Undercover Agents Monitor How Govs Spend Bailout Funds

Undercover agents are currently monitoring how government are spending bailout funds meant to navigate them out of economic difficulties.

The full details are produced as sourced

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has deployed its operatives in states that have received bailout from the Central Bank of Nigeria to monitor the disbursement of the funds, which are meant for the payment of workers’ salaries, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
ICPC
Investigation by our correspondents revealed that the move by the ICPC is to ensure that the state governors do not divert the funds to other uses.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the ICPC operatives’ primary task was to monitor how the bailout was being spent.

It was also learnt that the commission had perfected modalities to sanction defaulters to prevent diversion at all cost, in spite of the immunity enjoyed by state governors in the country.

“The bailout is meant for the payment of workers’ salaries. Any default on the part of any governor will not be treated lightly. That is why we have deployed our men to the states to monitor the spending of the money. There will be serious sanctions for anyone who defaults in the spending of the bailout,” a reliable source told our correspondents.

He said, “Though the governors have immunity, the ICPC will not spare the commissioner of finance in any state where the bailout is diverted. Such commissioners will be charged to court, tried and we hope they will get jail terms without the option of fine.

“In line with the provision of the ICPC Act, there is no hiding place for corrupt people.”

A total of N338bn was approved by the Federal Government for the affected states through the CBN to assist them offset their salary arrears.

Findings show that not less than N222bn out of the fund has already been accessed by 19 of the states.

Some of the states that have accessed from the fund include: Kwara (N4.32bn); Osun (N34.99bn); Zamfara (N10.02bn); Abia (N14.15bn); Adamawa (N2.38bn); Ekiti (N9.6bn); Oyo (N26.6bn); and Ogun (N18.9bn).

Workers in some of the states including Osun, Ekiti and Oyo had expressed fears over alleged plans by their respective governors to divert part of the funds accessed from the bailout to personal and other uses like the payment of contractors.

There had also been allegations that some state governors deliberately kept the funds in the bank longer than necessary so that they could generate huge interests for them.

The Resident Consultant to ICPC on Media and Events, Mr. Folu Olamiti, confirmed the development.

The General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said the organisation was in support of ICPC’s move to monitor the spending of the bailout, adding that the NLC was partnering with the anti-graft agency on the issue.

Ozo-Eson called for openness on the part of state governors, describing it as integral to the process, particularly in states where the funds accessed from the bailout are unable to offset the backlog of salary and pension arrears.

“We are in support of what ICPC is doing,” he said.

“ICPC has approached us formally by writing to us, asking that it partners with us to ensure the funds are utilised for the purpose for which they were released. We have formally accepted and are cooperating with the agency.

“Where it is transparent that the amount released is unable to fully liquidate the backlog of salaries and pension arrears, then we can see what the funds are able to do and then discuss with the governments to see how the balances will be sorted out.”

On the utilisation of the funds, Ozo-Eson said the organisation had already asked its state councils to constitute monitoring teams to monitor and report on the use of funds accessed by the concerned states.

He said, “Where there is any difficulty, they should let us know so that we can mobilise a team from the national level to go to such states. Such visitation has taken place already in Osun State by the leadership of the NLC.”

But the Executive Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, feared that ICPC’s threat might be “political.”

Adeniran, however, said that his organisation would collaborate with workers to make states where such funds are diverted for selfish purposes ungovernable for the erring governors.

He said, “Any state governor that keeps the money in the bank with the aim of generating interest for selfish purposes, should be taken to the court of the people and the court of law. It is man’s inhumanity to man.

“If we discover that a state deliberately denied workers of their wages, then we will join hands with workers of such a state to expose such sadistic and wicked government. We will make the state ungovernable for such a government.”