Date: 2020-07-20

A non-governmental organisation, Kwara Advancement Initiative (KIA), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) to fish out the perpetrators of the alleged unlawful deduction of N300 million from the monthly allocations of local governments in Kwara State.

The group made the request in a petition dated July 17, 2020, and addressed to the zonal coordinator of Ilorin Zonal Office of EFCC.

The acknowledgment copy of the petition signed by Ibrahim Sulyman on behalf of KAI was made available to journalists in Ilorin, the state capital.

The state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had also in the wake of the allegation, invited the EFCC to investigate the matter. He also promised to a set up a panel for the same purpose.

The state House of Assembly has also set up a panel to investigate the allegation of illegal deductions from the local governments' monthly allocations.

KAI, in its petition to EFCC, alleged that a serving commissioner in the state had exposed how another cabinet member was allegedly deducting N300million from the LGs funds monthly without the knowledge of the commissioner in charge of the concerned ministry.

"According to the commissioner, she has been borrowing money from banks, attracting interest at banking lending rates to augment the salaries of LGs staff and workers under her ministry.

"As an NGO, which believes in justice, accountability, good governance and equity to all, we feel that this weighty allegation should not be swept under the carpet.

"We hereby request for a detailed, painstaking and in-depth investigation to be carried out by your agency to unveil those behind this cruel and dastardly act, which is presently affecting the lives of innocent local government workers in the state for the sole purpose of bringing them to justice and to serve as a deterrent to others in this government, who may wish to involve themselves in this type of shameful and unlawful act," KAI demanded in its petition.