Group to submit evidence of ‘financial misappropriations’ by Obiano to EFCC

Following the arrest of former governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, a human rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, has volunteered to submit evidence of financial misappropriations by the ex-governor to the Commission to aid its investigation.

A statement released by the chairman, Board of Trustees, Emeka Umeagbalasi, and other principal officers of the group, alleged that Obiano generated and lavishly spent over N1.61trillion in eight years.

The rights group also said that the decision to submit the report to EFCC was to further its democratic and good governance watchdog duties and responsibilities aimed at ensuring transparency and accountable leadership in public governance.

Part of the statement reads “Under Obiano, N1.61trillion was generated and lavishly spent and N140 billion borrowed and owed.

“Not less than N1trillion was lost to criminal State agents and their revenue collectors. In other words, Anambra State under Obiano lost a total of not less than N1trillion to revenue criminals and touts clandestinely raised by criminal Government appointees and lawmakers. Under Obiano, only N240 billion was statutorily collected in eight years as IGRs (internally generated revenues)-as against N1.24trillion that ought to have been collected and channelled into State coffers.

“The N240 billion amounted to a yearly average of N30 billion, while the N1.24trillion that ought to have been generated for the State amounted to a yearly average of N150 billion. In other words, out of an average of N150 billion IGR that was supposed to have been collected and paid into State coffers on yearly basis since March 2014, only N30 billion was paid yearly and N120 billion per year was lost to revenue criminals who diverted and pocketed them.

“Anambra State is presently conservatively measured to have enough potential or capacity to generate one-third of Lagos State IGR-which generates N40B-N45B monthly or N450B-N500B yearly. Revenue criminality and criminalization in Anambra State under Obiano was rampaging, riotous and bloody and in the end, 80% of same disappeared into private pockets leading to springing up in choice locations of privately acquired state-of-art building complexes including shopping malls, industries, hostels, hotels, palatial mansions, petrol and gas stations and so on.

“The State under Obiano recorded ‘over-taxation’, ‘extra-taxation’ and ‘taxation duplicity’ with nothing governmentally and developmentally to show for it.

“Tens (if not hundreds) of billions of naira contract debts and retirees unpaid emoluments undisclosed.

“N101billion lost to police, military and paramilitary roadblock extortion and criminal bail fees,” the statement reads. Vanguard