting Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state of massive fraud.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola is reportedly being investigated by the EFCC
This is as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation into the alleged diversion of monthly allocations supposedly to 30 local councils in the state by the governor and members of his government.
The rights group alleges that the funds were diverted between November 2010 and March 2016.
The CSCEOS through its chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, submitted the new documented evidence dated Tuesday, 7 June, 2016, to the anti-graft agency saying this is to help the EFCC get to the root of “the mind boggling allegation.”
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The group said it is taking up the fight because the greatest problem facing the country currently is corruption which has made governors richer than their states.
NAIJ.com learnt that the new evidence was submitted to the Ibadan zonal head of the EFCC, Akaninyene Ezima, through Richard Adejumo, an official of the agency.
The documents were presented on demand by the anti-graft agency, according to Suleiman.
An acknowledgement copy from the EFCC
A letter accompanying the evidence and made available to NAIJ.com read that the group was submitting the evidence in line with the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari and the fight against corruption.
“It is against this background that we are submitting more documentary evidences on the allegation of local government fund diversion levelled against the Osun state governor, Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, and some of the state and local government officials.
“It is also our belief that section 308 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) is protecting the president, vice-president, governors and deputy-governors from prosecution (while in office), but the same constitution is not protecting them from investigation by state security agents for possible prosecution over an alleged financial crime of this nature after leaving office as interpreted by the supreme court under the watch of Justice Muhammed Uwais in Gani Fawehinmi Vs Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Inspector General of Police(IGP) and ors on forgery case saga.
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“We are using this opportunity to inform the EFCC that in the new documentary evidences, some officials of the state government under Rauf Aregbesola’s watch since November 2010 till March 2016 must be invited for questioning and possible arrest,” the letter said.
The letter named those to be further invited as Wale Adedoyin, the immediate past commissioner for agriculture and natural resources; Kunle Ige, the former special adviser on rural and community development; Abdullahi Binuyo, former senior special assistant on millennium development goals; Alhaji Abdulfatai Kolawole, permanent secretary, state universal education board; Engineer Oladepo Amuda, special adviser on works; contractors in the special intervention projects as well as one Mr TA Agunlejika.
