EFCC picks up Accountant-General of Ebonyi State

EFCC picks up Accountant-General of Ebonyi State

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the accountant general of Ebonyi State, Mr. Linus Chidi Nwankwo over corruption and fraud in the South Eastern State.

The arrest and detention of the accountant general may be a prelude to the arrest of the former governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Sam Egwu who was accused by the EFCC of embezzling billions of naira belonging to the state.
An EFCC source told Saharareporters that they are building a solid case against the two-term ex-governor.

Sam Egwu is former president Obasanjo's choice for the position of party chair for the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). The former governor may soon join his colleagues, former Abia State governor-Orji Kalu and Chimaroke Nnamani (A.K.A Ebeano) in prison custody according to our source at the EFCC.

... and ex-Deputy governor of Plateau State too!

Saturday Punch gathered that Bot-Mang was picked up in his Dadin Kowa country home around 1 pm on Wednesday. A source, who sighted him at the EFCC’s headquarters in Abuja, said Bot-Mang was downcast and he blamed his aides for his predicament.

It was gathered that the EFCC had been on his trail since he left office, but he was said to have travelled out for medical check-up. It was not immediately clear why Bot-Mang was arrested. Since the reinstatement of Dariye, who is standing trial for alleged corruption, Bot-Mang’s tenure has come under intense scrutiny over alleged financial malpractices, especially from Dariye’s supporters.

His administration was accused of hurriedly spending the N2 billion allocations to the state for March 2006. It was also accused of paying less than half of a N1.3bn contract sum to contractors after they had mobilised to site.

Also under scrutiny was the Bot-Mang administration’s award of a contract for the rehabilitation of the burnt Jos Main Market, as well as the spending of millions of naira on the visit of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo to flag off the rehabilitation of the project.

Though the contract was a Build-Operate-Transfer scheme, the Bot-Mang administration allegedly paid N700m for the clearing of the site. This was besides the alleged withdrawal of about N44m from the state’s allocation to install inter-locking tiles for the round-about in the metropolis.

Another problem for Bot-Mang was the alleged award of a contract to one of his sons for the purchase of 17 jeeps for the 17 local government transition chairmen at the cost of N14m each; as well as another N6m expenditure on the purchase of plates and cutlery for the Government House.